I’m trying to write something, and part of it needs some extra perspectives. 
Let’s say that somehow religion is exposed to be fake. What would people do? Would everyone start killing each other? Could we use the golden rule as a means of control?
“Cognitive dissonance” is an interesting concept to review. It is a psychological perspective though.
Anyway, Leon Festinger studied a cult who believed that the world was going to be destroyed by a flood on a certain date. Some people actually gave up their jobs and their homes to support this notion.
When the date came with no great flood to destroy the world, two interesting things happened:
- The fringe members (the people who were not completely immersed in the belief) felt betrayed and like idiots for buying such nonsense.
- The dedicated members of the cult (the members who sacrificed the most and were most dedicated to the cult) actually believed that their faithfulness prevented the flood from coming.
It really is an interesting study and concept.
Yea… I think people would justify it some way. They’d find some barrier to put between their religion and reality. People might go rampant but I think the rational ones wouldn’t and the radical ones would deny it to their death almost like Columbus denied that the new world wasn’t India.
Well, I’m an atheist, and I’m not a lawless brute. Also, 40% of the people in the Czech Republic describe themselves as atheists, and I haven’t heard any news recently of the breakdown of law and order over there.
Ethics and morality don’t depend on God. They depend on the person.
Marshall McDaniel pointed out in another thread that less than 1% of all prisoners are atheists and 93% of scientists are atheists, so I doubt it.
This might be a little forthcoming, but…will you marry me? 
Just kidding. I think you’ve reaffirmed my belief about humans. This is also helpful for what I’m writing. Good job.
I’m getting used to this message board system.
as an aside,
this is the second marriage arrangement metavoid’s been offered. he’s really all over the gay marriage and polygamy (as i expect there will be more to come…)
If the offer still stands, Meta, we could convince Maker into a polygamous gay relationship. Perhaps De’Trop will be down, too.
Just a comment and a few questions that bug the hell outta me. I was raised as an agnostic with Atheist leanings. I have a (somewhat) clean record with only minor infractions…much like your average law abiding citizen. I’m also a complete prick.
Do you think that obeying laws is all that is asked of us from society?
Can a person still be bad and not break the law?
Does the idea of teaching morality go beyond, “Keep your hands and feet to yourselves” and “Dont steal”?
Can a hermit be immoral?
Also, if a guy is alone, but religious, he did not neccesarrily sin against others, but he was untested. Does he deserve to be saved?
I doubt that. You’re a prick once people get to know you. You wouldn’t get anywhere in society if you were constantly a prick.
Depends on how much you’re involved in society. At the base level I’d say yes.
No. Rebels must break the law.
I learned that in highschool.
No. I’d say it’s basically treat others as you’d want to be treated which I actually don’t agree with.
I’ll leave those for the people more familiar with religion. I’d rather not touch them.
Religion: The outward act or form by which men indicate their recognition of the existence of a god or of gods having power over their destiny, to whom obedience, service, and honor are due; the feeling or expression of human love, fear, or awe of some superhuman and overruling power, whether by profession of belief, by observance of rites and ceremonies, or by the conduct of life; a system of faith and worship; a manifestation of piety; as, ethical religions; monotheistic religions; natural religion; revealed religion; the religion of the Jews; the religion of idol worshipers.
Fake: Having a false or misleading appearance; fraudulent.
I believe that our existence has a misleading appearence, it turns out so different to the way I experienced it as a child - was it fake?
I believe that the universe has a misleading appearence, it turns out so different to the times before we had the Hubble Telescope - was it fake?
Because human beings are really so early on in their discovery of what the world is about - perhaps set back by wars and pestilences, beset by the obsession with power, control and profit - I would rather leave a couple of options open.
I still defend my hypothesy that Religion in actual fact the record of mans discovery of ruling principles in the world, principles that point to some kind of intelligence with which we obviously have some affinity - albeit we are perverse and infinitly distant from it.
Well, the Golden Rule has been around for so long, if it was in man’s nature to do it, he would have by now. That is the observation of Religion: This amazing potential of mankind, but also the twisted nature that has brought him down so very often. And if you look at current affairs, where’s the so highly praised “modern man” with his enlightened views?
I believe that the so-called “modern” view of man is a fraud and provides a misleading appearence - and that is why even today, America, Britain and other “civilised” countries are the people selling weapons for billions to as many countries as they can, and bomb them when the say “poop”!
People criticise Religion because it can’t keep itself from being misused - prove to me that science hasn’t been misused in a similar way and that it hasn’t caused as many deaths in a shorter time than Religion and I might discard Religion.
Shalom
Bob
I’m there. Where we goin’?
Oh yeah, and I have to warn you in advance. I’m not gay. I do, however, have a deeper affection for my brothers, my male counterparts, than I have ever had for a woman. I will never reproduce, so this makes sex, for me, strictly entertainment, but still it has to be with a woman or the ol’ tube stick stays limp. I’m sorry, I have no say so in the matter, my Johnson has a mind of his own and I don’t like to argue with him.
Is that cool? Can I still go?
Frank Zappa addresses the audience at a concert in 1987, in his best “preacher” imitation:
"Today the church is in a terrible state. The bucks just aren’t rollin’ in like they used to, and when the bucks don’t come in, the churchs comes up with a new gimmick to make you spend to go to heaven. When the church wants to get your money they remind you about HELL! If you commit a sin yer’ gonna go to HELL! Well ladies and gentlement, there ain’t no HELL! There is no such place as HELL! There is no HELL!..
There is only… France."