religion - cult. In the eye of the beholder ?



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I wasn,t sure where to place this as its not a hot topic nor particularly political but too heavy for general. The message made me stop and think when I saw it. I agree and disagree with the message at the same time depending how I look at it. Either way thought it worth putting up for others to ponder or give their opinion.

What is a religion? What is a cult?  in your opinion, Is atheism a religion or a cult?

Either way you need faith to follow one way or the other, it is called freedom of choice.

I have heard some say atheism is a form of religion but think thats because some atheists have a religious like zeal to denigrate religions of various creeds.

Myself I consider being an atheist as the very opposite of religion. Belief in a god who cares, punishes and will ultimately judge people at the end of days.

 I think the consideration of religion and sect to be one of perspective and what has gone before. The Davidian cult in Texas for example. Then you have established religion which has had revelations in the abuse inquiry which blurs the distinction of which has more merit or for that matter derision.

I just thought the message or definitions in the pic warranted thought.

To the best of my knowledge a cult is something started by somebody with the motive for profit or deceiving people for their own benefit or gain, or perhaps merely the work of a sociopathic madman capable of manipulating others into his fold, but religion has existed throughout thousands of years of culture and has given people a way to approach “morality” in life, and whether we believe it to be true or not we should respect the good it has done and not the wars caused in its name (taken from debate.org)

I have only ever heard a few scientists tongue in cheek describe atheism as a “religion”. As far as I am aware,the only common thread that ties all atheists together is a lack of belief in gods and supernatural beings..

Agree 

Perhaps you should have put this topic in Dilema's Geomac as you seem in quite a Dilema as to what your own opinion is on your own topic.

I can't figure out what point you are trying to make.

I know what you mean Geo. It makes a lot of sense but can also be questioned at the same time. For example, Scientology is cult like but it's not small and not a religion although it behaves like a religion. The captions do invite lots of pondering.

Geomac you are a strange Atheist , 

the only thing Atheist have in common is that they don't believe in a God. 

Just like some religious fanatics you have athiest fanatics....... Is it easier to believe we {Life} is here by accident, such as  a big bang, or that we are here for a reason. Either way is beyond our comprehension. So we believe what we want to..  what actually is life? we are on a living planet full of life, is it all really an accident? a strange sort of accident then, it brought life.

Why do you say the Big Bang was an accident ? It is no more an accident than any other phenomena in nature...

Seth,

I do not ponder too much on the whys and wherefores.

I marvel at life in all of its manifestations and tend to just accept it as it is.

I am not too sure there is an answer there for us to know. If there is, possibly best we do not know, as I think we lack the wherewithal to handle such knowledge.

SD

SD that is it, we do not know, but knowledge comes to those that seek, either to strengthen their faith or to strengthen their unbelief, it is through experiences, or lack  of them that forge our characters.

Well you guys might be happy to dwell in ignorance but I'm not. I will follow mans investigation of nature as wherever it takes us....

Agree with you Pete when you say " I will follow mans investigation of nature as wherever it takes us". I confess to being a ponderer and someone thirsty for knowledge.

 


Pete/Ray.. you both amaze me with your thinking, so you both will swallow what is put out as man's investigation of nature, man's investigation of anything is governed by his own thinking and imagination, so it is flawed, no matter how we want to believe in what they say, how mant things in the past discovered, accepted, and then found to be false? An agnostic is more honest in their thinking, They wait for proof before acceptance . Who are the ignorant ones?

It's glaringly obvious Seth you don't quite understand what Pete is trying to get across, perhaps he did not fully explain it, however I got his point.

Nothing he said suggests anyone is swallowing what is put out there. I have no clue what you are on about, and have no idea why you should refer to anyone as "the ignorant ones". There is no need to attack anyone's views, just put forward your own and people will or won't take what they will from it...

Ray  as you seem to be more intimate with Pete's post, suggesting I am limited in understanding Pete's english where he states that both SD and myself dwell in ígnorance! then you, out of not quite understanding what Pete said, jump in with your sensitivity hurt.  I would suggest you read the posts again, with an open mind and see I am 'replying" plus what I am replying to...

