Do you believe that religion as a whole has helped or impeded society? Why? Wh

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   gmwilliamsposted 9 years ago

   Do you believe that religion as a whole has helped or impeded society?  Why?  Why not?
   
   

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   Kiss andTalesposted 9 years ago

   To answer your question it's  like the example of saying do you think men as a whole has caused all unhappiness. Or even women as a whole has caused all unhappiness.
   Could we really get a strait answer that would be fair? I do not believe so. Because religion still has done some good even though it has gotten in the wrong hands . It does restrain a lot of people from being totally wicked. Or do as they want.
   Jesus the son of the most high was killed by his own contemporaries that knew the same laws and claimed to worship the same God. Yet their hearts deceived them into thinking kill this person who had done nothing but good .
   And so we still have modern versions of people that think and would do the very thing done to Jesus years ago.
   Maybe the question should be not what religion has done to people , but what people have done to religion. Yet the truth no matter the damage done around it is still intact .

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      Austinstarposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I actually like the phrase, "what people have done to religion". That is a true observation.

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      Kiss andTalesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I agree here Austinstar!

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      lone77starposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I also agree with Austinstar. Excellent observation. This is the essence of ego (ignorance). Selfish intent never looks for what is good for others.

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   Ian Mooneposted 9 years ago

   For me religions are just clues to what's really going on, & clues as to why were here..The trouble with religion is that people take the written word literally, instead of using their own tool kit which is their body & mind..Not to "find" the truth but to "realise" the truth, & there's a big difference between finding & realising when it comes to the truth..The truth is staring people in their faces all day long so they have all found the truth, they just can't realise it because their not practising it it's as simple as that..Religion for the people that want to find the truth is a good starting point, but like the Buddha himself said: don't take anything that's written by me literally, look inside yourself to see if you think it's the truth..So basically for me spiritualism has to be practised on a regular basis until the person gets the actual point of it all, & so by all means people should read up on religions etc but without singling one out..Then just pick out the clues & truths, & see how they feel when we practise those clues/truths ..Religion also gives a lot of people the excuse for control of other people, & also a good excuse for fighting & killing..For me anyway anyone one who kills in any god's name hasn't actually realised there is a god, & are clearly brainwashed individuals..So for me religion although for a lot of people could be a good experience for most it's a waste of time, because all their doing is reading & preaching & not actually practising what they preach....I'm into spiritualism & philosophy which requires a lot of meditating etc, but that is the Buddha's path the one that has to be practised in order to realise..Anyway if i was pushed i would have to say that looking back  at the history of the world, religion would clearly have to be seen as a bad thing that has impeded society & the world..However in essence religion should be a good thing for all, but it can't be because not many people are actually looking for the truth as far as god's concerned..I was neither a believer or non believer for many years, because i had to have actual evidence to believe as seeing is believing. :-)

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      Kiss andTalesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      That scripture at John 8:44 calls him. Murder! Lady E

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   Sri Tposted 9 years ago

   Both. It has helped with solutions for the hopeless such as healing, forgiveness, strength, power, Divine intervention, faith, overcoming fear, higher states of awareness, peace, alternatives to revenge, violence, greed and negative mental attitudes for those practice. It has also impeded because it comes with certain limitations that are just man's opinion of how a person should see himself. Example, fear God. There is no reason to fear God. Also, some people take symbology as literal and try to practice outdated superstitions created by ignorant people who didn't understand the true cause and effect relationship. Since no one can truly maintain a moral code of behavior for being a good person all the time, it has produced guilt, inner conflicts and confusion as to why everybody doesn't have the same "goody goody" character or standards. Those with that understanding suffer and are disappointed unnecessarily because of wrong expectations of others' behavior. The bad people could care less about them or their moral code. In that sense, religion is more effective as a personal tool than a collective "get everybody under the same beliefs" tent. It's not going to happen. The best advice is, protect yourself. Don't expect perfection from man or the laws of men. Find "overall" decent people who respect you and leave the evil ones alone if that's their choice.

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      Kiss andTalesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      To getit true the bible has the Old Testament  those books lead to a future of prophesy to be fulfilled in our behalf, when that fulfillment arrived through the New Testament .both are a witness of before and after. Jesus updated a made it better.

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   getitriteposted 9 years ago

   I think religion has been useful in getting humankind to the point we are, but it has run its course. Although it provided some form of understanding the world(although via false science) to our primitive ancestors, it also sent many of them to senseless sacrificial ritualistic tortures...wars and genocide.
   I think it is directly impeding progress at this point in the postmodern age. It is especially hurtful in my community, where there is a church on every corner, but persistent negative activities and ignorance in their wakes...assuring that we stay at the bottom of the socio/economic ladder.

