The year 2012 info

[Raven]

Religion is the basis of a society so. I mean, it is not always the basis, but what becomes the belief system is then the religion by definition, and thus all societies have a religion. The lack of religion is a religion in the sense I am speaking.

I'd... Rather not refer to the fact that I don't believe in a religion as a religion in itself. That word makes me feel dirty.

[Clavin12]

I prefer faith, but it doesn't matter what you call it.

[mrtwosheds]

All human society's/cultures/tribes etc have extelligence, a communal intelligence, knowledge that grows as that society grows. Each society's extelligence develops a unique identity, Religion is a part of that, it is encrypted so it can be used to identify members of that society to each other and to identify outsiders, by their lack of comprehension of it...By definition It must be wrong, a religion that was correct would be useless, anyone with a bit of common sense could infiltrate a tribe if their religion was based on common sense.

So the moon is made of cheese, its was given to man by a giant star goat, who will one day return to graze on the souls of the lost, with its children... and anyone who cannot name those child star goats is not one of us!

Its all a bit of very useful and harmless fun, until it goes wrong, and becomes more than a story that is taught to the tribes children, when it becomes The Reason to invade and murder the tribe on the other side of the mountain.

[iron maiden]

I agree with mrtwosheds in that every society has its own way of thinking. Each different religion gives insight as to how a culture works. the main monotheistic religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all abide by rules set down by their own "last prophet" in each religion's holy book,[Bible, Torah, Quarn.] the rules in these books, such as Jews being Kosher affects how the society works. the main eastern religions, Buddism and Hinduism are centered more towards a spiritual way off thinking, this affects the country's who follow this religion in a more political sense.

[Mr X]

Its only really struck me lately just how embedded into modern society religion is,

Even the word goodbye is short for "God be with ye"

America is even more religious than we are in Britain though.

Presidents speeches always seem to include "God Bless America", if you said something like that here in Britain you be shot down as a racist.

And on American money it says "In God we trust" (Whereas we've done the complete opposite and put a picture of Charles Darwin on ours )

[TheJamsh]

you'd only be shot down as a rasict because our government is so pathetically weak.

[iron maiden]

agreed

[Mr X]

I disagree, I'm a complete agnostic, and I'm glad I live in a system where religion is not being pushed on me from left right and centre.

[Clavin12]

But this seems to have turned around and is pushing Christianity out.

[mrtwosheds]

But this seems to have turned around and is pushing Christianity out.

It is not being pushed out, it is just failing to adapt to what people understand and need from a religion, In some places it seems to be responding to this by resorting to an even more extremist  viewpoint, Just as Islam is. We are fortunate that its core message is supposed to be one of peace and goodwill, although history shows us that this has not always been so.

[sabrebattletank]

We are fortunate that its core message is supposed to be one of peace and goodwill, although history shows us that this has not always been so.

That is completely false: Where has history shown us that the core message of Christianity has not been one of peace and goodwill?

[VSMIT]

The Crusades, for one.  The Spanish Inquisition, for another.  The Spanish "conversion" of the New World, for a third.  Shall I go on?

[sabrebattletank]

The Crusades, for one.  The Spanish Inquisition, for another.  The Spanish "conversion" of the New World, for a third.  Shall I go on?

None of those were the core message of Christianity.

I bolded that for a reason.

[Mr X]

That is completely false: Where has history shown us that the core message of Christianity has not been one of peace and goodwill?

What about the IRA? Or the KKK?

[sabrebattletank]

What about the IRA? Or the KKK?

core message