Are You Religious

JonMc said:
Logic. Taken to it's conclusion it can prove my lifetime of experiences weren't actually real. That's exactly what I'm talking about.

But if you want to live a life devoid of real pleasure or believing you're something you're not then that is your choice. It's not my choice.
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Believing you're something your not is the choice you've seemingly made. You know these sensations are not real and can change but you choose to live in that world. Fair enough.

The religious live there too.
 


High Entropy said:
Believing you're something your not is the choice you've seemingly made. You know these sensations are not real and can change but you choose to live in that world. Fair enough.

The religious live there too.
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Damn right it's the choice I've made. It seems better to me than using logic to suck the marrow out of life. I don't want to think about the sunset I'm enjoying being just ionized particles in the atmosphere and that the colours don't really exist. I'd rather just take in those few precious minutes.
 
JonMc said:
Damn right it's the choice I've made. It seems better to me than using logic to suck the marrow out of life. I don't want to think about the sunset I'm enjoying being just ionized particles in the atmosphere and that the colours don't really exist. I'd rather just take in those few precious minutes.
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Logic doesn’t suck the narrow out of life by the way.

I’m sure as fellow Sunderland fans we could have a beer and laugh, curse, reminisce and despair over the fortunes of the club that connects us.

The fact that we disagree over our perspective on life/gods/creation etc only because you have family who follow the Christian faith doesn’t, and shouldn’t, prevent that from happening.

We aren’t blessed with many years in a healthy lifetime. I fear our future is vastly reduced because of a couple of aresholes in Russia and China (others disagree). Surely it’s now time
to forget about the silliness and just crack on with living?
 
Nope, and I find it annoying that they ask you this on application forms in 2024. I always put Christian though, just in case ;)

I do believe in something, but not sure what, Socialism will do for me, not much difference, just with an edge and more democratic.

Whilst waiting for a lift opposite the Church on Sunday morning, I noticed a mother and her 3 children heading towards the church, they were black, probably NIgerian, as they have moved a lot of Nigerians into East Durham over the last couple of years. It got me thinking, we took Christianity to these countries back in the day, now to all intents and purposes we in the UK have abandoned Christianity, yet the Africans we brainwashed now appear to have fully embraced it and are going to our empty churches to pay their respects to God.

What a bunch of kernts are we ? :rolleyes:
 
Matnab said:
On R.E in school they cover atheism as they do all major religions. They teach about different religions, they don't tell kids what faith to follow at all.
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Just on this, I went to my kids' parents evening last night.
Saw all my 9 year old's books. RE book was literally nothing but "why do we praise Jesus", "why is Jesus the light of the world".

The most praise she got in any of the books I saw was for her reply to "do you believe in God". I'm sure she wouldn't have got such a great comment from the teacher if she'd said no - like I did when I was 12 and was told to stay behind in class to "explain myself", and was then told all my views were invalid by a teacher who just happened to be the victor at a local church.

And NEITHER of the schools I just referenced were even religion-affiliated schools, so goodness knows how much worse all the "CoE Schools" or even the actually real Catholic schools beside the catholic churches that are now all ran by a catholic private company.
PTID said:
Nope, and I find it annoying that they ask you this on application forms in 2024. I always put Christian though, just in case ;)
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This is the type of thing I always challenge. If people keep saying they are religious, when they're actually not, the religions will use it as evidence of why they should get preferential treatment.
If you don't have a religion, say "no religion" on forms.
 
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PTR said:
Just on this, I went to my kids' parents evening last night.
Saw all my 9 year old's books. RE book was literally nothing but "why do we praise Jesus", "why is Jesus the light of the world".

The most praise she got in any of the books I saw was for her reply to "do you believe in God". I'm sure she wouldn't have got such a great comment from the teacher if she'd said no - like I did when I was 12 and was told to stay behind in class to "explain myself", and was then told all my views were invalid by a teacher who just happened to be the victor at a local church.

And NEITHER of the schools I just referenced were even religion-affiliated schools, so goodness knows how much worse all the "CoE Schools" or even the actually real Catholic schools beside the catholic churches that are now all ran by a catholic private company.

This is the type of thing I always challenge. If people keep saying they are religious, when they're actually not, the religions will use it as evidence of why they should get preferential treatment.
If you don't have a religion, say "no religion" on forms.
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What was the competition? ;)

In answer to the OP, yes, I am religious. I've been working on practicing better this year, meditating more and taken up Tai Chi, and it has really improved both my usual anxieties and overall mental health.
 
PTR said:
Just on this, I went to my kids' parents evening last night.
Saw all my 9 year old's books. RE book was literally nothing but "why do we praise Jesus", "why is Jesus the light of the world".

The most praise she got in any of the books I saw was for her reply to "do you believe in God". I'm sure she wouldn't have got such a great comment from the teacher if she'd said no - like I did when I was 12 and was told to stay behind in class to "explain myself", and was then told all my views were invalid by a teacher who just happened to be the victor at a local church.

