harvey19 Â Â 541 #289 Posted October 19, 2011 Eventually it has to. Â When that will be I don't know. Religion in any kind of organised form has been around for a few thousand years. The age of enlightenment is only 250 years old. Â I guess religion will go when we as a species have a greater understanding of ourselves and the universe. Religion only exists as an surrogate answer to the question 'what happens when we die?' No other part of the animal kingdom believes in the afterlife as they have no meaningful concept of death (not even those wonderful creatures we call elephants!) and therefore have no need for an explanation. Â Once that 'useful' construct no longer has a role it will gradually disappear. Some may hold on out of some form of sentimentality but that won't survive more than a couple of generations especially as it will then be seen in a historical context rather than a contemporary one and that context will be a largely very negative one. Â John X Similar to the Nazi era where members of the SS were encouraged not to belong to a religious group but simply state they had a belief in God. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
John X Â Â 10 #290 Posted October 19, 2011 These vast unimaginable forces are not controlled by mere accident. Â No, they are controlled by a set of rules, some of which we understand and many of which we don't. Â But we know more every day. Â John X Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Balpin   12 #291 Posted October 19, 2011 No, they are controlled by a set of rules, some of which we understand and many of which we don't.  But we know more every day.  John X  I completely agree, a set of rules. Laws of Physics, call them what you may. They were put in place by something.  You are in denial, it is the vanity of the human animal to believe that nothing can be better.  We do not have the faintest idea of how the Universe was created or even its composition, it is all guess work. Every new discovery, is either met with astoundment, or contradicts earlier discoveries.  We are scratching at the surface of something completely beyond our ken, and the sooner people admit their limitations the better. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
John X Â Â 10 #292 Posted October 19, 2011 You are in denial, Â Denial of what for 'god's' sake? Â John X Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Balpin   12 #293 Posted October 19, 2011 Denial of what for 'god's' sake?  John X  That you are not all powerful, it is difficult for you I know, but you will come to accept it, with time. Relax. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
John X Â Â 10 #294 Posted October 19, 2011 That you are not all powerful, it is difficult for you I know, but you will come to accept it, with time. Relax. Â Now you're just talking rubbish. Â Do you have anything useful to contribute to this thread? Â John X Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
upinwath   10 #295 Posted October 19, 2011 No, they are controlled by a set of rules, some of which we understand and many of which we don't.  But we know more every day.  John X  The rules in religion are generally a good thing. The corruption of those rules to suit an agenda, is not. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Flowersfade   10 #296 Posted October 19, 2011 The rules in religion are generally a good thing. The corruption of those rules to suit an agenda, is not.  Nicely put upinwath. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
John X Â Â 10 #297 Posted October 19, 2011 The rules in religion are generally a good thing. The corruption of those rules to suit an agenda, is not. Â But those rules are not exclusive to religions, are they? Â John X Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Flowersfade   10 #298 Posted October 19, 2011 But those rules are not exclusive to religions, are they? John X  I think all these rules come from one religion or another. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Suffragette1 Â Â 10 #299 Posted October 19, 2011 The rules in religion are generally a good thing. The corruption of those rules to suit an agenda, is not. Â It depends on the 'rules' surely? The basic tenets of many religions are, I agree, ones that we should all aspire to. It's when it becomes organised by nutters who do not practice what they preach, is predicated on intolerance , used as a means of social control and to instill fear and prevent freedom of thought, expression and self-determination that I have personally find intolerable. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Bulgarian   10 #300 Posted October 20, 2011 I view all religions in the same manner and the world would be a better place without any of them.  Amen to that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...