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I think having seen all of the worst evils in the world committed in the name of some belief, I have dropped concerning myself with anything that isn't scientif

I think having seen all of the worst evils in the world committed in the name of some belief, I have dropped concerning myself with anything that isn't scientifically validated. I feel like all organized religions are just some form of control and don't provide any benefit except for forcing an association with a group that might not hold the same complete beliefs as I do, but is essentially pushing those beliefs onto you by association. One thing that kind of blows my mind still is how the engineers I work with (some of the best most logically discerning minds) can believe in religion. It seems counter intuitive. Maybe it's out of fear? Not sure. I used to be religious though, and constantly thought about what makes my ancient book of mumbo-jumbo more valid than someone elses book? And is it not messed up that everyone is so divided and just because they were born to a culture or society that does not believe a religion, they will all burn eternally? Seems shady to me. Anyways, ridding my life of unfounded beliefs allowed me to realize the value of life, empathize, and treat others equally, irrelevant of culture or beliefs, whereas I feel like religion tries to make everyone else the "others" who are less than.

meric 9y ago
I believed the universe was full of planets before our scientists validated it. My belief was based on the emotions I felt looking into the night sky full of the stars. It’d be a dull life if I could not entertain thoughts and feelings unless they were “scientifically validated”. Be aware (just in case!) your perception of religion as merely a means of control may be a projection of your own desire to control others, out of your own fear of the unknown beyond what is “scientifically known”, and in doing so have made the religious ones who are “others” who believe in something “shady”, “others” who are less than you.
- agitator 9y ago
  > I believed the universe was full of planets before our scientists validated it. My belief was based on the emotions I felt looking into the night sky full of the stars. It’d be a dull life if I could not entertain thoughts and feelings unless they were “scientifically validated”. How old are you? ;) I completely agree with you. I love thinking and imagining reasons for things that we do not yet have answers to. But at the same time I recognize the probabilities of my explanations being correct. While, many followers in organized religions blindly and devoutly believe that their religion is the one true explanation, which is illogical to me. >Be aware (just in case!) your perception of religion as merely a means of control may be a projection of your own desire to control others, out of your own fear of the unknown beyond what is “scientifically known”, and in doing so have made the religious ones who are “others” who believe in something “shady”, “others” who are less than you. That's an interesting point. I've accepted that our lives are a temporary spec of existence on an insignificant rock, and I'm oaky with that. I also believe that we should fulfill our evolutionary purpose by propagating, improving technology, and recording information for future generations. If I made it seem that I think religious people are "less than" that is not how I feel. I'm okay with anyone believing anything they want to help them get through their day as long as they aren't harming others. My only point in that sense was the confusion I face with people seeking evidence and facts while engineering things and solving problems, but not applying the same scientific method to everyday life. A modern example I can think of when it comes to religions being a form of control is how the republican party has a very profound base of religious conservatives. Many of whom are working class people, but the republican party is run mainly by wealthy elite. Most of the fiscal reforms that the republican party espouses do not have a direct impact on the wealth of the working class, but they republican party is able to capture all of these votes. (I have religious family who seem to get most of their political influence from their church). So many other historical examples of religion being a major contributor to the success of empires and countries . The Roman empire and Islamic empires being some examples. Helps you unify people, they are devout because they are promised eternal salvation, etc.
mycat 9y ago
>One thing that kind of blows my mind still is how the engineers I work with (some of the best most logically discerning minds) can believe in religion. Be like the inmates in the US who had nothing to do in their lives but lifelong learning, then studied every religion, ideology, -ism they can find and then ultimately reverted to Islam. Understanding Islam push your logic to its limits while appreciating its limits (i.e. you cannot understand the unseen/ghaib with mind alone, you need to accept the revealed knowledge). In Islamic theology, both acceptance and understanding of the revealed knowledge (Quran and Sunnah), AND using logic to understand the theology itself, are important. Islamic theology at the basic level is easy, however once you go deeper, things get real tough to comprehend -- you need logic at its best to be able to understand.

meric 9y ago

I believed the universe was full of planets before our scientists validated it. My belief was based on the emotions I felt looking into the night sky full of the stars. It’d be a dull life if I could not entertain thoughts and feelings unless they were “scientifically validated”. Be aware (just in case!) your perception of religion as merely a means of control may be a projection of your own desire to control others, out of your own fear of the unknown beyond what is “scientifically known”, and in doing so have made the religious ones who are “others” who believe in something “shady”, “others” who are less than you.

agitator 9y ago
> I believed the universe was full of planets before our scientists validated it. My belief was based on the emotions I felt looking into the night sky full of the stars. It’d be a dull life if I could not entertain thoughts and feelings unless they were “scientifically validated”. How old are you? ;) I completely agree with you. I love thinking and imagining reasons for things that we do not yet have answers to. But at the same time I recognize the probabilities of my explanations being correct. While, many followers in organized religions blindly and devoutly believe that their religion is the one true explanation, which is illogical to me. >Be aware (just in case!) your perception of religion as merely a means of control may be a projection of your own desire to control others, out of your own fear of the unknown beyond what is “scientifically known”, and in doing so have made the religious ones who are “others” who believe in something “shady”, “others” who are less than you. That's an interesting point. I've accepted that our lives are a temporary spec of existence on an insignificant rock, and I'm oaky with that. I also believe that we should fulfill our evolutionary purpose by propagating, improving technology, and recording information for future generations. If I made it seem that I think religious people are "less than" that is not how I feel. I'm okay with anyone believing anything they want to help them get through their day as long as they aren't harming others. My only point in that sense was the confusion I face with people seeking evidence and facts while engineering things and solving problems, but not applying the same scientific method to everyday life. A modern example I can think of when it comes to religions being a form of control is how the republican party has a very profound base of religious conservatives. Many of whom are working class people, but the republican party is run mainly by wealthy elite. Most of the fiscal reforms that the republican party espouses do not have a direct impact on the wealth of the working class, but they republican party is able to capture all of these votes. (I have religious family who seem to get most of their political influence from their church). So many other historical examples of religion being a major contributor to the success of empires and countries . The Roman empire and Islamic empires being some examples. Helps you unify people, they are devout because they are promised eternal salvation, etc.

mycat 9y ago

>One thing that kind of blows my mind still is how the engineers I work with (some of the best most logically discerning minds) can believe in religion. Be like the inmates in the US who had nothing to do in their lives but lifelong learning, then studied every religion, ideology, -ism they can find and then ultimately reverted to Islam. Understanding Islam push your logic to its limits while appreciating its limits (i.e. you cannot understand the unseen/ghaib with mind alone, you need to accept the revealed knowledge). In Islamic theology, both acceptance and understanding of the revealed knowledge (Quran and Sunnah), AND using logic to understand the theology itself, are important. Islamic theology at the basic level is easy, however once you go deeper, things get real tough to comprehend -- you need logic at its best to be able to understand.