Will religion die out?

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skafather84
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03 Dec 2008, 3:52 pm

Orwell wrote:

greenblue wrote:

"God is Dead" - Friedrich Nietzsche

Nietzsche is dead.

proving something has to exist first before it can die.

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flutter
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03 Dec 2008, 4:14 pm

TallyMan wrote:

Vigilans wrote:

I'm more concerned that religion is a humanity-exclusive issue.

I very much doubt it is limited to humans. I would hazard an intuitive guess that any species anywhere in the universe that starts to develop intelligence will invent a god character. It is a way of making "sense" of various natural events from thunder and lightning to natural disasters. An intelligent creature gets used to the idea that there is a cause for all things. Cause and effect - the basis of intelligence. Where they cannot understand the cause of something they just attach the "god did it" idea.

A god must be very powerful too to cause things like floods and famines. Just looking up into the sky and seeing a bright star (the local sun) is enough to fill one with wonder. Maybe such a thing was made by a super being.

Throw in things like life and death and a primitive intelligence will strive for answers beyond their ability to understand.

It is no wonder all primitive civilisations across Earth invented god in one form or another as a way of "explaining" things around them.

I think the less educated peoples of Earth will hang on to god concepts as long as such people exist.

Read Heinlein's Revolt in 2100 & Methusaleh's Children for an interesting take on what happens when that alien race's God is real. I don't remember which of the two it was in, because they usually come in the same book for some reason.

Back on topic.

I agree, I believe that intelligent life can not develop without the curiousity to ask why, and that curiousity will eventually lead to questions that can't be answered.

Some form of God-head is the probable result, although the forms it could take are plentiful.

Imagine a world in which the god is a trickster, and lightning and nightfall are his tricks on the people.

Imagine crossing that religion with the Abrahamic religions of our world. :0

Imagine a world that believes in the flying spaghetti monster!

ok.... I've gone overboard now.... time to go home for the day.

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03 Dec 2008, 4:26 pm

greenblue wrote:

"God is Dead" - Friedrich Nietzsche

The rumers of my death have been greatly exagertayed-Samual Clemmens

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03 Dec 2008, 4:27 pm

flutter wrote:

I think the first alien race we encounter will shake things up quite a bit.

But, it may not ever fully die out..... there are still people who believe the earth is flat.

My relgion woulnt be shuddered the least if akliens made contact..problly just the reverse

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03 Dec 2008, 6:27 pm

TallyMan wrote:

I fear religion will never die out. Contact with an alien race may not improve things either - especially if they try to convert everyone on Earth to their religion wherein a three eyed, ten tentacled, green alien gave its life a few thousand years earlier in the name of religion.

Quagmolug the ten tentacled son of God gave his life that others may live. Amen.

You must kneel and pray in the direction of the Orion nebula 7 times a day and cross yourself with six of your seven tentacles

... and no playing with your seventh tentacle or you will go blind.

Orwell wrote:

greenblue wrote:

"God is Dead" - Friedrich Nietzsche

Nietzsche is dead.

history_of_psychiatry
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03 Dec 2008, 8:32 pm

Even considering how much I really hope religion dies out it never will. Even if one stupid religion dies out another stupid religion will come to take its place.

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03 Dec 2008, 9:06 pm

Nietzsche is dead - God <- actual obituary title...kid you not...

The masses need opium, and they'll find it anywhere they can...

DentArthurDent
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04 Dec 2008, 2:45 am

Orwell wrote:

Nietzsche is dead.

At least he existed

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04 Dec 2008, 2:49 am

DentArthurDent wrote:

Orwell wrote:

Nietzsche is dead.

At least he existed

Anless he is shared mallutionation...or this is all a dream

DentArthurDent
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04 Dec 2008, 3:30 am

Eggman wrote:

Anless he is shared mallutionation...or this is all a dream

Hallucination?

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04 Dec 2008, 3:33 am

DentArthurDent wrote:

Eggman wrote:

Anless he is shared mallutionation...or this is all a dream

Hallucination?

That too.

Ambivalence
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04 Dec 2008, 4:48 am

It might, if we hit a technological singularity. Might. Religion is the art of might be; there might be a God, it can't be disproven. Any thinking being will always be free to postulate the existence of random unobserved things.

(edit) I think there's an irony in that most scientists would love God to show up and start flinging miracles around. Or ghosts or werewolves or magicians or telepaths or whatever "supernatural" thing you like. Such an opportunity to discover things!

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DentArthurDent
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04 Dec 2008, 4:54 am

Eggman wrote:

DentArthurDent wrote:

Eggman wrote:

Anless he is shared mallutionation...or this is all a dream

Hallucination?

That too.

Thats good I was wondering if a 'mallutionation' was a really nasty hallucination :wink:

Orwell
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04 Dec 2008, 9:03 am

DentArthurDent wrote:

Orwell wrote:

Nietzsche is dead.

At least he existed

"You do not exist." -O'Brien

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04 Dec 2008, 10:21 am

Never.

In one form or another, we will always have religion and religious beliefs. Why? Because, like the overwhelming tendency to form tribes, nations, and other groups, religion and the need therefor is an immutable part of who we are as human beings. Religion and religious beliefs have endured since the very beginnings of recorded history.

Some things change, while other things never change.

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04 Dec 2008, 12:08 pm

Nobody seems to have noticed but religion has died out long ago. Of course people claim they are religious but religions demand people be nice to each other and just look at the world. No, religions just aren't around anymore. (Do you think they ever were?)

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