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      Kiss andTalesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Even though I disagree with you on certain issues, I totally agree what damage religion has, done , it is not religion it is the people that use it as a power of control. Like a hammer is a great tool but used wrong or as a weapon is deadly.

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      getitriteposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      But just like the Washboard and Sling Blade, some tools are no longer very useful to us.  If we insist on continuing their use, then we are only stagnating ourselves, for no reason but to continue to be a sheeple.

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      Kiss andTalesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I certainly agree that we have better technology ,but just because we have advanced in that knowledge does not mean as examples computers that are advanced and can do the work of doctors. But do we still need doctors certain thing you can not replace

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      getitriteposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      When the harm outweighs the benefits of a tool, the reasonable thing to do is discard it:
      http://youtu.be/iAecSRcQgCY

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      Kiss andTalesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I checked you link I am confident and very positive about my faith !  So far you talk about what people out grow!  So far there is no total cures for sickness and death,and that is a reality the bible speaks about,until this ends the bible is updated

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      getitriteposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      If there is a cure for sickness and death, it will be accomplished by science, and not an ancient book of myths. The bible provides nothing but confusion, hence there are over 3000 denominations...thinking they are interpreting God's words.

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      Kiss andTalesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      I agree getit there are many religions ,like it is many forms of counterfeit money, but do we have access to real money?Of course we do. That does not mean we should lose hope in what money can accomplish and what it is used for because of bad copies

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      getitriteposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Not quite a fair analogy. Since no gods have ever been proven to exist, it cannot be stated that there is a REAL word of God, hence every supposed word of God is counterfeit. First, prove the existence of God, then prove the bible is his words.

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      Kiss andTalesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      The proof is not good enough for you and has been stated , the answers are not by your standards ,which simply means you do not believe based on your own standards not the fact of your own existence  and the creations of heavens are enough .

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       lone77starposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       But is it religion or ego that is the culprit. Ego will misunderstand anything in order to create negative effects. Ego is ignorance.

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       Kiss andTalesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       True ego of a emotion can be a door stopper  a ego will be more important to some people then accepting the truth of a matter. Some people will never admit to a good point of truth so they say all things you say are wrong. A few on HP  prove this.

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       getitriteposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Kiss and Tales.  I know you don't realize that your response is totally dishonest, because of your indoctrination, but we don't just SAY that you are wrong we flat out PROVE it. Fear and blind faith compels you to reject logical alternatives.

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       Kiss andTalesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       To getit my indoctrination !  So now you are the judge of who is indoctrin. You do not know enough about me personal to give thatJudgement ,but you prove by your comment that you judge people prematurely without accurate knowing facts, also the bible

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       getitriteposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       I'm not judging you. I'm just proving that your claims lack any evidence.  You don't get to define evidence based upon faith. Baseless claims are nothing but a response to indoctrination. I have been indoctrinated as well. Are you saying u haven't?

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       Kiss andTalesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

       Indoctrin by who ! Who!s doctrin! You see you can not say because you do not have the facts on who what and how ,prejudging is not valid!

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   Lady_Eposted 9 years ago

   From what is going on around the world, Religion has twisted many people. I can't comprehend how a religion would kill others in the name of their god!

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      Kiss andTalesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      If that god is satan sure they can. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie,"

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   lone77starposted 9 years ago

   Both!
   
   Religion, as a whole, is a mixed bag. Some religions may have started from superstition, but many started from spiritual and divine intervention (miracles, wisdom and the like).
   
   What KissandTales said remains a most potent observation. People have ruined the original wisdom. They became reasonable -- polluting the original spiritual concepts with physical substitutes. And, because the physical universe is based on action-reaction continuity, the ideas of pure, non-reactive discontinuity (and creation is always a discontinuous activity) were lost or suppressed.
   
   Ego is an equal-opportunity destroyer. We see it in the corruption of religion, the fraudulent activity of 20-30% of today's scientists, the illegal activities of governments and their agencies, the arrests of whistleblowers instead of the criminals and much more. Ego is sly and cunning. Ego can be seen as good, but only for its own sake.
   
   Ego can take the Love of Christ and turn it into gay-bashing, holier-than-thou preaching, condemnation of science and other equally unloving and illogical practices.
   
   Religion isn't the problem any more than Obama's kill list is the problem. Ego is the culprit behind all evil. This is what people have done to religion, and in turn religion, science, government etc. (based on ego) has done to the world.

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      Kiss andTalesposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Also getit example if you wear prescription glasses your vision would not be like another ,there are people who do need prescription the see 20/20 ,so the one that needs help and limited should not doubt those who  see and understand  at 20/20.

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