Religion is a detriment to society

[Lauren]

To be honest, I would be extremely depressed if I didn't believe in God, because as you said, none of it would matter. I might end up killing myself because my life would then mean absolutely nothing. If you are going to be forever dead after you die... Well, that means you've got like what, 80 years out of infinity? .1/infinity and 10000/infinity are the same thing... Nothing. If there is nothing after death then in the end your life will have been utterly pointless no matter what you do, and everything is pointless because everything is going to die. You can be like "I guess getting -insert something here (like a pet)- is pointless in your life then because it's going to die", but it's bigger than that. If it doesn't matter then you don't matter.
You can justify people believing in their religion because they do not want to believe this ^^^ if you want, but I do not believe life is pointless.

[munsterpoo]

If we didn't have religion, we wouldn't have any moral compass. Having a moral compass helped society progress. The Old Testament was just like the Constitution for the Jewish civilization, and it served to keep society safe, secure, and orderly, without which the entire culture could've been annihilated. Every successful religion is based loosely on deciding what is and isn't acceptable behavior, and without that, philosophy, science, democracy, logic (which ironically is what now leads people against religion) could never have been explored.

[Chi]

I'm sorry, but have you ever read the old testament? There is nothing moral in there. Its a story about a wrathful and vengeful god saying how men have all the power and women are their property. There is nothing moral what so ever about it.

Also life is not pointless without religion that is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. I live quiet a happy life knowing that I only have this chance to make an impact. That the chance that I was born has to be astronomical odds and that I should be thankful that the event occurred. It is not pointless. Living today means changing things for tomorrow. Of course one day there won't be tomorrow but there are plenty of tomorrows to change. So what if one day you don't do anything significant? There is always the future, some people may choose not to do anything with their lives which is their choice but they had the chance to choose and that is all that matters REGARDLESS is they have a religious conviction that ensures them life after death. The point is that knowing that there isn't thing after death means that people will live life to their fullest because they don't have another chance.... >.>

Life after death is just a scared mans fairy-tale because its impossible to fathom what will happen (besides your brain ceasing to exist and therefore consciousness ceasing to exist).

[Lauren]

Well it's personally pointless to me if it's eventually not going to matter at all.

BTW I don't follow the Old Testament, it defines sin but gives no relief to it. The "Old Law" was "nailed to the cross", I believe Paul said that. I'm not going to follow something that tells me I'm sinning if my shirt is made out of two different materials.
I'm a Christian but I believe I'm also more spiritual than I am bound by something. I do follow the New Testament but the Old was before Jesus.

[gorthalon]

The bible does command you to kill non believers though, as well as adulterers and disobedient children.

Where??? Where does it say that exactly, and what does it say before and after that? I'm not trying to shove my beliefs down your throat. The bible doesn't say to kill disobedient children, but to raise them up as they should be. Children are human, so of course they'll have a sinful nature. That's no reason to kill them. Non believers are human, just like Christians. As Christians we're called to love each other, not kill each other. As Christians we are not called to judge others, as we are imperfect ourselves. "Before you can tell your brother about the speck in his eye, you must first remove the log from your own." Yes religion isn't perfect at all, nor will it ever be. But Christianity is not a religion.

[Chi]

Where??? Where does it say that exactly, and what does it say before and after that? I'm not trying to shove my beliefs down your throat. The bible doesn't say to kill disobedient children, but to raise them up as they should be. Children are human, so of course they'll have a sinful nature. That's no reason to kill them. Non believers are human, just like Christians. As Christians we're called to love each other, not kill each other. As Christians we are not called to judge others, as we are imperfect ourselves. "Before you can tell your brother about the speck in his eye, you must first remove the log from your own." Yes religion isn't perfect at all, nor will it ever be. But Christianity is not a religion.

Uh Christianity is a religion. Actually all religions are religious cults.

And as for the quotes...>..>

Kill Nonbelievers
They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. (2 Chronicles 15:12-13 NA

Kill the Entire Town if One Person Worships Another God
Suppose you hear in one of the towns the LORD your God is giving you that some worthless rabble among you have led their fellow citizens astray by encouraging them to worship foreign gods. In such cases, you must examine the facts carefully. If you find it is true and can prove that such a detestable act has occurred among you, you must attack that town and completely destroy all its inhabitants, as well as all the livestock. Then you must pile all the plunder in the middle of the street and burn it. Put the entire town to the torch as a burnt offering to the LORD your God. That town must remain a ruin forever; it may never be rebuilt. Keep none of the plunder that has been set apart for destruction. Then the LORD will turn from his fierce anger and be merciful to you. He will have compassion on you and make you a great nation, just as he solemnly promised your ancestors. "The LORD your God will be merciful only if you obey him and keep all the commands I am giving you today, doing what is pleasing to him." (Deuteronomy 13:13-19 NLT)

Kill Followers of Other Religions.
1) If your own full brother, or your son or daughter, or your beloved wife, or you intimate friend, entices you secretly to serve other gods, whom you and your fathers have not known, gods of any other nations, near at hand or far away, from one end of the earth to the other: do not yield to him or listen to him, nor look with pity upon him, to spare or shield him, but kill him. Your hand shall be the first raised to slay him; the rest of the people shall join in with you. You shall stone him to death, because he sought to lead you astray from the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. And all Israel, hearing of this, shall fear and never do such evil as this in your midst. (Deuteronomy 13:7-12 NA

2) Suppose a man or woman among you, in one of your towns that the LORD your God is giving you, has done evil in the sight of the LORD your God and has violated the covenant by serving other gods or by worshiping the sun, the moon, or any of the forces of heaven, which I have strictly forbidden. When you hear about it, investigate the matter thoroughly. If it is true that this detestable thing has been done in Israel, then that man or woman must be taken to the gates of the town and stoned to death. (Deuteronomy 17:2-5 NLT)

