If love is everything, what is the purpose of religion?

fuzzybuddy said:
As an atheist, what is my interpretation for the purpose of religion?. I think you have to view religion in historical terms. Gods had purposes. We didn't know about the phenomena around us. Gods of thunder, Rain gods, Fertility gods, etc. One by one, as we gained scientific knowledge ,gods were loosing their purposes. We still have one large unknown, and that is death. All religions today are death, and post death oriented. Religion offers a pathway to a perceived afterlife. I see religion as a mixed bag. While most religions are inclusive and benign, their practitioners are not. Zealots throughout history engaged in one long bloody, horrific purge after another.
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I do not support religion of any kind. Religion involves followers who are no better or worse than I am. I don't trust religion to shape my relationship to what I understand as God. God differs by what he is believed to be. For me, is the whole ball of wax, bigger and greater than explanation beyond, beyond, beyond. This is God to me.
The problem in defining God is assuming God is a single entity when indeed God is all. God to me doesn't necessarily need to be called God it is simply a way of identifying a whole lot of things in one name or term. My spiritual relationship encompasses all I believe God is, what God does and will do by my faith alone.
Karma is God happening as I believe it to be.

If you think of God as the total accumulation of everything and everything that happens. About disease, death and suffering is life and nothing more. Life decides who lives, dies and everything else. Life circumstance is determined by our ability to cope.
 

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tbeltrans said:
I don't understand your response, but if that is what you want, I will do that.

Edit: I did say "My personal belief about why people have religion ...", which means that this is only MY belief and does not reflect what others believe. So I don't understand what there is to take offense with. I also stated toward the end that I believe we should each respect the other's beliefs. So this is where I am confused. However, since you wish me to ignore you, we likely won't be continuing the discussion about this particular matter. I honestly do appreciate your warning that our attempts at communicating won't work. Thank you.

Tony
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I am not offended, I didn’t say I was offended. I just don’t understand what you are saying most of the time, and you agree with this assessment of mine. You have pointed out to me several times that I misinterpret your words while you put words in my my ”mouth”-suggesting I was offended when I am not.

If you put me on ignore, and maybe you have already, I can respond to what I think you are saying without having to engage in endless conversations about how I did not understand what you said while you try and prove your point by reexplaining your point to the point of my forgetting what the point is. As I said, I like you, I am not offended.
 
Mr. Ed said:
in the Christian faith Jesus forgives sin thereby purifies the soul for God to live within you.


Supposedly mankind was made in their image. I take that as creating in human form mankind. If God was only good then eating forbidden fruit would not have changed his creation. But as time passed the subsequent or humans that were derived from the 1st. creation were, as pointed out in the bible destroyed by the benevolent god.

Genesis 19 Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

The Lord saw how utterly wicked people on earth had become; every thought was only evil all the time. So God said, “I will destroy from the earth the people I have created. And with them, the animals, birds, and creeping things” (Genesis 6:5–7).


Jesus forgives sin thereby purifies the soul for God to live within you. Either Jesus didn't purify some souls & the violent part of God is present in those that are prone to violence & murder. Or violence & murder is a conscious choice people make not to do with no influence from the supposed source of all mankind.
 

Knight said:
Mr. Ed said:
in the Christian faith Jesus forgives sin thereby purifies the soul for God to live within you.


Supposedly mankind was made in their image. I take that as creating in human form mankind. If God was only good then eating forbidden fruit would not have changed his creation. But as time passed the subsequent or humans that were derived from the 1st. creation were, as pointed out in the bible destroyed by the benevolent god.

Genesis 19 Sodom and Gomorrah Destroyed

The Lord saw how utterly wicked people on earth had become; every thought was only evil all the time. So God said, “I will destroy from the earth the people I have created. And with them, the animals, birds, and creeping things” (Genesis 6:5–7).


Jesus forgives sin thereby purifies the soul for God to live within you. Either Jesus didn't purify some souls & the violent part of God is present in those that are prone to violence & murder. Or violence & murder is a conscious choice people make not to do with no influence from the supposed source of all mankind.
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I think, the majority of people, make a conscious decision. But there are those crimes of passion, even planned crimes of passion, revenge killings and the such. If someone robs a bank and kills someone that’s one issue. If you kill someone who kills your loved one, well, depending on the circumstances, that is a whole different ballgame IMO.
 
