Do Gods and Religion Have a Place in Modern Society?

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Re: Do Gods and Religion Have a Place in Modern Society?

Postby StLGooner » Thu Feb 20, 2020 4:09 pm

Pat Rice in Short Shorts wrote:
StLGooner wrote:
Phil71 wrote:I always fine it odd when at times of natural disasters such as tornadoes, and people get their house ripped out of the ground and lose half their family, their first reaction is to thank God that they're still alive.



That's what religion teaches in a sense. Selfishness. f**k everybody else that lost their house or a loved one, I only care that God saved me.

Or like when 9/11 happened and after the towers fell, two of the beams that stood from the fall formed a small cross. So all the idiots thanked god, and thought that was a sign from god. So he could leave a stupid f***ing cross, but couldn't save people from dying. Do people even think before they make such stupid comments. It's so frustrating. :BangHead:


Now I have found the opposite to be true in natural disasters and attacks such as 911. Whole communities band together and usually it is churches which lead the way in emergency housing and volunteer activity.

There is a human need for explanation in trying times and religion does do that for many. And not just the US, I mean everyplace I have lived or worked from the UK to Nepal to Majuro. That to me is OK, not my thing but Ok.



All that can be done and is done perfectly fine without religion. No need to keep perpetuating the myth.
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Re: Do Gods and Religion Have a Place in Modern Society?

Postby DiamondGooner » Thu Feb 20, 2020 5:28 pm

Religion has encouraged good behaviour, its also encouraged bad behaviour.

.............. has anyone noticed the good behaviour it encourages "No murdering, no lying, no stealing etc" is exactly what the elites want from the peasant populace, I docile crowd to rule over.

Yet in times of "their benefit" said religion has encouraged "Mass murder, war, bigotry, torture" when the elites identify an enemy to target.

Quite frankly we could do without it, however, its no better than other religions, people will always have their mythologies, so we just have to put up with it.
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Re: Do Gods and Religion Have a Place in Modern Society?

Postby StLGooner » Thu Feb 20, 2020 6:11 pm

You could make a good argument for religion being needed in society at one point or multiple points of time in the past. However, I would like to think that the majority of the population is smart enough to understand we don't need it any more.

Just think about all the great minds that could have been or the ones that they killed off for simply questioning it's teachings. Like the earth being the center of the universe. Was it Galileo they killed that proposed that we rotate around the sun instead of the other way around?

So you can ask. If religion was never invented, could we have made it this far without it? Or would we be even more advanced, since it hindered so much of our progress? Obviously we'll never know, but it's a fun thought.
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Re: Do Gods and Religion Have a Place in Modern Society?

Postby Pat Rice in Short Shorts » Thu Feb 20, 2020 6:54 pm

StLGooner wrote:You could make a good argument for religion being needed in society at one point or multiple points of time in the past. However, I would like to think that the majority of the population is smart enough to understand we don't need it any more.

Just think about all the great minds that could have been or the ones that they killed off for simply questioning it's teachings. Like the earth being the center of the universe. Was it Galileo they killed that proposed that we rotate around the sun instead of the other way around?

So you can ask. If religion was never invented, could we have made it this far without it? Or would we be even more advanced, since it hindered so much of our progress? Obviously we'll never know, but it's a fun thought.


It's not really about being smart enough to not believe in religion as every culture has developed its own belief system be it spirits living in a tree or Jesus coming back to save us all. Billions of very smart people across the globe hold religious beliefs. We have Native Americans who get respect for their religious views, then we have Christians and Muslims being raked over the coals for holding their beliefs. The only reservations I have about religion is that it has far too often been used to control and suppress others.

Religion historically being a universal human need was not really invented. It serves a purpose for many and has for all of our history as a species . My elderly mother for instance is very religious, she is recovering from a heart attack. Religion has brought great peace and calmness to her recently.
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Re: Do Gods and Religion Have a Place in Modern Society?

Postby LMAO » Thu Feb 20, 2020 6:57 pm

StLGooner wrote:You could make a good argument for religion being needed in society at one point or multiple points of time in the past. However, I would like to think that the majority of the population is smart enough to understand we don't need it any more.

Just think about all the great minds that could have been or the ones that they killed off for simply questioning it's teachings. Like the earth being the center of the universe. Was it Galileo they killed that proposed that we rotate around the sun instead of the other way around?

So you can ask. If religion was never invented, could we have made it this far without it? Or would we be even more advanced, since it hindered so much of our progress? Obviously we'll never know, but it's a fun thought.


Galileo died at 77 while under house arrest.

But yeah, there's no need for Bronze Age hocus pocus anymore. We have the scientific method.

I don't know if there is a god/higher power out there, but I damn sure know if there is, then it ain't Yahweh/Allah, Brahma, Odin, Zeus, Quetzalcoatl, Ra, Baal, Enki, or whomever else.

