MarkMiller

mentor

Religion is one of the major causes of stress in the world today. It was a very helpful part of the social fabric in early human evolution, but today it has outworn it's welcome. Typical falsehoods which religion perpetuates which were good for society in its early days, but are bad for it now would include:

"go forth and multiply" Well this really isn't a falsehood, but it is bad advice in today's overpopulated world.

"the world was created for man to use as he sees fit" Probably an advantageous way to look at the world when the human population was small and humans had to do whatever it took to survive against nature. But it does not answer in today's world where we are changing so many aspects of the earth and it's environment to our peril.

"My way is right, and yours is wrong". This is a basic assumption of all universalizing religions. It is the major cause of war in our age.

I believe we need to evolve past religion in our spiritual evolution. We need to learn to "separate the wheat from the chaff" as the bible says, keep what is spiritually good, and through out what is bad, in all religions, and not accept any one of them hook, line and sinker, just because our friends and family and guys on TV with big churches say we should.

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Now the hard work begins...

disfigured

Yeah that's one that really sticks in my craw too, and I'm not even that big of a greeny. I can imagine is seemed like the religiosly logical thing at the time. Herding of animals for milk was being refined and improved, agriculture was taking off in its second rebirth. Olives and figs from every vine, and oceans, streams, lakes full of fish.

To some credit though there is the beginning of a religious and christian one at that, ecological movement.

Being the center of all creatures only got us filthy water and dirty air, even they can't close their eyes to it. At least not some of them.

If there is a god, it is the greatest gift. This tiny blue ball of life, in what is only known now as a vast sea of voids and poison for the most part.

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mentor

Yeah, they're calling it "Creation Care" I'm all for it, if it helps. But teaching things that are not true as the truth is extremely dangerous, and can be a poison itself, even if done for the best of intentions.

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Now the hard work begins...

Alinea

Are there agnostics and atheists that are "born" out of religions other than xtianity? Otherwise your last question may need to have god defined.

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♥ Aaron Lewis ♥

AuCanada

religion is fascinating to me. Why do some believe this, or that etc. My ideal job would be to teach a world religions class.

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Don't Panic

MarkMiller

I want to follow you on this....but I'm honestly not.

Alinea

Perhaps it's just part of our western culture but in this thread everyone has rejected xtianity. How many people grow up in the faith of buddhist or hindu families and reject it later in life (for example)? Are these religions more adept at growing with the individual? Are the gods more accepting and therefore less alienating to the followers? These are questions, not assertions - I don't know but I am willing to guess mass exodus from "religion" falls on the shoulders of xtianity for the most part.

Then there are those who grow up in xtian homes and find that further review of the rest of the world warrants an expansion of religion. Though I think that is what you were referring to with the phrase "the spiritual way you lead your life." As I became more exposed to the world out there, reconciling the damning (to hellfire, that is) aspects of xtianity in the face of someone "different" from me seemed like lunacy. So I went with complete rejection...until...I'm not sure, exactly. Perhaps it's only familiarity that beckons me but I do (once again) find value in xtianity, though not in a narrow fashion. I cherish synchronicity and "god" will always be the universal mind to me.

Maybe, xtianity just needs to grow up and lose the dramatic flair. After all, christ consciousness is found within, not without.

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♥ Aaron Lewis ♥

disfigured

I think cultures that advance like the U.S will have more rejection because of freedom. Most Americans are Xtains to start so that's where these numbers comes from.

But interesting you should mention what religions might be better and less likely to have rejection.

From what I understand about Muslims it would fit the American life style to a "T". No central authority (worshiping wise anyway). Toss down a mat a couple of times a day, and your all set. Isn't most Muslim's relationship to Allah something individual? I mean yeah there's the Koran, but there's no Popes, Priests, or Ministers right? When statistics show 90% of Americans "believe in god", or "are religious", I know that's not Sunday-going church attending they're talking about. I wouldn't doubt half that number just don't do much of anything but answer "yeah I believe in something".

America's family structure is also blowing apart. Not that it's a bad thing, but it contributes to the decline in attendance. The Catholic Church is closing all kinds of branches in my area. Fairly large and ornate buildings with 20 bluehairs in them just doesn't add up on the ledger sheet well. Families are smaller too. Your not going to have a rise in the standard of living in the middle class (the majority of people), and have them still stay "at home", like it used to be. It's just a mechanism/side affect of success.

We don't live in the 1up 1down two family homes for generation after generation anymore (urban situation). Blame the suburbs, the car, a high standard of living or whatever, but it all contributes to the lack of attendance at traditional faiths. Kids take off and live their lives at the behest of their own parents now. As much as some like to blame the kids (now adults) for not sticking with their parents and "putting them away". It was those very parents that started the idea of the separated kin/parents set up. The told them to go live the American Dream, which they worked hard to provide them (better then their lot in life), and they never came back. They got homes across town, in the suburbs, or in other cities.

That isn't how other countries operate yet.

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Vicariously I

The reason is simply that we have access to more information. Maybe that is changing to a degree but for a very long time the western world has been far "ahead" of other cultures in regards to education and access to information.

Facts, information and free thinking are religions enemy. But fear is strong and despite all we know people will still turn to God and not for the reasons they think. Most will say it's because of God and what he/she represents but in truth they turn to God out of fear of death and what will happen to them when they die.

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"It's hard to face reality when you're busy living in the American Dream."

Vicariously I