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Aneeda72 said:
I think, the majority of people, make a conscious decision. But there are those crimes of passion, even planned crimes of passion, revenge killings and the such. If someone robs a bank and kills someone that’s one issue. If you kill someone who kills your loved one, well, depending on the circumstances, that is a whole different ballgame IMO.
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I don't have an answer regarding the actions of other people. I can only be accountable for myself
 
Aneeda72 said:
I am not offended, I didn’t say I was offended. I just don’t understand what you are saying most of the time, and you agree with this assessment of mine. You have pointed out to me several times that I misinterpret your words while you put words in my my ”mouth”-suggesting I was offended when I am not.

If you put me on ignore, and maybe you have already, I can respond to what I think you are saying without having to engage in endless conversations about how I did not understand what you said while you try and prove your point by reexplaining your point to the point of my forgetting what the point is. As I said, I like you, I am not offended.
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Thank you. I thought I had somehow offended you. I only put you on ignore because you suggested I probably should. However, if I am to put you on ignore, I ask you to not respond to my posts because there is little point in having a one-sided discussion with me not seeing your posts to clarify points I made, as you interpret them. I am not saying you should put me on ignore, because that is your own personal choice to do, or not, do so. I am only asking that you not respond to my posts since I won't be participating in engaging you to discuss what you say about them.

Thank you,

Tony
 
tbeltrans said:
Thank you. I thought I had somehow offended you. I only put you on ignore because you suggested I probably should. However, if I am to put you on ignore, I ask you to not respond to my posts because there is little point in having a one-sided discussion with me not seeing your posts to clarify points I made, as you interpret them. I am not saying you should put me on ignore, because that is your own personal choice to do, or not, do so. I am only asking that you not respond to my posts since I won't be participating in engaging you to discuss what you say about them.

Thank you,

Tony
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It does not work that way. I have someone on ignore who responds to my posts all the time which is ok. I do not mind, but I do not read their responses and I do not respond back to their responses. See, it just goes and on. Do what you want. 😂. I tried. 😂😂😂
 
Aneeda72 said:
It does not work that way. I have someone on ignore who responds to my posts all the time which is ok. I do not mind, but I do not read their responses and I do not respond back to their responses. See, it just goes and on. Do what you want. 😂. I tried. 😂😂😂
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So have I. I have apologized to you in that WWII thread even though there were two of us involved. I have tried to explain and clarify what I said when you would respond. I honestly don't understand what the problem is between us. I don't have this problem with anybody else here, but this problem between us seems to persist, and we have both tried. I am truly sorry it is this way and would rather just get along.

Well, as you suggested, I will put you on ignore, though I honestly wish it didn't have to be that way. I feel we should be able to get past this sort of thing, but apparently, you don't. I am sorry for that.

Tony
 
God, actually JC I think, was to be an example of unconditional love.

The love of most human beings is always conditional. Except for people with Downs Syndrome. They love unconditionally. It is amazing. Such people, who are genetically different from the herd, reaffirm that unconditional love is possible.

Parents have one purpose and only one basic purpose, to love their children unconditionally. Many parents fail at this, some fail horrifically. I suppose this is where religion can and sometimes does step in. Filling a need for acceptance and love in a hard to understand world.
 
tbeltrans said:
Well, as you suggested, I will put you on ignore, though I honestly wish it didn't have to be that way. I feel we should be able to get past this sort of thing, but apparently, you don't. I am sorry for that.

Tony
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It doesn't have to be that way. Ignore the ignore option. It's childish, Tony, and you're not that. Sounds like high school, admit it. You can ignore someone without using that course of action. The way not to take offense is, Just Don't. Sorry to butt in, but I wanted to offer this alternative.
 
I would post my opnion on this topic, but second thought of:
why would i wish to exhibit my ignorance halts such behavior. 🤗:giggle:🤭

Belive it or not, their are those that do not agree with me o_O

Oh, heres a safe opinion, i think: Placing folks on ignore is a juvenile behavior.
 