Imagine how much farther along we'd be if we didn't have millennia of people killing each other over who had the better imaginary friend(s) :doh:
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Re: Do Gods and Religion Have a Place in Modern Society?

Postby DiamondGooner » Thu Feb 20, 2020 7:12 pm

StLGooner wrote:You could make a good argument for religion being needed in society at one point or multiple points of time in the past. However, I would like to think that the majority of the population is smart enough to understand we don't need it any more.

Just think about all the great minds that could have been or the ones that they killed off for simply questioning it's teachings. Like the earth being the center of the universe. Was it Galileo they killed that proposed that we rotate around the sun instead of the other way around?

So you can ask. If religion was never invented, could we have made it this far without it? Or would we be even more advanced, since it hindered so much of our progress? Obviously we'll never know, but it's a fun thought.


That is a double edged sword.

During the Dark Ages the monastaries and the Church were literally the holders of knowledge, they had all the libraries, did all the copying of manuscripts etc in a time when no one else was bothering.

But then on the flip side, pre Christinanity, it was the Romans, Egyptians and Babylonians who invented writing, irrigation, had the libraries etc.

Fact is religious peoples are usually those in society who are learned individuals, they learn how to read and write and are too weak to be warriors so they focused on education, religion just gave them the funding and structure to be able to study etc.

Its a tough one, but I do know that at no other time in history has mankind accelerated than in the time of the renaissance, this was driven by citizens going private, being able to trade and travel outside of the Aristocracy controlled environment, the printer had been invented spreading ideas not approved by the Church or Royalty.
So I'd say no about religion, we don't need it, in fact the renaissance was based on the ability of regular people to escape the bubble of information and influence from the Church.

Case in point, look at Saudi Arabia, they were centuries behind the West in 1910 AD, why? because they were under the thrall of Islam which is a Dark Age and Medieval religion in a time where Westerners had largely thrown off the shackles of the Church in mass, it was still relevant but the Church did not control people in 1910 AD the way it did in the 15th Century.
In fact Arabia started its modernisation only because of WWI happening in its lands, that war bought artillery, guns etc to Arabia which allowed Al-Saud to defeat the competing tribes and unify Arabia and develop civilised modern Cities, which could super charged by Oil money.

100 years ago Arabia was no more modern than it was in the 15th Century, religion played a big part in that.
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Re: Do Gods and Religion Have a Place in Modern Society?

Postby LMAO » Thu Feb 20, 2020 7:19 pm

DiamondGooner wrote:
StLGooner wrote:You could make a good argument for religion being needed in society at one point or multiple points of time in the past. However, I would like to think that the majority of the population is smart enough to understand we don't need it any more.

Just think about all the great minds that could have been or the ones that they killed off for simply questioning it's teachings. Like the earth being the center of the universe. Was it Galileo they killed that proposed that we rotate around the sun instead of the other way around?

So you can ask. If religion was never invented, could we have made it this far without it? Or would we be even more advanced, since it hindered so much of our progress? Obviously we'll never know, but it's a fun thought.


That is a double edged sword.

During the Dark Ages the monastaries and the Church were literally the holders of knowledge, they had all the libraries, did all the copying of manuscripts etc in a time when no one else was bothering.

But then on the flip side, pre Christinanity, it was the Romans, Egyptians and Babylonians who invented writing, irrigation, had the libraries etc.

Fact is religious peoples are usually those in society who are learned individuals, they learn how to read and write and are too weak to be warriors so they focused on education, religion just gave them the funding and structure to be able to study etc.

Its a tough one, but I do know that at no other time in history has mankind accelerated than in the time of the renaissance, this was driven by citizens going private, being able to trade and travel outside of the Aristocracy controlled environment, the printer had been invented spreading ideas not approved by the Church or Royalty.
So I'd say no about religion, we don't need it, in fact the renaissance was based on the ability of regular people to escape the bubble of information and influence from the Church.

Case in point, look at Saudi Arabia, they were centuries behind the West in 1910 AD, why? because they were under the thrall of Islam which is a Dark Age and Medieval religion in a time where Westerners had largely thrown off the shackles of the Church in mass, it was still relevant but the Church did not control people in 1910 AD the way it did in the 15th Century.
In fact Arabia started its modernisation only because of WWI happening in its lands, that war bought artillery, guns etc to Arabia which allowed Al-Saud to defeat the competing tribes and unify Arabia and develop civilised modern Cities, which could super charged by Oil money.

100 years ago Arabia was no more modern than it was in the 15th Century, religion played a big part in that.


Don't forget about the Islamic Golden Age during this period ;) Baghdad used to be the center of learning.
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Re: Do Gods and Religion Have a Place in Modern Society?

