...how little everyday people use their brains and what a shame it is too...
Opium of the masses:
Published on July 3, 2004 By Sarah_Bellum In Religion
If only God would give me some clear sign! Like making a large deposit in my name in a Swiss bank. --- Woody Allen



I find it seriously scary how people in eminent positions can actually believe in this stuff, not to say the principals aren't good but the whole "story" which goes along with this belief system (in the main I am talking of Christianity) people like Tony Blair and George Bush, in Blair's case a seemingly intelligent man being a barrister at law, but this is academia NOT science or commonsense, if our very leaders do not pay heed to science based fact nor use their commonsense how is that indicative of a leader, I mean a GOOD decent leader?

I find it hard to fathom why it is people who can read cannot grasp what science says, there is NO SCIENTIFIC PROOF that God exists let alone his only son who saw fit to come down to earth. Yet these people still believe.

There again thinking about it deeper of course it's so obvious as my subtitle line above says -it's the opium of the masses and what a way to lead fools other than pandering to them?


Religions are all alike -- founded on fables and mythologies.

- Thomas Jefferson


Don't get me wrong I'd love to believe in a wonderful after life in everyone being happy, pain and problem free, to be with all the people I have loved and lost, it would then be such a simple life to put all my hopes into someone else's hands, oh what a cop out that would be flushing myself of responsibilities and drive to make life here and now as good as I can, oh to believe no matter how shit things can get here on earth they will in the end be just perfect - guess we would all be winners eventually then, making life in the here and now (the reality of life) semi pointless, why doesn't God circumvent this planet and just have heaven so everyone can exist without ever knowing pain or discomfort...... and it is these few reasons here I cannot and could not delude myself into believing such unfounded crap.


Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet.
-- Napoleon


How I wish I could help save people from themselves, it is THEY who are their own worst enemies NOT the Devil or Hell!!!!

A person has just kindly posted a comment on this article, which I appreciate BUT must take issue with the FAITH aspect as described by them, as for faith being that - faith I gather that would be the same FAITH which people had centuries ago in regard to deities et al, to the stars and the relative gods, maybe the same faith which made us think the earth was flat, the same faith which believed the Turin Shroud was real? That was faith I agree until SCIENCE proved it pap, I thanks you for your wonderful illustration on what my initial comments mean.

Sceptic’s websites:


http://home.xnet.com/~blatura/left_hem.shtml

The Left Hemisphere is a resource and reading list for rationalists, sceptics, freethinkers, and humanists, both secular and theistic.



http://www.skeptical-christian.net/articles/hell_evolved_concept.html

Brief essay, which demonstrates Hell, is an evolved concept, explaining the details about the events that shaped popular beliefs, since ancient time to modern day.



Suggested Reading:


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0595305830/edwartbabinth-20/102-7034589-0314534

“This book is at its best when it points out the errors and absurdities of the bible especially the Old Testament.”


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1591021219/edwartbabinth-20/002-2064931-0541650

"This informative and gripping books shows us how the Gospel stories were put together in order to satisfy religious craving."


http://home.xnet.com/~blatura/left_hem.shtml

The Left Hemisphere is a resource and reading list for rationalists, sceptics, freethinkers, and humanists, both secular and theistic.


http://www.skeptical-christian.net/articles/hell_evolved_concept.html

Brief essay, which demonstrates Hell, is an evolved concept, explaining the details about the events that shaped popular beliefs, since ancient time to modern day.


If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed.

----Einstein


Now - onto:


Comments
on Jul 03, 2004
I find it hard to fathom why it is people who can read cannot grasp what science says, there is NO SCIENTIFIC PROOF that God exists let alone his only son who saw fit to come down to earth. Yet these people still believe.


But faith isn't about having proof....that's why it's FAITH....it's believing in things you can't see or fully understand.

There have been more people killed in the name of religion than anything else yet people still blindly follow such pap. WHY, I guess because most are insecure or arrogant enough to need to believe they will go on and on for infinity - scary when you consider how many have died because of this notion.


It's true, there have been a lot of people killed in the name of religion....but that's generally a result of someone not willing to be tolerant of someone else's religious beliefs. And I can't speak for all believers, but I don't think I'm insecure or arrogant....I'm very secure in what I believe, and I don't have the need to force anyone else to share those beliefs. As for going on and on for infinity, yes, I believe that I will....not in this world, and not in this form....but I will spend eternity in a far, far better place.

How I wish I could help save people from themselves, it is THEY who are their own worst enemies NOT the Devil or Hell!!!!


In your opinion....but not in mine......so I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.
on Jul 05, 2004
Religious faith isn't a matter of intelligence or reason but one of maturity. Religous people are not mature enough to live in a world where certain fundamental questions about their existance go unanswered by reason.

It's fustrating I know, but what can you do about it?
on Jul 06, 2004
Religous people are not mature enough to live in a world where certain fundamental questions about their existance go unanswered by reason.


Religious people are mature enough to know that certain fundamental questions about their existence NEVER go unanswered in terms of their faith and their Creator....
on Jul 07, 2004
Even if "the creator" has been confirmed as a scientific (big bang) happening - FACT!
on Jul 10, 2004

But faith isn't about having proof....that's why it's FAITH....it's believing in things you can't see or fully understand


THen why the ballistics as though it were absolute truth?

on Jul 10, 2004

Religious people are mature enough to know that certain fundamental questions about their existence NEVER go unanswered in terms of their faith and their Creator....


Mature, like aged wine, eh?  It must be a sweet taste for the soul to be so sure that the unanswerable is answered.