HDC Weekly Debate: Does religion still matter today as it did about 40 years ago?

[RZR666]

No.

I think its about time they stopped teaching it in schools too, either stop teaching Religion or Dinosaurs/Evolution. Kids don't need both.

[realdealblues]

I can't speak for around the world but in the USA I see less Religion and more Spirituality. There are less people following traditional faiths and more exploring "New Age" philosophies.

Many people are looking less at Religion from it's old school standpoints as "literal" and more (as it was intended in my opinion) as "metaphorical".

There have been SO many things mistranslated and taken out of context. Simple things like the term Satan being originally mistranslated from the word Sultan to more complex ideas such as the idea of what "Church" really is and why as 1 Corinthians 14:34 states: "Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law." Anyone who honestly thinks that a female person is not allowed to speak in a building has missed the true concept behind these teachings. I think more and more people are leaving these old ideals behind.

So in response to the original question. I think you see less people following an organized, dogma and more people believing in a personal spirituality that sees the world more for what it truly is. I don't know that Religion is as important as it was 40 years ago, but I think Personal Spirituality is.

[GhostlyChills]

Religion will always matter. Religion rather you goto church or not is rooted in a persons ethical values, people think between right and wrong, good and evil, rather to sit in jail or not. It's not like deciding for or against going to a tanning booth for the day. God will be with you the day you die, not satan.

[wizard of gore]

God will be with you the day you die, not satan.






no one knows if thats true, god boy

[Posher778]

Originally Posted by wizard of gore

God will be with you the day you die, not satan.






no one knows if thats true, god boy

And people who actually pray to Satan are idiots.

[wizard of gore]

Originally Posted by Posher778

And people who actually pray to Satan are idiots.

and people who take jokes seriously have brains the size of a fish

fuck that was a lame comeback,what i really meant was HOW DARE YOU OFFEND MY MASTER!!

[newb]

Originally Posted by cheebacheeba

I think it's equally important to those who perceive it that way.
Some people follow a structured religion, I do not.
I follow a code of ethics and live my life in a way that I believe to be basically good...so for me, if that fits into any given religion sure, ok.

this

although religion has come under attack in my State. The Governor renamed the Christmas tree "The Holiday Tree". A school prayer that's been hanging in the auditorium for 50 years was ordered to be taken down because one student found it offensive [ she was backed by an atheist group] and ongoing now is a fight by another atheist group to remove a monument in a local fire department's parking lot that was dedicated to a soldier that died in WW1. It has a cross on it so once again it's deemed offensive. It's been there since 1921

[wizard of gore]

Originally Posted by newb

this

although religion has come under attack in my State. The Governor renamed the Christmas tree "The Holiday Tree". A school prayer that's been hanging in the auditorium for 50 years was ordered to be taken down because one student found it offensive [ she was backed by an atheist group] and ongoing now is a fight by another atheist group to remove a monument in a local fire department's parking lot that was dedicated to a soldier that died in WW1. It has a cross on it so once again it's deemed offensive. It's been there since 1921

thats really cool and open minded.its not just for atheist,but christmas and all that shit dominates the western world and would kind of fuck off other religion type,i mean were not all christians and they just use xmas and easter and shit for making money

[bwind22]

Religion serves a few critical purposes and thus, will always matter. Morality and mortality.

Morality - Religion gives us (as a society) guidelines as to what is right and what is wrong. Most laws across the globe are derivitaves of one religion or another.

Mortality - It eases pain when a loved one has past on to think they have gone to a better place as opposed to rotting in the ground. It also gives folks that need the comfort this nice happy thing to look forward to after their own imminent demise.

As long as no one knows what happens after we die and society deems knowledge of right and wrong vital information, religion will always matter.

Of course, we can't forget about the folks out there using religion to their own ends; amassing devout followers, raking in the cash, pushing a political agenda, etc... There will always be people doing those things too. Religion matters to them for entirely different reasons... It's their bread and butter.

And finally, whoever said there would be more killing and crime without religion needs a history lesson. The Bible is the most violent book ever written. More human beings have died in the name of religion than any other cause ever (Crusades, Holocaust, 9/11, etc...)

And yes, I do note the irony of stating how religion gives us morality and then discussing the violence that goes with it a few sentences later. The violence comes from 1 religion declaring they are the only true religion and imperialistically forcing itself onto others.

Anyways, that's my 2 cents. I vote yes, it still matters and probably always will.

[wizard of gore]

Originally Posted by Медвежуть

my favorite George Carlin quote:p
"Religion has convinced people that there’s an invisible man…living in the sky, who watches everything you do every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a list of ten specific things he doesn’t want you to do. And if you do any of these things, he will send you to a special place, of burning and fire and smoke and torture and anguish for you to live forever, and suffer and burn and scream until the end of time.
But he loves you.
He loves you and he needs money. "

:DLOL,so true