The beauty of religion

[Modem Butterfly]

The beauty of religion is that, at long last, we have a common ground. Each one of us can relax and go about each day, secure in the knowledge that everyone else is completely wrong about spiritual matters except him or herself. Thus Xian, pagan, atheist, Jew, Hindu, Muslim (Sunni AND Shiia), FSM worshippers, astrologers, and any other possible permutation under the sun gets to feel smug.

[Walt Starr]

1. I prefer to think of it as everybody being right

for themselves.

I also consider that there are as many religious beliefs as there are people.

It's when you start herding cats by organizing those beliefs into a common framework that the problems start happening.

[jsamuel]

2. how about feeling better than everyone who believes in a religion

kinda a religion all on its own

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jsamuel]

5. huh? Are you saying that not believing can't make someone feel better

than people who do believe?

That is the point of the post I think.

[zanne]

6. I think that I should stay away from this type of post...

We can argue about religion all day. Nothing is resolved and certainly, nothing is proven. Waste of time.

[jsamuel]

7. ok...

you seem to be arguing with someone else, because your posts have nothing to do with mine or the original post...

no one is trying to convert you in these posts...

[Inland]

9. No, it's not a kind of religion. But it is a kind of smug.

Just saying.

[jsamuel]

10. i see, but disagree

no need to argue though as everyone here has an opinion I am sure and no one is going to budge :D

[mondo joe]

15. Why would people believing in invisible things make me feel better?

Seriously.

[StayOutTheBushes]

16. Do you believe in oxygen? How about hydrogen?

[jonnyblitz]

20. you can prove that oxygen and hydrogen exist. nt

[mondo joe]

25. I believe in those things which are evidenced.

But I don't believe in fairies.

[Bluerthanblue]

31. you just killed tink-

so i'm clapping my hands in between typing-

You'd have had an awful life as Helen Keller Joe-

But i admire your consistancy.

blu

[mondo joe]

37. Why is that? Helen Keller could evidence things.

So could I.

[Inland]

19. Believing in one's own superiority makes one feel better.

Even more if it isn't apparent to anyone else.

Hence the entire "smug" thing.

[jonnyblitz]

22. I think Pat Robertson is a nutjob, does that make me smug?

:shrug:

[Inland]

23. Depends. How does that make you superior to anyone but

Robertson?

Do you think that you are somehow less a nutjob than others on the board?

[mondo joe]

26. What's smug or superior about believing in things for which there

is evidence, rather than those things for which there is not?

[Inland]

28. In itself, nothing at all.

No more than believing in one's own salvation leads to feelings of superiority or smug self congratulation.

The smug part isn't necessary. It's an indulgence, an attitude and a self congratulation that is entirely a selfish pleasure.

[mondo joe]

30. I think it's interesting that anyone could believe in a salvation that

includes an eternal happiness knowing millions of others are suffering for eternity.

What a funny heaven.

[Bluerthanblue]

33. how can you pretend to know

what my heaven is?

Or who is in it?

Or what other people believe deep down?
Let's not sterotype- human beings are unique- none are superiour except in their own minds-

And who can know that honestly?

[mondo joe]

36. Who said anything about YOUR heaven? It's not all about you.

There are as many heavens as there are people who believe in them, and some have more in common with most than others do.

It's. Not. All. About. You.

[Inland]

35. Well, if you are interested,

there are a lot of people who can explain exactly why it's not funny ha ha or funny strange. If you are interested.

Me, I don't see anything inconsistent with my happiness and other's suffering. I live with the knowledge that there are three or four billion people living lives ranging from meager to hellish, and some of them I'm directly responsible for, like prison inmates.

After all, if you don't believe that you can be happy knowing that others are suffering, you might find a lot to be interested in among the religious. You may have a vocation.

Just saying.

[Bluerthanblue]

32. nothing smug- but sometimes

you'll end up eating crow.

I've dined long upon those birds, and probably will for as long as i live.

[zanne]

3. And everybody else is going to Hell.

And you can't prove that they aren't!

[Inland]

8. But the polite people keep the smug feelings private.

And in fact, that's what allows us to relax and go about each day, knowing that your and others personal beliefs aren't going to make for an unneccesary confrontation. That's the beauty part.

Civility and tolerance. That's what counts, not where you think I'm going when I die.

[salinen]

11. Man has evolved

into a self worshipping clod.

[mixedview]

12. No, that's the beauty of secular democracy.

People have the right to their views(religous or otherwise), and the right to compete for "market share". These competing forces tend to balance themselves out resulting in moderation and stability - just like economic markets/capitalism.

[RaleighNCDUer]

13. Don't know about that. I certainly don't feel smug about being

an atheist. Fact is, I often wish I could believe and relax into the smug certainty of religion. It would make things much less complicated. But my damned brain keeps getting in the way.

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. I compromised and went for liberal "religion". I get to think and

have some comfort of maybe something being "out there". Downside is there's no certainty, though there can be smugness sometimes. (I am only human and there are days I want to feel holier-than-Dobson/Falwell/Robertson)

[ZombieNixon]

17. All hail the Flying Spaghetti Monster!

Bow under the grace of His Noodly Appendage!

[CityZen-X]

18. All Mores, and all Folkway

would we have religion at all if it wasn't handed down to us. I feel that the animal kingdom are more attuned to God, they just simply exist in harmony with their environment, unlike mankind.
In the movie "Matrix" there was a very profound statement. something to the effect of -you humans are nothing more than a virus, a virus that depletes its environment of it's resources, moving on to repeat the process!
"God created man in his image, so man returned the favor.

[nini]

21. You enjoy starting religious flamewars don't you?

:shrug:

[Thtwudbeme]

24. Yeah! Miss Butterfly needs to stay offa my turf!

Praise Shiva!

;)

I sure wish you and the Woof were coming to the protest....he sounds so happy in his posts now, and I am so thrilled for you guys!

Stephanie

[hunter]

27. An invitation to join the church of flying green teddy bear squid-lips...

...Right?

(They are sort of like the Unitarian Universalists, except they have cooler icons.)

[sweetheart]

29. The beauty that semantic dissonance

What if the beauty of religion was oneness, and a belief, in the face of
all contrary indication, that it's worth it to be classy, kind, generous
and loving. If it takes religion to treat all persons with the deference
you reserve for your dearest love. Then, irregardless of your beliefs,
there is something sacred, worthy of deference and humility. And that
thing could very well be nothing more than the truth.

Religion is coming to terms with truth, and the beauty of this thread,
is a cosmic collision of truth.

Maybe some people open up to truth in increasing circles of love, that
loving "all" humanity is too much, and perhaps just 1 human is all they're
capable of loving. Would that the truth be complex, and selfless,
and part of the totality of existance.

Religion can be a real endorphine drug, not for being right, but for
accepting the cosmic unity, for accepting jesus christ, or the buddha's
refuge. It is coming to terms with loving the whole of humanity that
makes religion such a one class room school... some of us are failed,
and can only love dogs. Others are profound and can love billions by
ignoring them for the unity in christlike sacrifice.

And if you piled up all the bibles, and returned them to their original
tree's, would not that massive forest be divine.

[mitchum]

34. One can just make shit up?

[lildreamer316]

38. As a pagan I never think everyone else is wrong

they just find thier own way. Sometimes they don't find it until the next life, though.
Never smug; I know enough to know that I don't know.

[Moderator]

39. Locked.

The original post, as stated, appears to be flamebait.