Murdering Children


Death for Hitting Dad
Whoever strikes his father or mother shall be put to death. (Exodus 21:15 NA

Death for Cursing Parents
1) If one curses his father or mother, his lamp will go out at the coming of darkness. (Proverbs 20:20 NA
2) All who curse their father or mother must be put to death. They are guilty of a capital offense. (Leviticus 20:9 NLT)


Kill Sons of Sinners
Make ready to slaughter his sons for the guilt of their fathers; Lest they rise and posses the earth, and fill the breadth of the world with tyrants. (Isaiah 14:21 NA

God Will Kill Children
The glory of Israel will fly away like a bird, for your children will die at birth or perish in the womb or never even be conceived. Even if your children do survive to grow up, I will take them from you. It will be a terrible day when I turn away and leave you alone. I have watched Israel become as beautiful and pleasant as Tyre. But now Israel will bring out her children to be slaughtered." O LORD, what should I request for your people? I will ask for wombs that don't give birth and breasts that give no milk. The LORD says, "All their wickedness began at Gilgal; there I began to hate them. I will drive them from my land because of their evil actions. I will love them no more because all their leaders are rebels. The people of Israel are stricken. Their roots are dried up; they will bear no more fruit. And if they give birth, I will slaughter their beloved children." (Hosea 9:11-16 NLT)

Kill Men, Women, and Children
"Then I heard the LORD say to the other men, "Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity! Kill them all

[gorthalon]

Ok, so it says that in the old testament, and what about the new testament? When Jesus came down to earth, he gave us new rules to follow, rules of the forgiven people.

[Jole]

I know that religions exist with the purpose of controlling people's life and they are full
of shit, but there is a positive side in religions... I think that it gives people a reason to live for and
some people are only good because of religion

[Chi]

Ok, so it says that in the old testament, and what about the new testament? When Jesus came down to earth, he gave us new rules to follow, rules of the forgiven people.

That isn't the point. My point is, that god was not moral and morality therefore did not come from him originally. Man created their own morals.

Furthermore cherry picking occurs when creating laws today. The most apparent example is homosexuality. There is no where in the new testament where jesus makes a comment on the law where it says homosexuals must be killed from the old testement. Therefore Christians today use the old testament passage to forbid homosexuality and laws surrounding it. Why do they accept a law in the old testament but ignore some of the others? The whole book should be ignored because its full of bigoted, misogynist, hateful, spiteful, wrathful messages.

Jesus wasn't all butterflies and peaches either. Sure he said some good things but it doesn't mean morality came from him.

JESUS ON HELL & BLASPHEMY - Matthew 12:32
"Whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come."
JESUS ON HELL & BLASPHEMY - Mark 3:28-29
"I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin."
JESUS ON HELL - Revelation 21:8
"But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars — their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
JESUS ON PUNISHMENT - Mark 9:42
"And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck."
JESUS ON PUNISHMENT - Luke 17:2 (NIV)
"It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin."

JESUS ON TORTURE - Revelation 9:3-5
"Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man."

PAUL ON NONBELIEVERS AND HELL - 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9
"God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power.

PAUL ON SCIENCE - 1 Timothy 6:20 (KJV)
"O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called."

JOHN ON HOW TO TREAT NONBELIEVERS - 1 John 2:22 (NIV)
Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the Antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.
JOHN ON HOW TO TREAT NONBELIEVERS - 2 John 1 10-11
If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

JESUS, ON NONBELIEVERS - John 15:6 (KJV)
"If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."

AND DON'T FORGET ALL THIS SHIT
PAUL ON WOMEN - 1 Timothy 2:9
"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shame-facedness and sobriety; not with broided [braided] hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array."
PAUL ON WOMEN - 1 Timothy 2:11-15
"A woman should learn [from men] in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety."
PAUL ON WOMEN - 1 Corinthians 11:3
"I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God."
PAUL ON WOMEN - 1 Corinthians 11:9-10
"For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head."
PAUL ON WOMEN - 1 Corinthians 14:34-35
"Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church."
PAUL ON WOMEN - Ephesians 5:22-24 (NIV)
"Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything."
PAUL ON WOMEN - Colossians 3:18 (NIV)
"Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord."
PETER ON WOMEN - 1 Peter 3:1-2 (NA
"Likewise, you wives should be subordinate to your husbands so that, even if some disobey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives' conduct when they observe your reverent and chaste behavior. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes."
JESUS ON POLYGAMY - Matthew 25:1 (NIV)
"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom."

as you can see, the bible is full of shit - created by man for man. What happens to the people in other parts of the world who grew up in a society where Christianity isn't the dominant religion and where Christianity is frowned apon? Are they all going to hell even if they are amazing people? The bible says so. What about all the good people in a place such as North Korea? They're all going to hell (after already living under a wrathful, spiteful, hateful dictator they don't need another).

[gorthalon]

All the torments that you quoted are forgiven if you truly ask for it. That doesn't mean that a person can kill someone, ask for forgiveness, then kill again. You must remember that Eve was created from Adam's side. Not from the head to rule over him, but also not from the feet to be walked over by man. God has perfect morals, most of the time we can't even begin to understand. One thing that we can understand is that God is like the perfect parent. He wants us to be free, which is why He gave us the freedom that we have, and not being slaves. He wants us to obey him, so that we are not hurt. Like a parent would punish their child for disobeying them, God does the same. He wants us to be safe, happy, and free. He doesn't want for us to hate him and say that He is an abomination to the world, but He wants us to have the freedom to do so if we please.