Religion
Related: About this forumWhen people discuss religion in general they sometimes speak of theism.
When things get down to brass tacks, though, religious beliefs are non-inclusive. Most religions take themselves to be the only correct religion. The other religions are wrong. It doesn't really matter which religion one follows. That one is the correct one. The others are in error.
And that goes right down to the denomination level. Denominations form after disputes with a parent denomination. There are protestant denominations that believe that Catholicism, for example, is not true Christianity. In fact, some think no branch of Christianity is correct except their own denomination.
And then, Islam, which worships the same basic deity, is either horrible or the only true religion, depending on whether you are Muslim or not a Muslim.
How does any of that make sense? Where is the logic? If an all-powerful, all-knowing deity cannot get its followers to agree, then one has to wonder about those attributes, I'd think. Instead we have warfare and longstanding hatreds. None of that makes any sense at all.
Still, all of the theistic religions think that atheists are wrong. In that, they have common ground. Atheists reciprocate.
![](/du4img/smicon-reply-new.gif)
Doreen
(11,686 posts)I come up each time with the grand conclusion that religion sucks!!
MineralMan
(148,424 posts)I haven't noticed that, really.
thbobby
(1,474 posts)But there is a genetic explanation for altruism. The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins explains that when Survival of the Fittest is considered in reference to genes as well as individuals, altruism is selected for.
MineralMan
(148,424 posts)Without it, humans would never have survived to overpopulate the planet. It's the underlying principle of reciprocity. I help you. You'll help me. We can survive that way. Early humans who didn't have that impulse did not survive to reproduce.
It could have evolved from the maternal instinct that most mammals and many other animals exhibit. We can't survive infancy and childhood without help. So, that instinct evolved out of the necessity to survive and reproduce.
Those organisms that had it survived to reproduce. Those without it did not.
Nothing to do with religion, which developed much later.
Major Nikon
(36,917 posts)...while simultaneously denying responsibility for anything that's negative. Kinda funny how that works, but fortunately humor is a gift from Jesus.
Doreen
(11,686 posts)I think that all of the people who claim to be helping others because of their religion would be the type of people who would help others even if they did not have a religion.
It is amazing that all of these religions are "supposed" to teach love and acceptance but that is the last thing they have.
MineralMan
(148,424 posts)I'm speaking of religion in general, though.
Doreen
(11,686 posts)as I said the people who do those beneficial things are the type who would have done those things without religion. I know many people ( including myself ) who do not have any religion guiding them to help.
My mothers church feeds the homeless one Saturday a month and I help on that Saturday despite the fact I do not belong to the church. There are other groups that feed on the other Saturdays and they are not church groups. I also do other occasional volunteering with the other groups if they fall short and need help without religious bases for the help.
MineralMan
(148,424 posts)I agree that it's not the religion. It's the individual people.
Doreen
(11,686 posts)talk to the homeless. Yes, some of them may be scary but usually that is because for some stupid reason they can not get the mental health help that they need. Most of them are really nice people and you can learn a lot from them.
Major Nikon
(36,917 posts)Organized religion skims right off the top by fleecing the flock. When one considers all the resources wasted in the effort which could go to actually helping people, you start to understand the charitable part is really more of a PR move intended to convince the weak minded to part with their resources. It's estimated the Mormon church only gives about 1-2% of it's multi-billion $ take to genuinely charitable causes and the RCC isn't far behind.
Major Nikon
(36,917 posts)What differentiates organized religion with atheism is the profit motive. Organized religion is a business that has no shortage of competition. The market strategy of that business generally relies on the denigration of the completion coupled with the conveniently unverifiable promise of reward and punishment.
MineralMan
(148,424 posts)Not worth the trouble, and atheists aren't generally joiners anyhow.
Major Nikon
(36,917 posts)Even if there were it's hard to compete with a business model that collects money while offering nothing material in return.
MineralMan
(148,424 posts)"So, whatchu got?"
"Zip. Nada. Zilch."
"Seeya bro!"
Major Nikon
(36,917 posts)![](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5890b601ebbd1a33c537f1b2/589de926197aea0ba4c1216d/589de927db29d6783380271d/1486744089475/Comforting-Lies.jpg)