Quote Originally Posted by Ganj
How can something so vital to our species be a lie?
and why is it vital? it seems that we have made it so. aside from its moral teachings, most of spiritual ideology deals with things other than the day to day business of living. it concerns itself with our origins and our destinations and does so at the cost of our one great gift - logic. logic in the abstract seems to be all that separates us from the rest of creation and to abandon it seems such a waste.

how can it be a lie? why should it not be? the dogmas we grasp so greedily seem nothing more than a short-cut to the answers our logical minds push us toward. the creation of the universe, the design of the universe, our place in the universe; these are all questions for which most of us will never have answers. they are the ultimate questions and they are totally beyond our understanding. religions have always given us an easy answer and a way to feel more in control of our reality. for some, any answer is better than none.


Religion is not some grand scheme to coerce you into submission. And those who think that need to realize they are submitting to a more subtle evil without even knowing it.
isn't religion all about submission? giving over control of your destiny to the whims of magical beings or forces seems the ultimate form of submission. the creation of god figures (kings and emperors, as well) allows many to deny responsibility for the directions of their society and follow a predetermined path without having to think too hard about the reasons behind their actions.

good and evil are the constructs of a society attempting to control its own mad urges. is there evil in recognizing the transgressions of the church? is it evil to live a righteous life outside of the blessings of religious hypocrisy? is it evil to see the unjust elitism inherent in most religious institutions and deny the power of fairy tales over your life? i know that our religious members here will claim that there is no elitism and that their deity's blessings are given freely to all who submit to its omnipotence and perform the necessary rituals. isn't that statement alone proof enough of the true nature of their faith?