Religion

Yes, I'm going to tackle this hotly-debated topic now.


The impression I'm getting on the internet is that it seems to be commonplace to bash people on their religious choices (if you're atheist), and to proclaim death, damnation and some holy-text quotes if you're not. The amount of comments on the Times' website which liken the divorce debate to A fight between God and Satan, and "Fight the good fight" is rather statistically improbable.


So, lets start by analysing the main purposes of religion:


1. To supply hope to individuals. (Believe in an afterlife, Believe that someone is watching over you, Prayer...)
2. To supply a moral code, both for individuals and groups of people
3. To attempt to explain certain phenomena
4. To extend and conserve culture.
5. To prove itself.


Now most of the fire that religion takes are about #3. Since religions were founded in years past, the level of scientific knowledge is remnant of the people who wrote it at the time. So when Greek people saw a bunch of moving dots in the sky, they called them "Wanderers" and believed them to be the gods moving around in chariots. People saw the world as it is and how perfectly it works, and concluded that some sentient being did it.


Is there proof for it? Nope. Is it scientifically incorrect? Yes. The method used is unscientific. However, does this mean that everything in religion should be discounted? Should religion itself be replaced by science?


Probably not - due to reasons 1 and 2 (and maybe 4). So I'll just state this -


If a person is happy believing that he will get eternal paradise if he gives charity - then let him. He'll make the world better.


If a person believes that if he preys off others he will be tortured by having animals eat his flesh for 6.63552E15 years, then let him. He'll make himself better.


If a person believes that loving your neighbor means you get to spend eternity with his Deity - then let him. Its not like he's harming anyone.


Of course there are levels. There are extremists. There are people who bomb airports for religion, there are people who thank God when tsunamis kill people because of the homosexuals they killed. But don't let that ruin anything. Its true, religion has killed people. But so have other things.


The guy who bombed the Russian Airport? Not religious.
The killing of millions of jews over a few years? Not really religious either.
The Israel-Palestine debate? Could call it religious.. I'd rather call it cultural.
Trillions spent on 'bringing democracy' to a country with 'WMDs' ? Not religious. The constant car and suicide bombings ? Not religious either.

Most extremism leads to this. Not just religion. 21% of the world's population is Muslim. Are all of them terrorists? Nope. So why is it that certain countries link Muslims to Terrorism?


In summary, if you're happy believing in God, enjoy it. If you're not happy not believing in anything, enjoy it. But don't ruin it for anyone else. This goes both ways.

The Llama