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Religion
In reply to the discussion: What is the purpose of religion? An open question. [View all]darkstar3
(8,763 posts)59. And as you'll notice, I didn't answer the OP.
I answered some very specific points from you and two others that went far beyond the scope of the question in the OP.
And asking people on an open forum not to post is pretty much universally accepted as bad form.
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It answers otherwise unanswerable questions and creates a set of rules for operating a society
OmahaBlueDog
Apr 2012
#3
For some it creates the hope that those they don't like are suffering for eternity..
Fumesucker
Apr 2012
#4
The question is, do they fit the definition of "answers" in the same way we mean
darkstar3
Apr 2012
#19
By your definition then, "faith" is simply making up what you want to believe and leaving it at that
cleanhippie
Apr 2012
#25
Faith is only self delusion if used to answer a question that already has an answer
OmahaBlueDog
Apr 2012
#54
Do you really want to spend time dwelling on what happens to lost loved ones after they die?
OmahaBlueDog
Apr 2012
#31
Kinda back to the old if you cannot see, hear, smell, taste, or touch ... thing again
humblebum
Apr 2012
#36
I think perhaps you are unfamiliar with the role of observation, forming hypotheses, and
humblebum
Apr 2012
#46
"Your claim regarding the 5 senses has nothing to do with the scientific method" ???
humblebum
Apr 2012
#48
Quite familiar with it, and I do not recognize it as applicable here. You are
humblebum
Apr 2012
#58
The physical body decays. We don't know what hapens to the conscious being within the body
OmahaBlueDog
Apr 2012
#52
I do not disagree with you, other than to say that while it ATTEMPTS to answer...
cleanhippie
Apr 2012
#70
In the U.S. religion has two purposes: 1) To provide a "neighborhood" since we don't have
Sarah Ibarruri
Apr 2012
#5
A "qualified theologian"? Isn't that like a qualified astrologer or something?
Humanist_Activist
Apr 2012
#75
I'm making the distinction between a full-blown theological degree and some quack from Bible College
TrogL
Apr 2012
#80
Yeah, I still can't take it too seriously, its like a full blown degree in UFOlogy...
Humanist_Activist
Apr 2012
#110
There is no telling how a religious believers will react emotionally from one to the next.
cleanhippie
Apr 2012
#27
I think of religion as an emergent behavioral phenomenon, not as a thing created with a purpose
Silent3
Apr 2012
#26
I'm neither religious or spiritual but I can objectively understand multiple purposes for religion
independentpiney
Apr 2012
#28
It probably springs from the human need to make sense of the universe
customerserviceguy
Apr 2012
#29
I think you might want to make a distinction between belief in God and belief in religion.
Fresh_Start
Apr 2012
#30
Since our resident religion haters did not have the decency or the courtesy
Thats my opinion
Apr 2012
#42
The OP did say "I would respectfully ask those who are NOT religious to just read the posts"
OmahaBlueDog
Apr 2012
#56
Correct! And there is plenty of bigotry wrapped in prayer. Plenty!!nt
Thats my opinion
Apr 2012
#105
Translation: "the mean ol' non-believers didn't give you an answer I find acceptable."
cleanhippie
Apr 2012
#71
For a start, accepting a word for it and using it in a sentence as you just did. /nt
Festivito
Apr 2012
#103
I say concepts and their associated words connect. Do you say they do not connect?
Festivito
Apr 2012
#109