I am not too sure there is an answer there for us to know. If there is, possibly best we do not know, as I think we lack the wherewithal to handle such knowledge.

SD

guys my reply was in response to shaggers Post ...where I have the opposite view and a thirst for knowledge ...sorry I said ignorance should have said apathy perhaps ...

Seth, I did not mention the word "ignorant" anywhere, so why include me in your description of calling someone ignorant???? Apology forthcoming???

Ray.... On reading how upset you were that I had included you, re the word ignorant'' Yes an apology is due, but on thinking, it isn't enough punishment for such a dastardy accusation, so I went out to the back, grabbed a large brush and started belting hell out of myself, only to discover I had picked up a stray cat, which wasn't too happy, I hope you accept my infringement into your courageous outlook on life! as a simple error of judgement on my part, I hope you do not ignore this as it could be misjudged as, dare I say it, ignorance.

Pete and I ,have often been at loggerheads, but after he sees my logic he has the decency to always back down..

Seth, I am so glad to learn of the loving relationship you have with Pete, that's what I like to see - Christian brotherhood.

It also warms the cockles of my heart to hear that you practise the Christian tradition of self flagellation 

Thank you for your apology which I do accept as a mark of Christian brotherhood...

Seth is quite right I have great respect for my elders..,,

Pete,

Yes you are right I should get out more.

SD

Pete,

I just went out but it was too cold so I came back in again.

I shall remain inside and uneducated for today, contemplating my navel and the lint therein !

Tomorrow I shall venture out again and explore the meaning of life, if the weather is more benign that is. For now navel gazing will have to fill in for my lack of erudition.

Take it easy.

SD

Aw Shaggers I am sure you will find the meaning of life IN your navel ...

Maybe the meaning of Life is to found in Navel Semen . Hope I got the spelling right..,

"religion - cult. In the eye of the beholder"

Why do people close their eyes when they pray?

Viv, Can't say I really know that answer but will have a guess.

When you talk to another person you usually look at them but talking to a God or a spiritual being who is not in view becomes a personal conversation which may require concentration and thus some may wish to close their eyes to do so.

Others of course will have a different opinion.

Custom. We were all taught one way or another that eyes had to be shut to pray in a church. I think it's nonsense. Eyes don't need to be shut to commune with whatever one thinks god is.

Viv,

I used to close my eyes in church and have evil thoughts about the pretty girl in the pew across the aisle from me.

All the while maintaining a pius, innocent and rapt expression upon my youthful countenance.

SD

IMO all organised religions are a farce and a money making racket and with all the dreadful things that have been done –and still are under the name of  “Religion”    I am not an Atheist I am an Agnostic,     I have read the Bible and there are some bits in there that are quite amazing and have come to pass and proved right,  ie – Snakes are deaf / the earth  hangs on nothing in space – or some such words – many other thing also etc etc.   I also wonder at Nature and how darn perfect it is and how the things MAN has “invented” have all been copied off Nature and still are.   

Agnostics are having a bob each way..

Yes they are Pete because IMO NOTHING has been proved one way or the other, seems nature is just too perfect to have happened willy nilly, like having an explosion in an ink factory and making it into an encyclopaedia, does ANYONE really know if it was created or just happened with the big bang?

No no one knows Plan B we all have our theories . So in that way we are all agnostic .. 

I was purely relating my remarks to God on which I am an atheist ...

Your point about the explosion in the ink factory and making it into an encyclopaedia is one current theory in regard to Multiverses . In that there are so many universes out there that anything that can happen will ..

Yes Pete I am sure we have NO idea what out there nor where it came from

Man's knowledge of the universe could be aligned to that of an insects knowledge of mankind, city's, countries, etc.

Ain't that the truth . 

Buckminster Fuller created the “Knowledge Doubling Curve”; he noticed that until 1900 human knowledge doubled approximately every century. By the end of World War II knowledge was doubling every 25 years. Today things are not as simple as different types of knowledge have different rates of growth. For example, nanotechnology knowledge is doubling every two years and clinical knowledge every 18 months. But on average human knowledge is doubling every 13 months.  According to IBM, the build out of  the “internet of things” will lead to the doubling of knowledge every 12 hours.

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