Religion is a scam

jrt said: Open your heart to God and he will enter. You will feel the difference if you are a believer. Click to expand... Just to clarify - which of the 4200+ 'gods' currently being worshipped around our globe should I follow? And which of the 1400+ religions? PS There is medication available to help control the voices in your brain - I'd suggest seeking professional help.

Billiam said: Just to clarify - which of the 4200+ 'gods' currently being worshipped around our globe should I follow? And which of the 1400+ religions? PS There is medication available to help control the voices in your brain - I'd suggest seeking professional help. Click to expand... Well obviously you choose the one that speaks to you, you will feel the swelling in your chest and see the light in the sky and all nature will talk to you, even the little animals. Fucking mushrooms 🍄 🤦🏻‍♂️

Rusty razor said: Well obviously you choose the one that speaks to you, you will feel the swelling in your chest and see the light in the sky and all nature will talk to you, even the little animals. Fucking mushrooms 🍄 🤦🏻‍♂️ Click to expand... Mescaline, LSD, peyote, psilocybin, amanita muscaria, have all been temporary acquaintances on this journey. No voices (yet).

[FB_IMG_1770518678449.jpg]

[FB_IMG_1770688076026.jpg]

The arc of human history and belief systems, especially the distinction between human needs and the institutions that arose to meet them. Religion clearly filled multiple roles at different times, social cohesion, moral frameworks, meaning, and yes, population control,long before modern states and legal systems existed. That need is no longer universal. In many developed societies, governance, law, and education have replaced much of religion’s regulatory function, while the human appetite for meaning, awe, and ethical grounding hasn’t disappeared at all. That tension explains both the separation of church and state in some places and the intensified entanglement of the two in others. Organized religions tend to protect themselves through exclusivity. Once a belief system becomes institutionalized, it often prioritizes its own survival over continued inquiry. That may be why modern “prophets” are dismissed outright,less because humans stopped seeking insight, and more because institutions stopped tolerating challenges to their authority. Your menu of modern options is spot on. Many people now operate in hybrid modes: selectively religious, philosophically spiritual, ethically humanist, or simply undecided but intentional about living well. None of those paths seem inherently inferior to blind adherence, and arguably they demand more personal responsibility rather than less. The “good without God” position, in particular, isn’t moral laziness, it’s a conscious rejection of outsourced ethics. And nature-based or contemplative practices make sense as well; they preserve awe and humility without requiring dogma or fear-based compliance. It’s the decline of philosophers and public debate that may be more damaging than the decline of religion itself. What’s missing isn’t belief, its rigorous, curious, non-defensive exploration of what it means to be human. If anything deserves a resurgence, it’s that. In that sense, the question may no longer be which belief system is true, but whether we’re still willing to think deeply, disagree thoughtfully, and evolve at all.

[FB_IMG_1770920281345.jpg]

[1771014069876.jpeg]

apple9927 said: Its a crutch for the weak minded. Fake BS can't be proven till you are dead. Like Tarot cards and crystal balls not worth a penny to me. Click to expand... I say Amen to that ![:ROFLMAO:] One of the biggest scams going!

The worse thing about religion is it keeps us from discovering God

Naughty Knickers said: The arc of human history and belief systems, especially the distinction between human needs and the institutions that arose to meet them. Religion clearly filled multiple roles at different times, social cohesion, moral frameworks, meaning, and yes, population control,long before modern states and legal systems existed. That need is no longer universal. In many developed societies, governance, law, and education have replaced much of religion’s regulatory function, while the human appetite for meaning, awe, and ethical grounding hasn’t disappeared at all. That tension explains both the separation of church and state in some places and the intensified entanglement of the two in others. Organized religions tend to protect themselves through exclusivity. Once a belief system becomes institutionalized, it often prioritizes its own survival over continued inquiry. That may be why modern “prophets” are dismissed outright,less because humans stopped seeking insight, and more because institutions stopped tolerating challenges to their authority. Your menu of modern options is spot on. Many people now operate in hybrid modes: selectively religious, philosophically spiritual, ethically humanist, or simply undecided but intentional about living well. None of those paths seem inherently inferior to blind adherence, and arguably they demand more personal responsibility rather than less. The “good without God” position, in particular, isn’t moral laziness, it’s a conscious rejection of outsourced ethics. And nature-based or contemplative practices make sense as well; they preserve awe and humility without requiring dogma or fear-based compliance. It’s the decline of philosophers and public debate that may be more damaging than the decline of religion itself. What’s missing isn’t belief, its rigorous, curious, non-defensive exploration of what it means to be human. If anything deserves a resurgence, it’s that. In that sense, the question may no longer be which belief system is true, but whether we’re still willing to think deeply, disagree thoughtfully, and evolve at all. Click to expand... You’ve nailed it so to speak with the last two sentences.

