Thank you for the offer, I'll have to remember to check it out. Anything based off of The Dude cannot be a bad proposition.
Sounds like you point is almost exclusively for the Hierarchy of Needs and a Nature Vs. Nurture standpoint.
Now, you're argument is entirely valid, but part of human nature is the affects of both nature and nurture. Most organisms adapt to their surroundings and this was true for humans for a time. We adapted and certain things that made our lives easier or improved our lives at least temporarily that were outside control were deemed as things that needed to be addressed in some way. the thought was that some thing or dude floating in the sky had control over this aspect so we wanted to appease that thing or god. Humans are still animals and I would say our our natural things include what most animals have, survival, alpha dominance etc. but then again, we're debating religion which is also a part of human nature.
I've always argued that one's personality originates from an equal (or near-equal) mix of Nature and Nurture.
Exactly! People try to pit the two against each other when it works together. Think about the differences in America alone. People who grow up in an urban area are going to think and feel differently than someone from a suburban area. That alone is a nature thing, but nature affects how the nurture works. those people in the urban area think and feel the way they do partly because of what their parents taught them because their parents grew up in the same area most likely.
I may sound like i hate religions but i don't, just wanted to get that out of the way before i say my next statement. I don't like all religious people. Now I am fine with you believing in what you believe in and that's fine, in fact if I was in a conversation about what you believe in i would actually be interested unlike some other people because i find religion in itself fascinating. Now the first statement i said I will clarify, OK I have friends who are religious and i'm fine with that, but last week i had a guy who tried to forcefully convert me to the Islamic religion, now when i say forcefully he actually threw me against a wall and said that i was an infidel. So when I say I don't like religious people this is what makes them that way, I don't hate all religious people just the ones whom forcefully try to convert me.
Ah yes the highly radical and overzealous ones that give a bad name to their religions and make even their own religious friends face palm. I don't like them either. As a good number of you know from the previous threads on this subject I actually have my own religion. Everytime I explain it, to the best of my abilities, I expect to be laughed/scoffed/yelled/insulted at yet it never happens and I just literally go on my merry way. Being the only person to believe in your religion is quite fun.
I'm what's called Asatru, I believe in ice giants and that the sun is towed across the galaxy by a chariot while a giant wolf chases it I've been laughed at, I've been told by people who were close to me that I was going to hell because I didn't believe in god. You are not alone in that category.
To be completely honest, i have always considered myself a atheist. No matter which religion you might consider yourself believing in, i will always respect your choice.
I have a pantheon of gods that I mixed and mashed from Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy. It works for me and that's all that matters.
Growing up, my parents/family never tought me much about religion. So untill i started in school, i basically knew nothing about religion at all. Learning more and more about the different religions made me clearer on the fact that took no place in any of them. Even though i do celebrate christmas, i've never celebrated it for religios reasons. I would understand the diffuculty of "leaving" a religion, and whatever you choose to believe in, is perfecly fine be me.
That is quite possibly one of the greatest idea of worship I've ever heard. Is it chaos or do you worship the Emperor? Is it more of the old world or in the future? and I'm being serious I've always enjoyed 40k and started getting into fantasy warhammer and I've wanted to know more about both worlds and to see someone take away from that and use it in a way you've described is pretty ****in' awesome and I would love to know more. Also if you're not comfortable answering my questions I understand totally.
Actually I worship Ulric as the chief god of this pantheon with the only real 40k mix being the Omnissah the machine god, but I use many of the Eldar gods and goddess as secondary/minor gods and goddess. Chaos would alternatively be my foe.
Leaving wasn't hard, it was dealing with both family members & the general public who are hateful towards atheists & agnostics.
So, I was stopped by this random man today who asked me what my feelings toward the belief in God were. I told him I was totally fine with people believing in God and went on my merry way as fast as friggin' possible. Why, why must some people (certain atheists included) shove their religion (or lack thereof) in other people's faces? Can somebody explain this to me? I get especially offended when I hear about missionaries who turn entire countries into bigots because they thought it would be neat if more people believed in God. Why is this important? I genuinely don't see it. I'm not bashing religion, by the way. Just missionaries. It seems so strange to me.
Even though I haven't gone to church recently or read my bible which I am ashamed of I am still a christian because I asked god to forgive me of my sins and let him into my heart.
Hmm, a thread about religion. What could possibly go wrong!? Anyway, I honestly don't care all that much. I'm borderline agnostic. But I get annoyed when Athiests feel the need to be an elitist.
To be fair, there are an awful lot of Christian elitists too, especially in my neck of the woods. You're gonna run into people who think they're better than you no matter what group you're talking about.