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Man is made is god's image, or vice-versa, in either case religion is always about humans and their deeds. You've rather missed the point if you seek a religio

by w0de0 5y ago

Man is made is god's image, or vice-versa, in either case religion is always about humans and their deeds. You've rather missed the point if you seek a religion not focused on humanity, because in every case religion is an explanation for the persistent mystery of the purpose of our own self-knowledge. If a cosmology does not present a teleological explanation for the existence (and often, attendant suffering) of its followers, it is more a pseudo-science than a religion. Arguably Scientology strays the furthest from "human centered," with an eschatology apparently centered around humans being mere vessels for other beings. But still, this is an apologia for the existence of humanity.

beebeepka 5y ago
Sure, it's about humans. What bugs me is the insistence that nothing else matters which is wrong by default. Does the sun orbit our planet?
- tharkun__ 5y ago
  I've been thinking for a while now about this. Take negotiation or haggling over price. You know you want to pay a max of X, so you offer X-Y and on the other end the same happens in reverse until both sides hopefully reach a Z somewhere close enough to their own X that they agree to make the transaction. You alway ask for something extra in a negotiation that you can give up on or bargain with that doesn't really hurt. If I apply this to population control via religion, your teachings should be about the absolute best behaviours. You burn in hell if you don't behave like X etc. Makes total sense to me as in reality people as a whole will deviate to a certain extent. But by insisting on X, on average everyone arrives at Z. Of course this makes no sense to you or me or other atheists that are perfectly capable of being decent human beings without all the religious mumbo jumbo. But if you were charged with keeping a large populous of all sorts of different people under control, how would you do that? "Reasoning" with them is likely not to yield the kind of results you want, especially if we are talking living conditions of hundreds to thousands of years ago. The trick is to be the high priest, not the sacrifice ;)
  - notsureaboutpg 5y ago
    If you actually lived out your beliefs you wouldn't be decent human beings. As atheists, you believe there are no consequences for your actions in life once you die. So then as long as you can get away with a crime, it would be advantageous to attempt many crimes: tax fraud, theft, etc. As long as you can get away with it, there's no reason to not do it. You instinctively feel bad doing it because it is cheating. But an atheist should not have any moral qualms with cheating. No matter the atheist's choice of personal philosophy to follow in life, those are only personal choices. They don't affect the objective truth that if you cheat in life and get away with it, you'll be materially better off.
- srean 5y ago
  That's not quite true. For example, a standard prayer among Buddhist sects opens with a wish for peace of mind for all living animals, followed by a similar wish for the souls of all animals that have passed. Its only after that they wish the same for all humans alive and dead (technically humans would be subsumed by animals category). The person listening to or chanting the prayer comes last. I found this to be such a welcome change from "me me Me, Hey There, look here its ME" religions. I am not a Buddhist.

by w0de0 5y ago

beebeepka 5y ago

Sure, it's about humans. What bugs me is the insistence that nothing else matters which is wrong by default. Does the sun orbit our planet?

tharkun__ 5y ago
I've been thinking for a while now about this. Take negotiation or haggling over price. You know you want to pay a max of X, so you offer X-Y and on the other end the same happens in reverse until both sides hopefully reach a Z somewhere close enough to their own X that they agree to make the transaction. You alway ask for something extra in a negotiation that you can give up on or bargain with that doesn't really hurt. If I apply this to population control via religion, your teachings should be about the absolute best behaviours. You burn in hell if you don't behave like X etc. Makes total sense to me as in reality people as a whole will deviate to a certain extent. But by insisting on X, on average everyone arrives at Z. Of course this makes no sense to you or me or other atheists that are perfectly capable of being decent human beings without all the religious mumbo jumbo. But if you were charged with keeping a large populous of all sorts of different people under control, how would you do that? "Reasoning" with them is likely not to yield the kind of results you want, especially if we are talking living conditions of hundreds to thousands of years ago. The trick is to be the high priest, not the sacrifice ;)
- notsureaboutpg 5y ago
  If you actually lived out your beliefs you wouldn't be decent human beings. As atheists, you believe there are no consequences for your actions in life once you die. So then as long as you can get away with a crime, it would be advantageous to attempt many crimes: tax fraud, theft, etc. As long as you can get away with it, there's no reason to not do it. You instinctively feel bad doing it because it is cheating. But an atheist should not have any moral qualms with cheating. No matter the atheist's choice of personal philosophy to follow in life, those are only personal choices. They don't affect the objective truth that if you cheat in life and get away with it, you'll be materially better off.
srean 5y ago
That's not quite true. For example, a standard prayer among Buddhist sects opens with a wish for peace of mind for all living animals, followed by a similar wish for the souls of all animals that have passed. Its only after that they wish the same for all humans alive and dead (technically humans would be subsumed by animals category). The person listening to or chanting the prayer comes last. I found this to be such a welcome change from "me me Me, Hey There, look here its ME" religions. I am not a Buddhist.