[FB_IMG_1771652751706.jpg]

[FB_IMG_1772129520054.jpg]

[FB_IMG_1772160423707.jpg]

I read a discussion the other day about the Religious Right in America (Canada too to an extent) and how they justify supporting Trump despite the fact that he, his administration, and their policies are all about as far from Christian teachings as you can get. The Pope was mentioned in this discussion, and how he gets attacked for being “woke’ and ‘unamerican”. I’ve always wondered why his words seem to have no resonance with these people, and also why they all seemed to Ignore Joe Biden’s obvious, and it seems quite genuine, religious faith? This may be the weirdest thing I have ever read about US evangelicals (and that is a pretty high bar) Apparently a significant number of American evangelical sects don’t think Catholics are Christians!! I had to read that twice, and I still can't wrap my head around it.

Nothing wrong with having faith. Having faith doesn’t mean you need to believe in god or any other higher powers. The bible, Quran and so are not that much different. Similar stories, trying to teach the same lessons. You can’t convince me some of them aren’t true. They had to come from somewhere. Mind you those stories have been exaggerated over the years. I’ve always believed you need to cut through the BS and look at the fundamental lessons religion is trying to teach. Basically how to be a good person. How to treat people with respect and be considerate of others. Forgiveness is a good thing. That you should help your neighbour, family or others that might need it. So on and so forth. The world in its current state could use some of those fundamental teachings. Unfortunately those same lessons have been twisted to suit personal, political, or societal needs. It’s been this way for thousands of years. It’s probably not going to change anytime soon and that’s a shame. Religion, belief, faith or not. It doesn’t matter how you find it but hopefully everyone can find that joy in their life.

Naughty Knickers said: …It’s the decline of philosophers and public debate that may be more damaging than the decline of religion itself. What’s missing isn’t belief, its rigorous, curious, non-defensive exploration of what it means to be human. If anything deserves a resurgence, it’s that. In that sense, the question may no longer be which belief system is true, but whether we’re still willing to think deeply, disagree thoughtfully, and evolve at all. Click to expand... Well said. This vital principle is largely lost not only in religion, but clearly in political debates also. Our Perbite brothers here-in unfortunately tend to espouse one-sided positions from pre-decided dogmas rather than objectively debate the pro’s and con’s of policies and leaders. The future of our society is less determined by the qualities of our spiritual or political leaders, and more by the ability of the people to have curious, thoughtful, and open explorations and debates about them.

In case you were wondering..... The term "missionary position" refers to the face-to-face, man-on-top sexual position widely believed to have been promoted by 19th-century Christian missionaries as the only "moral" or "natural" way to have intercourse. It was popularized by Alfred Kinsey in his 1948 book Sexual Behavior in the Human Male

[FB_IMG_1772504315644.jpg]

angry anderson said: In case you were wondering..... The term "missionary position" refers to the face-to-face, man-on-top sexual position widely believed to have been promoted by 19th-century Christian missionaries as the only "moral" or "natural" way to have intercourse. It was popularized by Alfred Kinsey in his 1948 book Sexual Behavior in the Human Male Click to expand... So missionary with a sex worker should cancel out the sin, right? Gotta work on my legal arguments for when I meet my maker.