What does religion do for mankind that the statement "Be kind" doesn't do better?
- Thread starter Seattle
- Start date
Only if you do a bit of semiotic juggling with the word "religion".
That's kind of like asking a person who has been lost for such an incredibly long period of time that they have even forgotten that they are lost, "So how did you get lost to begin with?"
IOW, given the current state of affairs, it is not an appropriate initial question.
But regardless, merely attempting kindness doesn't dissipate illusion any more than attempting kindness in a dream establishes wakefulness.
There is no problem with God's direct connection to the individual soul.
I'd say the opposite: You'd have to jump through some hoops to separate "God" from the "spiritual" mumbo jumbo that doesn't qualify as "religion".
Seattle
Valued Senior Member
No excuse needed. I didn't write a ridiculous diatribe but I'll reiterate...just be kind.
In that case, feel free to discuss the notion of God divorced from any sort of religious social conventions.
Then nobody needs religion.
Nobody needs any-busy-body to tell them how to connect with, stay connected to, reconnect with or disconnect from their god. It's entirely personal.
In my opinion religion is not needed to please God. Would it not please him to see someone feed a starving person? Who can say? Only God knows what pleases him.
The Laws can be set, however, with simple observations. A wronged person usually wrongs in return. But a murdered person cannot murder in return. Thus the Crown Prosecution Service comes into action, and prosecutes on behalf of the victim; when there is no-one to press charges.
The Laws can be set, however, with simple observations. A wronged person usually wrongs in return. But a murdered person cannot murder in return. Thus the Crown Prosecution Service comes into action, and prosecutes on behalf of the victim; when there is no-one to press charges.
It's not clear how your opinion relates to anything under current discussion.
Well considering you have only ONE topic of discussion that seems unlikely. You really are WON of the most tedious, boring people I've ever had the displeasure to meet.
BEFORE you came here Jeeves and I were PASSING THE TIME, musing across the planet's various religions, which evolved into a discussion as to whether we need them or not. Jeeves was kind enough to invite you to reply to his post, AFTER HE had posted, and you have proven yourself an ignoramus. I'M TALKING TO YOU, POSTER. If you have nothing NEW or productive to post, then refrain from doing so.
I'd like to gamble my life on the fact that THE POSTER will retort with ignorance. Something about him not understanding, or irrelevance to the thread.
BEFORE you came here Jeeves and I were PASSING THE TIME, musing across the planet's various religions, which evolved into a discussion as to whether we need them or not. Jeeves was kind enough to invite you to reply to his post, AFTER HE had posted, and you have proven yourself an ignoramus. I'M TALKING TO YOU, POSTER. If you have nothing NEW or productive to post, then refrain from doing so.
I'd like to gamble my life on the fact that THE POSTER will retort with ignorance. Something about him not understanding, or irrelevance to the thread.
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Thuswise:
What does religion do for people that "be kind" doesn't do better?
Jeeves - No, it doesn't You either connect with God or you don't. Religion puts an interloper between you and your God.
Acting right, being kind would go over a lot better with a kind and decent god than making meaningless noises once a week in an otherwise unused and wasteful large building. For conviviality, pubs are better. To share good works, volunteer organizations are better. For the employment of idle literate men, academia is better. There is nothing religion does better than other institutions. Even for intimidation, we have secret police.
Crystal-rubbing is not a religion, is it? Yet it has the same effect as God.
Ah, but when done in unison by 600 faithful, the communal ecstasy is so intense, it inspires them to enlist for a crusade to liberate the Holy Handgranade from the unChristalline Pastafarian horde.
One benefit religions seem to provide, universally, is a partial solution to the Tragedy of the Commons. That is, a stubborn and insistent reason to act - or more commonly refrain - against one's immediate best interests in support of the common good of a fairly large community. Larger than family.
An analogy might be navigating by a distant star, rather than by the immediate terrain or wind direction.
An analogy might be navigating by a distant star, rather than by the immediate terrain or wind direction.
DaveC426913
Valued Senior Member
Only to you.Never said it was Dave.
Just saying how pointless the question is.
Jan.
Others are contributing.
Exposing the pointlessness of the question, is a contribution. After all, he has posed a question.
Jan.
That has not been established.
Seattle
Valued Senior Member
Is kindness pointless?Never said it was Dave.
Just saying how pointless the question is.
Jan.