What is the purpose of religion

[dio9]

I hope to learn something here, what you think.
My thought is the purpose of religion is to bring ones own life into harmony with the will of God. Agree or disagree .
Curious what you think , believer and atheist .

[John Human]

I hope to learn something here, what you think.
My thought is the purpose of religion is to bring ones own life into harmony with the will of God. Agree or disagree .
Curious what you think , believer and atheist .

Religion was invented as a means and a justification for controlling people. If you can get people to believe you speak for a god, then they will probably do what you demand from them. This way you can attain political power, wealth, and sex.

Perhaps it is better to say that religion gets CORRUPTED as a means of controlling people, and making sure that the flock of "true believers" continues to make those weekly ten percent payments. However, cynicism aside, every religious/spiritual movement has to deal with practical necessities involving money, just ask Judas. The proverb doesn't say that money but rather the love of money is the root of all evil.

A religious impulse is part of both individual and social human nature. As I see things, the natural purpose of religion is to facilitate the moral maturation of the individual (with a special focus on the teenage years) so that divine love shines through the individual and into the surrounding community.

[dio9]

[Replying to Clownboat]

If my memory serves me well , Jesus said his kingdom is for the living , not the dead.

[William]

[Replying to post 45 by dio9]

"so all religions - by simply existing - are evidence that GOD exists...is that what you are claiming?"

I wouldn't say it that way.

The fact that theists exist, is one piece of the puzzle which goes toward evidence that GODs Exist.

humans have an inherent desire to reach for what we call God. Humans in societies have a need for an absolute moral authority to organize around.

Because why? Human Laws can be corrupted? Perhaps, but then so do supposed Laws from GODs. Organizing ones Tribe around the idea of "an absolute moral authority" has proven consistently to be problematic. Likely there is no such thing as "an absolute moral authority". "Near enough' seems to be the best Humans have in this Matrix Reality.

[William]

[Replying to Clownboat]

If my memory serves me well , Jesus said his kingdom is for the living , not the dead.

Yep. That rings bells with metoo.

[Clownboat]

[Replying to Clownboat]

If my memory serves me well , Jesus said his kingdom is for the living , not the dead.

I'm sorry, but if you were making a point, it was lost on me. Why did you take the time to type these words? Were you attempting to address a post of mine?

Either way, we have no writings or words from a Jesus. Just stories written about him mostly by unknown authors at unknown times. How would that make Jesus an authority of some sort anyway?

[Tcg]

The fact that theists exist, is one piece of the puzzle which goes toward evidence that GODs Exist.

The fact that theists exists shows one thing and one thing only. Some people believe god/gods exist.


The only puzzle is why people believe such absurdities.




Tcg

[William]

[Replying to post 54 by Clownboat]

Either way, we have no writings or words from a Jesus. Just stories written about him mostly by unknown authors at unknown times. How would that make Jesus an authority of some sort anyway?

As a Theist my answer would be that I can consider words attributed to Jesus as being an 'authority' of the sort which helps me understand the fact that theism exists at all. I am one of the reasons that it does, because I am remaining a Theist and see no reason not to.

In that, there are many entities throughout history who have offered the world their point of view, both in spoken and in written form, and these too are very useful for me as a Theist, and are thus also an 'authority' of the sort which helps me understand the fact that theism exists, that I help it to continue existing, and that no GOD is to be overlooked in the proces of my journey as an individuate consciousness awareness experiencing the Reality Matrix of this Universe, Earth Specifically.

[William]

[Replying to post 55 by Tcg]

The fact that theists exists shows one thing and one thing only. Some people believe god/gods exist.

Exactly one of my points and why I remain a Theist. The fact that their are so many different pieces to this Theist puzzle which exists, adds to the whole flavor of the experience of looking for and finding GOD.

In those details.

The only puzzle is why people believe such absurdities.

What 'absurdities'?

I specifically refer to my position as THEIST because I believe that this Universe is the creation of a Conscious, self aware, intelligent, curious, capable, Entity... ...generically referred as a "A GOD" - and in some Theist circles - "THE GOD".

Absurd or not, The Universe Exists.

No person ever has yet convinced me that I should abandon my Theist belief because they have shown me evidence that an entity did NOT create this universe, or that the entity DOES NOT exist.

I would consider it an absurd action on my part if I were to abandon my belief simple because there is no evidence of the Artist, while there is of the Art.

The Artist provides me the evidence in the Art. If I cannot see the Artist therein, it would be only because I haven't been looking or simple deny what it is I am seeing...and call it "Absurd" even.

That is not the path I choose to wander down. I like my life experience served hot and spicy in awesome appreciation of the Living Art I Am inside of.

[dio9]

[Replying to post 54 by Clownboat]

Interestingly Jesus Socrates Buddha have an influence on the morality and behavior of most of the population. I just read the Bhagavad gita last week and well Krishna didn't write anything either. Some people even say Moses didn't write the Pentateuch or Homer the Iliad, or even Shakespeare the plays. To say Jesus didn't write anything is a weak argument.

[Clownboat]

[Replying to post 54 by Clownboat]

Either way, we have no writings or words from a Jesus. Just stories written about him mostly by unknown authors at unknown times. How would that make Jesus an authority of some sort anyway?

As a Theist my answer would be that I can consider words attributed to Jesus as being an 'authority' of the sort which helps me understand the fact that theism exists at all. I am one of the reasons that it does, because I am remaining a Theist and see no reason not to.

In that, there are many entities throughout history who have offered the world their point of view, both in spoken and in written form, and these too are very useful for me as a Theist, and are thus also an 'authority' of the sort which helps me understand the fact that theism exists, that I help it to continue existing, and that no GOD is to be overlooked in the proces of my journey as an individuate consciousness awareness experiencing the Reality Matrix of this Universe, Earth Specifically.

I'm sorry, but you being a theist does not actually make Jesus an authority. That's not how it works.

That you are a theist, is not in question.