Religion: A Necessary Evil?

I'd quite like to be put on one of those boat type things and set the whole thing alight - the way the vikings used to do it!!

Then let everybody 'throw another shrimp on the barbie' and get hammered.

Bit * if I die in December, though

 

as i said before i dont believe myself but to say that there is no place for religion in the modern world is a bit silly, i dont know the statistics but im sure that the amount of people who believe in a greater power vastly outnumber the ones who dont.

 

Marty tell me in your opinion. What exactly does religion achieve in todays modern world.?

 

One question: Why do you celebrate Christmas if you do not believe in *?

 

The kids believe in Santa....unfortunately can't let them down!! :icon_mrgreen:

 

Christmas has transformed into more of a selling period. sad but true

 

It realy is sad that the most relevant defence for modern religion´s place in today´s world is. Why do you celebrate Christmas if you do not believe in *?

Just for the record I agree with the other two answers already given.

 

Sometimes its difficult to find intersting posts on tc due to nothing happening in football,but this post has stimulated intelligent,thoughtful,funny and sad post all at once.If nothing else it proves as celtic fans we are a broad "church" and we are carrying on the great tradition of all celtic people down the years of tolerance,care and overall an abiding love for a club that welcomes anyone from any background.Everyone that contributed should pat themselves on the back.Reading the posts made me understand why iam proud to be a tim.Hail hail.

 

As Bart says, 'It's to celebrate the birth of Santa.'

Why else

 

Thanks, mate!!

Great sentiment

Must admit I've really enjoyed the replies as well.

 

Because it's a tradition. Earlier on I posted that I felt that we invented religion to help us make sense of the world but this also applies to superstition, folklore, myth, rituals. I do accept that there is a very real economic aspect to Christmas but these traditions bind us together and contribute to our identity.

Easter is a good example. It is supposed to symbolise the resurrection. In one way it is quite absurd for kids to boil an egg, paint it and roll it down a hill. But through these rituals we create social bonds.

We all want to be an individual and see ourselves as free-thinking but the truth is that without these bonds the world would be in chaos.

 

well said martin

 

This sentence do you mean religion?

As do you not think the world is not already in chaos because of this.?

 

I mean all of the rituals, superstitions and traditions which give us a common bond. Even if the original meaning of them is lost to many people (Easter and Bonfire Night for example) they are shared common experiences. If we didn't have shared, common experiences and we all truly pursued our own agenda there would be anarchy.

We may think that the world is in chaos but there is absolutely no doubt that it could be far, far worse.

 

I agree their should be a common bond that binds us as our goals should all be the same.

To be the best we can be etcetetc.

However I just feel this is a simplistic view as Religion is the number one factor for unrest in the world as it has been for generations if not centuries.

The point you make about rituals superstitions etc, They dont realy have any agenda to them, they are just life´s little moments nothing threatening or sinister.

For me to believe in a book no matter within wich context is just insane as almost everyone of them are twisted to suit peoples agendas.

How can anyone seriously consider religion to be true as the oldest form is Judaism almost 6000 years old. for goodness sake not even a blink of the eye in terms of the worlds existance.

I tell you what I will write a whole new set of scriptures and call it the MIBLE. I will then bury it somewere remote. I bet someone in a few hundred years from now will come across it and form a religion for their own agenda. And then the masses will fight over it.

If your still alive will you follow it?

 

religion is and always will be a way to control people. The catholic "guilt" is a prime example, have fun doing something, and feel guilty for it

 

Martin, are you aware that celebrating Christmas was dying out in Victorian times and was resurrected by Charles Dickens's 'A Christmas Carol'?

Nobody wanted to be a 'Scrooge'

That is quite simply true and another way that religious celebration has been shaped by humanity.

Dickens held power over humanity due to the fact that his novels took on worldwide fame - a bit like PS2's etc, today.

I doubt there are many today who genuinely give a care about the birth of Christ or the Resurrection.

Again, I see very little binding together

 

PS

The first Santa was originally dressed in 'green' as well

 

If by some long, convoluted sequence of coincidences throughout the next few millenia the MIBLE survived and it's followers were able to propagate it's values then yes, your book would have a chance of being as historically significant as the bible. I do not believe in the bible verbatim but we need to believe something and there is a lot of good in the bible. Your values have been shaped significantly by the bible.