And NEITHER of the schools I just referenced were even religion-affiliated schools, so goodness knows how much worse all the "CoE Schools" or even the actually real Catholic schools beside the catholic churches that are now all ran by a catholic private company.

This is the type of thing I always challenge. If people keep saying they are religious, when they're actually not, the religions will use it as evidence of why they should get preferential treatment.
If you don't have a religion, say "no religion" on forms.
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Dangerous grounds as some won't want religious folk at the company. Or those sifting might be very religious and don't want those of other faiths. If you don't know the individual you should put no religion as its the safest bet.
 
JonMc said:
The game began using a cobbled together 'ball' with goals across open fields and it was haphazard in it's evolution. We improve the game not because it's logical but because it's fun and we can get those same endorphins to run though our veins just as effectively by inventing a cure for some disease rather than becoming emotionally attached to a silly illogical game and wasting hard earned money and time on frivolity. Like I say, we get a ticket to life and we spend it how we choose. Those endorphins can be unlocked in a million logical and illogical ways. Worship a non existent God or worship a stupid sports team...or do both. The choice is up to the individual and as long as it is Dawkins will be butting his head against a brick wall.

Logic. Taken to it's conclusion it can prove my lifetime of experiences weren't actually real. That's exactly what I'm talking about.

But if you want to live a life devoid of real pleasure or believing you're something you're not then that is your choice. It's not my choice.
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What happens if/when your pleasure or wants has a negative impact on others?
 
Mackem00 said:
What happens if/when your pleasure or wants has a negative impact on others?
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It should be resisted of course but when any institution becomes too powerful the more scope there is for corruption. The old saying rings true and that applies everywhere, in every institution and not only religion. The police force, political and even sporting institutions all protect themselves for the good of the institution and what's right and wrong are secondary in the course of action they take. People are animals and human nature is an animal instinct.+
 
Kent_Mackem said:
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Agreed and I follow a similar pattern according to me limited scientific knowledge. Dawkins however criticises mankind for being just another emotional animal and being driven by those emotions. He'll never see his logical Eutopia where all human decisions have to be tested empirically before they're deemed worthy of his approval. You'd think being an evolutionary biologist he would see that. Maybe he should concentrate more on the biologist bit.
 
JonMc said:
Agreed and I follow a similar pattern according to me limited scientific knowledge. Dawkins however criticises mankind for being just another emotional animal and being driven by those emotions. He'll never see his logical Eutopia where all human decisions have to be tested empirically before they're deemed worthy of his approval. You'd think being an evolutionary biologist he would see that. Maybe he should concentrate more on the biologist bit.
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Although in some of his interviews and talks he does himself no favours, I've seen interviews of Richard Dawkins where he is much different to how you have described him. Laughing and joking, being moved to tears by particular music, enjoying art.

There was one interview where the other bloke (forgotten his name) said something like "You insist that breasts are simply evolved glands on female mammals that produce milk for their young. However, when you get a pair in a white top or in a black bra don't you just want to stuff your face in them and go wiblerwiblerwiblerwibler?"

Dawkins laughed and replied "Well yes, of course."

He's not an emotionless Mr Spock, I think he just tires of stupidity, craves for rational thinking and for children to be taught how to think not what to think.
 
Kent_Mackem said:
He's not an emotionless Mr Spock, I think he just tires of stupidity, craves for rational thinking and for children to be taught how to think not what to think.
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Not when he's arguing that parents are morally wrong to give birth to Down's children. When you can use your influence to influence moral judgements you become essentially no different to the Catholic Church. It's just a matter of degrees after that.

One day he'll wise up to the fact that animals don't always act rationally and that they make non rational decisions every day. What's more they love it.

He's a nice enough fella though and he's free to evangelise like anyone else I suppose.
 
JonMc said:
Not when he's arguing that parents are morally wrong to give birth to Down's children. When you can use your influence to influence moral judgements you become essentially no different to the Catholic Church. It's just a matter of degrees after that. Agreed.

One day he'll wise up to the fact that animals don't always act rationally and that they make non rational decisions every day. What's more they love it. Not sure what you mean. Most animals aren't self-aware and have lower order brains. How do you know animals love not acting rationally?

He's a nice enough fella though and he's free to evangelise like anyone else I suppose. I'm glad you agree. He often does himself no favours in his presentation, but I'm sure he's not the only professor (active or retired) to do that.
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Not sure what you mean. Most animals aren't self-aware and have lower order brains. How do you know animals love not acting rationally?
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Mammals are self aware though. Man is an mammal and we revel in making irrational decisions. Chimps have been know to make shrines. That takes irrational group effort. They enjoy getting drunk...dolphins even enjoy getting stoned, again not rational in an predatory environment. Wildebeest will risk their lives for empathy to save a member of the herd when it's more logical let the prey animal eat something that isn't them. Our higher brain orders just allow us the imagination to take those (mammalian) emotions to new levels.
 

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