Neopaganism Is The Worst

[The Brain]

Religion is for the weak. Just like a crutch, and equally useful.

[Eddie Teach]

Religious/superstitious people are biologically superior to beings of pure reason(if such existed) as they are able to cling to irrational things like the survival instinct.

[Valmy]

Religion is for the weak. Just like a crutch, and equally useful.

A crutch for what would be my question.

That is the thing I cannot really get.  What is religion supposed to be satisfying?  I am not really sure.  But people do seem to really get something from it.

[Martinus]

Religion is for the weak. Just like a crutch, and equally useful.

A crutch for what would be my question.

That is the thing I cannot really get.  What is religion supposed to be satisfying?  I am not really sure.  But people do seem to really get something from it.

Religion provides answers to questions that are otherwise not unanswered by science. Surely you can appreciate that the state of knowing the answers is superior to not knowing the answers. People have an immense ability to deceive themselves just for this feeling of security.

[Maximus]

A crutch for what would be my question.

That is the thing I cannot really get.  What is religion supposed to be satisfying?  I am not really sure.  But people do seem to really get something from it.

That's what it is supposed to be satisfying. And if it's doing its job, I don't know how you can call it bullshit.

[Martinus]

A crutch for what would be my question.

That is the thing I cannot really get.  What is religion supposed to be satisfying?  I am not really sure.  But people do seem to really get something from it.

That's what it is supposed to be satisfying. And if it's doing its job, I don't know how you can call it bullshit.

Well, that's the question - does a comforting lie hold a higher value than a disturbing truth - or vice versa? And this is not a rhetorical question, imo - if reality looked like Matrix, I bet most people would choose the virtual one created by the robots than the "real" bleak post-apocalyptic one.

[Valmy]

Religion provides answers to questions that are otherwise not unanswered by science. Surely you can appreciate that the state of knowing the answers is superior to not knowing the answers. People have an immense ability to deceive themselves just for this feeling of security.

I fail to see that any modern religion really provides those things anymore.  Only the truly idiotic thinks a god triggered the Tsunami of 2004 because he was really really mad at the people who live in the Indian Ocean.  It provides something much more personal.

[Maximus]

Well, that's the question - does a comforting lie hold a higher value than a disturbing truth - or vice versa? And this is not a rhetorical question, imo - if reality looked like Matrix, I bet most people would choose the virtual one created by the robots than the "real" bleak post-apocalyptic one.

So long as they are given a choice I don't see a problem with it.

[Martinus]

On a purely practical, reason-based, non-emotional level, religious beliefs are harmful. If the efficiency of our reasoning was considered paramount, then our ability to reason succesfully would surely be hampered by bullshit views that are associated with religion, on the basis of the GIGO principle (Garbage In Garbage Out). E.g. a person who beliefs their god is against blood transfusions or stem cell research are unwilling to use these, very succesful, medical treatments, and are worse off, clearly.

However, religion provides an emotional satisfaction component. As such, it is on par with such prima facie irrational behaviours as drinking alcohol, taking drugs, engaging in non-reproductive sex, listening to music, watching theatre or playing computer games. I think the problem comes from the religious insisting that their irrational, pleasure-generating behaviours are somehow more worthy than any of these pasttimes I listed, or that they should guide national policies.

[grumbler]

What other abilities do you lack?

tl; dl

[Maximus]

On a purely practical, reason-based, non-emotional level, religious beliefs are harmful. If the efficiency of our reasoning was considered paramount, then our ability to reason succesfully would surely be hampered by bullshit views that are associated with religion, on the basis of the GIGO principle (Garbage In Garbage Out). E.g. a person who beliefs their god is against blood transfusions or stem cell research are unwilling to use these, very succesful, medical treatments, and are worse off, clearly.

However, religion provides an emotional satisfaction component. As such, it is on par with such prima facie irrational behaviours as drinking alcohol, taking drugs, engaging in non-reproductive sex, listening to music, watching theatre or playing computer games. I think the problem comes from the religious insisting that their irrational, pleasure-generating behaviours are somehow more worthy than any of these pasttimes I listed, or that they should guide national policies.

No argument there.

[Martinus]

Religion provides answers to questions that are otherwise not unanswered by science. Surely you can appreciate that the state of knowing the answers is superior to not knowing the answers. People have an immense ability to deceive themselves just for this feeling of security.

I fail to see that any modern religion really provides those things anymore.  Only the truly idiotic thinks a god triggered the Tsunami of 2004 because he was really really mad at the people who live in the Indian Ocean.  It provides something much more personal.

I don't think the answers that are provided by religion are of that nature anymore. That does not mean there are no unanswered questions out there, where you get comfort from getting the religious answers.

For example, will we able to meet our dead relatives again? Does our existence have meaning beyond death? Is there some sort of cosmic justice that goes beyond the faulty human one? Is there a reason for suffering?

The materialistic answer to all these questions, while most likely to be true, is also quite disturbing and could turn a lot of people into nihilists and suicides. So these weak people turn to religion as a crutch, as TheBrain has said.

[Valmy]

I think the problem comes from the religious insisting that their irrational, pleasure-generating behaviours are somehow more worthy than any of these pasttimes I listed, or that they should guide national policies.

That is hardly a universal quality of the religious.

[Martinus]

I think the problem comes from the religious insisting that their irrational, pleasure-generating behaviours are somehow more worthy than any of these pasttimes I listed, or that they should guide national policies.

That is hardly a universal quality of the religious.

Yes, but I think the religious are especially persistent in that. Perhaps in future, our presidential candidates will be losing votes because they play the Horde. Right now they lose votes because of their religious views.

[Valmy]

The materialistic answer to all these questions, while most likely to be true, is also quite disturbing and could turn a lot of people into nihilists and suicides. So these weak people turn to religion as a crutch, as TheBrain has said.

On the contrary it all depends on how it is packaged.  The fact that life is empty and meaningless is incredibly empowering because you can give yourself whatever meaning you wish.  I, for one, am pretty happy I am not here trying to cleanse my soul because some dude ate an apple a few thousand years ago.

But that realization has nothing to do with my interest in religion.  But I could just be an outlier.