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The Doctor.

(17,266 posts)

20. It would still be likely, just not as visceral.

Reply to fasttense (Reply #2)

Wed Feb 29, 2012, 11:36 AM

Feb 2012

We needed to explain away why we subjected animals to brutality and death in order to eat. Once we knew they felt pain and fear, we had to 'get permission' from some 'authority' in order to make it right. We also needed to explain many things we did not yet understand, and religion was a quick fix for that as well.

But it is true that the biggest reason for religion is the fear of no longer being 'oneself'.

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Highlight:

I would love to believe ... that when I die I will live again - Carl Sagan [View all] MattSh Feb 2012 OP

And there you have it. n/t yankeepants Feb 2012 #1

If humans were immortal would there be religion? fasttense Feb 2012 #2

It would still be likely, just not as visceral. The Doctor. Feb 2012 #20

"An atheist has to know a lot more than I know." - Carl Sagan - nt onehandle Feb 2012 #3

Billions and billions of recs! FailureToCommunicate Feb 2012 #4

Wouldn't it be cool VWolf Feb 2012 #5

As an atheist, I find some solace in knowing that once my death occurs man4allcats Feb 2012 #6

How do you know for a "fact?" Fantastic Anarchist Feb 2012 #7

God talks to me and man4allcats Feb 2012 #8

Burden of proof... Fearless Feb 2012 #9

No one has proof. That's my point. Fantastic Anarchist Feb 2012 #14

Define "fact." man4allcats Feb 2012 #15

Something knowable. Verifiable. Empirically tested and defined. Fantastic Anarchist Feb 2012 #19

Mental gymnastics are what differentiate us man4allcats Feb 2012 #21

Mmmmkay ... Fantastic Anarchist Feb 2012 #22

Why do you care what I think or say? man4allcats Feb 2012 #23

So, you'll huff and you'll puff and you'll build a straw man. Fantastic Anarchist Feb 2012 #24

Well I am impressed that you too can use bold. Kudos. Quite an accomplishment. man4allcats Feb 2012 #25

And I'm pretty sure that your ad hominem wasn't that clever. n/t Fantastic Anarchist Feb 2012 #26

I would say that your grandmother wears combat boots man4allcats Feb 2012 #27

How cute. Fantastic Anarchist Mar 2012 #29

Hey.... MrMickeysMom Mar 2012 #31

True ... Fantastic Anarchist Mar 2012 #32

Interesting... MrMickeysMom Mar 2012 #28

+1 Fantastic Anarchist Mar 2012 #30

Agnosticism DireStrike Feb 2012 #10

Thanks for the J Cash and Willie Nelson, kris Kristoferson, Waylon Jennings Dont call me Shirley Feb 2012 #12

And where's the evidence to back up the statement CrawlingChaos Feb 2012 #11

If we all believed that we would live in exquisite love and moral depth. Dont call me Shirley Feb 2012 #13

I understand where you are coming from... tex-wyo-dem Feb 2012 #18

Spam deleted by La Lioness Priyanka (MIR Team) dsfgerher Feb 2012 #16

MattSh Diclotican Feb 2012 #17