I used to be a Seventh Day Adventist (they worship on Saturday) but I have given that up. I finally realized that I am worshipping a god who I have not seen and who has not done a thing for me. I finally saw the Truth and realized that there is no god.
People have made up this “God” in order to give themselves a source of comfort. A lot of poeple cannot deal with the stresses of life so they go to church once a week and pray to their god for guidance and reassurance. Then they leave the church with a false sense of security and of happiness for the rest of the week. It sickens me to see these people in their churches baring their souls to a god that is not real. They cry and moan for their god to help them and yet it doesn’t. Organized religion is just a way for the government to control the masses.
If you look, some governments didn’t use religion to control the masses. Some Organized Religions controlled the massive governments. (i.e.- Holy Roman Empire)
Perhaps there is no God. Perhaps they exist for control. Yet they give us two good things – Hope and Morals.
They also give us bad things (the “inquisition” was not begun by the Catholic church, but by spain, hence the term “Spanish Inquisiton”) like the crusades, and the current voilence in the middle east.
All religions basically teach peace, love, and acceptance. When many of a like mind get together, then the thoughts of prejudice, public shunning, and “holier-than-thou” (yes, I am a Catholic who wants to see the 700 club and the super-rich hippocritical ministers burn in hell, since they forgot about meekness and humility) emerge.
You have a good point but religion has been around longer than the Catholic church. The Roman government was around long before Christianity became a part of it’s society. The Romans used to be pagans. The Catholics just rose up and took control of the government. And they did use their power and the power of their “god” to control the people. Break-away factions of the Catholics were hunted down and burned as heretics because they didn’t follow the Roman Catholic religion. You say that they give us good things like hope and morals. What good is a false hope? And what are morals exactly. The church sets it’s own standards and morals and expects each individual to follow them. Everyone has their own morals.
A very intresting idea, and one that has come up through out history.People questioning religion causing new religions to be brought forth. For you see we all must have something to believe in. We are in a world of sever dependancy on that which we feel is stronger and higher than anything of this world. Even the Athiests believe in something even if its an absense of God and a substitute in themselves. So what is your dependancy? You believe in no god, but will you be able to keep this idea through the long trials of life……we all must have something to believe in even if it is a blind and niave belief. I myself have not found my God and dont look forward to the idea of offering up my independancy on something that seems so unreal. But I know some day when it is not just my life i am defending I will find myself on my knees praying to a God I thought i didnt believe in. When it comes to times of pain and sorrow we all instinctavely turn to the one thing, or idea, that is more powerful then us! And in that time we are all faced with a decision. Either we believe in this so called god or we turn back to our regualr thought patterns awaiting the next moment we surrender to this unknown being. The word hypocracy comes to mind. so that is my thoughts. take it or leave it.