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[Sebatianos]

I wouldn't say it's boring...
Yes, religions do tend to teach similar things (at least the basic things are similar).
Religions all try to provide a purpose for life. Try to answer how verything came to be (how the universe was made). Religion also trys to lay out the basic rules on how people should live and treat each other. And religion usually tells you what happens to you when you die. All religions include a devine power GOD (one or several). And everythig that can't be explained by the curent human knowledge (either in the past or now) is said to be the will/plan/punishment of this GOD(s).

EDIT - Thank you Tom for reopening this thread.

[Yobor]

Yes yes,
Three Cheers for Tom!
Hip Hip, arty: Hooray!
Hip hip, Hooray!
Hip hip, :tnx: Hooray!

The strange thing about many religions is that they discourage individual thought. Now, this could be a clever way of keeping members, but isn't that detrimental to the furtherment of the world if people shouldn't think for themselves?

[Stroggy]

Originally posted by Yobor@Mar 12 2005, 08:19 PM

The strange thing about many religions is that they discourage individual thought.

Thats not true, don't generalize.

[Yobor]

How is it not true?
When a church says "You must believe in us or you will go to Hell!!" that is discouraging individual thought. They speak of doubt as a sin, and that "your faith must never waver".
When I generalise, I make it a point to be right

[Stroggy]

Originally posted by Yobor@Mar 12 2005, 09:31 PM

When a church says

see, you are generalizing, there are more religions than the church, you know.

[Lizard]

Originally posted by Yobor@Mar 12 2005, 10:31 PM
How is it not true?
When a church says "You must believe in us or you will go to Hell!!" that is discouraging individual thought. They speak of doubt as a sin, and that "your faith must never waver".
When I generalise, I make it a point to be right

Exactly...
Catholic rel. discourge individual thoughts....
And few others...

[Yobor]

No no no, when I say church I mean any religious body. I am not referring to the Christian church directly. I only say "church" for lack of a better term.

[xcom freak]

Originally posted by Yobor@Mar 12 2005, 09:31 PM

When a church says "You must believe in us or you will go to Hell!!"

I dont recall reading this anywhere.....

I am gonna tell u not to generalise also but not in the same way
If the priest of ur church or the one next to it say so dont generalise on the whole church.

I personaly distinguish religion from Church. example church sayings : condom is bad.... (lack of better example) but religion doesn't say anything abouth that coz there werent any back then.Church is humanity while religion is divine.

Maybe church discourages personal thoughts but religion in itself tells u to look into your '''soul''' for the truth ur own truth.

For the hell thing it got emphasized in the middle-ages when priests sold places in heaven.... it has 0 to do with religion .Devil is temptation that is all that is said in books (the ones i read at least)

[Lizard]

Originally posted by Yobor@Mar 12 2005, 10:41 PM
No no no, when I say church I mean any religious body. I am not referring to the Christian church directly. I only say "church" for lack of a better term.

Well then you are wrong...and yes I agree with stroggy that you generalize it a little.Infact the greater(and more influential) religion the more they discourage invidual thought...

[Yobor]

Well consider this....
If everyone in every religion thought for themselves, there would be no unified religions anywhere, for, there would be no need. The purpose of a "church" is to tell people what to do. People dont want to think, so they will be told by their religious leaders how to live their lives. If people thought, they would know how to live their lives and would not have to be told.