Postby DiamondGooner » Thu Feb 20, 2020 7:21 pm

LMAO wrote:
StLGooner wrote:You could make a good argument for religion being needed in society at one point or multiple points of time in the past. However, I would like to think that the majority of the population is smart enough to understand we don't need it any more.

Just think about all the great minds that could have been or the ones that they killed off for simply questioning it's teachings. Like the earth being the center of the universe. Was it Galileo they killed that proposed that we rotate around the sun instead of the other way around?

So you can ask. If religion was never invented, could we have made it this far without it? Or would we be even more advanced, since it hindered so much of our progress? Obviously we'll never know, but it's a fun thought.


Galileo died at 77 while under house arrest.

But yeah, there's no need for Bronze Age hocus pocus anymore. We have the scientific method.

I don't know if there is a god/higher power out there, but I damn sure know if there is, then it ain't Yahweh/Allah, Brahma, Odin, Zeus, Quetzalcoatl, Ra, Baal, Enki, or whomever else.

Imagine how much farther along we'd be if we didn't have millennia of people killing each other over who had the better imaginary friend(s) :doh:


................. actually.

War is one of mankind's single biggest factors in developing modern technology.

As uncomfortable as that thought maybe, its a stone cold fact.

Fear, power, fighting over resources and greed drive self defence tech, no more powerful elements exist as drivers in humanity than those.

Without centuries of warfare we may be 200 years behind in tech, poss more.
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Re: Do Gods and Religion Have a Place in Modern Society?

Postby LMAO » Thu Feb 20, 2020 7:29 pm

DiamondGooner wrote:
LMAO wrote:
StLGooner wrote:You could make a good argument for religion being needed in society at one point or multiple points of time in the past. However, I would like to think that the majority of the population is smart enough to understand we don't need it any more.

Just think about all the great minds that could have been or the ones that they killed off for simply questioning it's teachings. Like the earth being the center of the universe. Was it Galileo they killed that proposed that we rotate around the sun instead of the other way around?

So you can ask. If religion was never invented, could we have made it this far without it? Or would we be even more advanced, since it hindered so much of our progress? Obviously we'll never know, but it's a fun thought.


Galileo died at 77 while under house arrest.

But yeah, there's no need for Bronze Age hocus pocus anymore. We have the scientific method.

I don't know if there is a god/higher power out there, but I damn sure know if there is, then it ain't Yahweh/Allah, Brahma, Odin, Zeus, Quetzalcoatl, Ra, Baal, Enki, or whomever else.

Imagine how much farther along we'd be if we didn't have millennia of people killing each other over who had the better imaginary friend(s) :doh:


................. actually.

War is one of mankind's single biggest factors in developing modern technology.

As uncomfortable as that thought maybe, its a stone cold fact.

Fear, power, fighting over resources and greed drive self defence tech, no more powerful elements exist as drivers in humanity than those.

Without centuries of warfare we may be 200 years behind in tech, poss more.


Yeh, that's true, but you don't need religion for war.

I was going along with StL and meant more in terms of intellectualism/scientific knowledge than technology.
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Re: Do Gods and Religion Have a Place in Modern Society?

Postby DiamondGooner » Thu Feb 20, 2020 7:33 pm

LMAO wrote:
DiamondGooner wrote:
StLGooner wrote:You could make a good argument for religion being needed in society at one point or multiple points of time in the past. However, I would like to think that the majority of the population is smart enough to understand we don't need it any more.

Just think about all the great minds that could have been or the ones that they killed off for simply questioning it's teachings. Like the earth being the center of the universe. Was it Galileo they killed that proposed that we rotate around the sun instead of the other way around?

So you can ask. If religion was never invented, could we have made it this far without it? Or would we be even more advanced, since it hindered so much of our progress? Obviously we'll never know, but it's a fun thought.


That is a double edged sword.

During the Dark Ages the monastaries and the Church were literally the holders of knowledge, they had all the libraries, did all the copying of manuscripts etc in a time when no one else was bothering.

But then on the flip side, pre Christinanity, it was the Romans, Egyptians and Babylonians who invented writing, irrigation, had the libraries etc.

Fact is religious peoples are usually those in society who are learned individuals, they learn how to read and write and are too weak to be warriors so they focused on education, religion just gave them the funding and structure to be able to study etc.

Its a tough one, but I do know that at no other time in history has mankind accelerated than in the time of the renaissance, this was driven by citizens going private, being able to trade and travel outside of the Aristocracy controlled environment, the printer had been invented spreading ideas not approved by the Church or Royalty.
So I'd say no about religion, we don't need it, in fact the renaissance was based on the ability of regular people to escape the bubble of information and influence from the Church.