Pepper said:
It doesn't have to be that way. Ignore the ignore option. It's childish, Tony, and you're not that. Sounds like high school, admit it. You can ignore someone without using that course of action. The way not to take offense is, Just Don't. Sorry to butt in, but I wanted to offer this alternative.
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That’s fine pepper. I was not explaining things very well so please jump in. I like Tony and want to read what he says and want to respond, but it just doesn’t seem to work out well.
 
Pepper said:
It doesn't have to be that way. Ignore the ignore option. It's childish, Tony, and you're not that. Sounds like high school, admit it. You can ignore someone without using that course of action. The way not to take offense is, Just Don't. Sorry to butt in, but I wanted to offer this alternative.
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Thank you. Remember that it was the other party's suggestion that I ignore her. My problem with this situation is that I don't understand it at all. I don't know what it is I am doing to attract such negative attention from this person. I have tried to remain respectful while trying to clarify whatever it is that my posts are so unclear about. If my posts are going to be frequently met with this kind of thing, I feel that just maybe I shouldn't be posting because this sort of thing takes the enjoyment out of what should be an enjoyable visit with others online. Fortunately, I don't have this problem with anybody else here, but why it should happen at all baffles me to no end.

Thanks for your alternative proposition, Pepper.

Tony
 
jerry old said:
I would post my opnion on this topic, but second thought of:
why would i wish to exhibit my ignorance halts such behavior. 🤗:giggle:🤭

Belive it or not, their are those that do not agree with me o_O

Oh, heres a safe opinion, i think: Placing folks on ignore is a junivele behavior.
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It is what the other party suggested that I do.

Tony
 
tbeltrans said:
Thank you. My problem with this situation is that I don't understand it at all. I don't know what it is I am doing to attract such negative attention from this person. I have tried to remain respectful while trying to clarify whatever it is that my posts are so unclear about. If my posts are going to be frequently met with this kind of thing, I feel that just maybe I shouldn't be posting because this sort of thing takes the enjoyment out of what should be an enjoyable visit with others online. Fortunately, I don't have this problem with anybody else here, but why it should happen at all baffles me to no end.

Thanks for your alternative proposition, Pepper.

Tony
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This is getting out of hand as things usually do. I want you to enjoy yourself Tony. I will no longer respond to your post. This should solve the problem. Let’s be done with this now.
 
tbeltrans said:
Thank you. Remember that it was the other party's suggestion that I ignore her. My problem with this situation is that I don't understand it at all. I don't know what it is I am doing to attract such negative attention from this person. I have tried to remain respectful while trying to clarify whatever it is that my posts are so unclear about. If my posts are going to be frequently met with this kind of thing, I feel that just maybe I shouldn't be posting because this sort of thing takes the enjoyment out of what should be an enjoyable visit with others online. Fortunately, I don't have this problem with anybody else here, but why it should happen at all baffles me to no end.

Thanks for your alternative proposition, Pepper.

Tony
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Don't worry about it. Times seems to smooth things over. 🌹
 
Mr. Ed said:
Not purpose, but why religion? Does religion serve a purpose, if so what? As in can similar results be achieved without religion?
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In the past religion certainly served to bind communities together and provide social identity. Today, not so much, but in my little church there is still a sense of belonging that is very similar to kinship. The congregation is the village that no longer exists in a modern city.
 
jerry old said:
I would post my opnion on this topic, but second thought of:
why would i wish to exhibit my ignorance halts such behavior. 🤗:giggle:🤭

Belive it or not, their are those that do not agree with me o_O

Oh, heres a safe opinion, i think: Placing folks on ignore is a juvenile behavior.
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Well, many of us have a child in us.;)And it's perfectly okay..
 
My animosity for church and church leaders stem from my childhood and later in life when I got my license to preach. The problem was they granted me a license to preach, but learned during Deacon’s meeting church leaders never intended for me to preach in their church.
 
Ruthanne said:
Well, many of us have a child in us.;)And it's perfectly okay..
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MATTHEW 18:3

”unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”.

Well, now that I’ve got that nailed, onward to other achievements. I‘ve “miles to go before I sleep.”
🤓
 
Mr. Ed said:
My animosity for church and church leaders stem from my childhood and later in life when I got my license to preach. The problem was they granted me a license to preach, but learned during Deacon’s meeting church leaders never intended for me to preach in their church.
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What is a license to preach? Did you go to seminary or something similar? I have no ideal how my father became a preacher.
 

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