Case in point, look at Saudi Arabia, they were centuries behind the West in 1910 AD, why? because they were under the thrall of Islam which is a Dark Age and Medieval religion in a time where Westerners had largely thrown off the shackles of the Church in mass, it was still relevant but the Church did not control people in 1910 AD the way it did in the 15th Century.
In fact Arabia started its modernisation only because of WWI happening in its lands, that war bought artillery, guns etc to Arabia which allowed Al-Saud to defeat the competing tribes and unify Arabia and develop civilised modern Cities, which could super charged by Oil money.

100 years ago Arabia was no more modern than it was in the 15th Century, religion played a big part in that.


Don't forget about the Islamic Golden Age during this period ;) Baghdad used to be the center of learning.


True but then what happened to Baghdad's developments from the 13th Century onward's?

It remained Islamic all that time so what happened? fact is in the Golden age it was the capital for the Abbasid's, that's the only reason for the investment in knowledge, Iraq had been at the peak of modern development since Babylon and Sumer, a thousand years and more prior to Islam.

Same with Rome, a centre of Imperial power, but Rome wasn't one of the main religions of the One God.

The fact that all the centres of knowledge over the years and only a handful of them have been down to the big 2 religions just shows its not religion itself, although admittedly it does encourage reading and writing however they do like you to only read and write what's in their bubble.
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Re: Do Gods and Religion Have a Place in Modern Society?

Postby StLGooner » Thu Feb 20, 2020 7:37 pm

LMAO wrote:
StLGooner wrote:You could make a good argument for religion being needed in society at one point or multiple points of time in the past. However, I would like to think that the majority of the population is smart enough to understand we don't need it any more.

Just think about all the great minds that could have been or the ones that they killed off for simply questioning it's teachings. Like the earth being the center of the universe. Was it Galileo they killed that proposed that we rotate around the sun instead of the other way around?

So you can ask. If religion was never invented, could we have made it this far without it? Or would we be even more advanced, since it hindered so much of our progress? Obviously we'll never know, but it's a fun thought.


Galileo died at 77 while under house arrest.

But yeah, there's no need for Bronze Age hocus pocus anymore. We have the scientific method.

I don't know if there is a god/higher power out there, but I damn sure know if there is, then it ain't Yahweh/Allah, Brahma, Odin, Zeus, Quetzalcoatl, Ra, Baal, Enki, or whomever else.

Imagine how much farther along we'd be if we didn't have millennia of people killing each other over who had the better imaginary friend(s) :doh:



Ah ok that's right. He went to trial for it though right, and that's why he got the house arrest?

I guess I can stop being lazy and look it up. Ha!
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Re: Do Gods and Religion Have a Place in Modern Society?

Postby DiamondGooner » Thu Feb 20, 2020 7:46 pm

Religion locking up its best and brightest for daring to learn outside of their bubble.

Tainted knowledge is what you get from Religious sponsored knowledge.

For example had the Light bulb been invented by a Monk you can bet your arse the Church would of said "Its God who powers the light, when the light bulb runs out its because you've sinned".
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Re: Do Gods and Religion Have a Place in Modern Society?

Postby Pat Rice in Short Shorts » Sat Feb 22, 2020 1:14 am

DiamondGooner wrote:Religion locking up its best and brightest for daring to learn outside of their bubble.

Tainted knowledge is what you get from Religious sponsored knowledge.

For example had the Light bulb been invented by a Monk you can bet your arse the Church would of said "Its God who powers the light, when the light bulb runs out its because you've sinned".


It was more about the religious barron's power being challenged IMO. I have no idea what the likes of Theodosius really believed but we do know how his sort ruled and how they used religion.


The sad part of the decline in Islamic influence on science is that it also threatened the most extreme branches of Islam thus science was deemed to be sacrilegious. So many of the historical writings of the time, from Iraq to Afghanistan to Timbuktu have been destroyed by Islamic extremists.
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Re: Do Gods and Religion Have a Place in Modern Society?

Postby LMAO » Thu Apr 02, 2020 8:15 pm

We've got some religious people displaying feels over reals yet again:
Earlier this month, after a weekday service, [Spell] caught criticism for his controversial remarks when he told CBS affiliate WAFB-TV that the coronavirus was "not a concern."

"The virus, we believe, is politically motivated," Spell told WAFB. "We hold our religious rights dear and we are going to assemble no matter what someone says."

[...]

"We're still here and still assembling and having church," Spell said. Asked why he was defying the governor's orders, he said, "Because the Lord told us to."

Full story: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronaviru ... ony-spell/


Just dumb all around from everyone involved.

For the dumbasses who do gather like this and blatantly show disregard for public health at this point in time, lock them in the buildings for a mandatory minimum 14-day quarantine. It's 2020 ffs, stream that crap and set up e-tithing if having a service is so dang important.
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