problems with religion

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I get very angry whenever I hear conversations or see practices that have some relation to religion.

Ever since I watched a Nova episode on evolution, I have believed that religion is fake. I found the episode's facts to be legitimate. It made me believe that there was no god and that practices and rituals with some religious significance were fake.

It somehow came with me to school one day, when someone said "God" aloud. I said to him that there was no god, and we got into a never-ending argument about religion and science. I was sent to the counselor immediately. (Yes, I know it is unlawful to discuss religion in school.)

I have since been "reprogrammed" to react to someone saying "God" aloud. (No, I don't mean this literally.) The code specifies that I yell "He doesn't exist" aloud. Every time I do, the whole room I am in looks and stares at me as if I had committed heresy. Here is the rest of the code:

If everyone.react = True Then
me.yell("There is no god! Need I say more?!")
Else
me.shutup()
End If

Apparently the teacher is programmed this way:
If Me.Hear.WhatIThoughtIHeard = Student401.Yelled Then
Dim x As Integer = New Random(1, 2)
Select Case x
Case 1
Me.Command(Student401, ReportTo.Counselor)
Case 2
Me.Command(Class, Settle)
End If

As with practices, to me they are tedious and unnecessary. For instance, a blessing.

I'm thinking, "Whatever the place is "blessed" with, it's just what it is! What a misuse! And His so-called "presence" is impossible!"

Help me please, I can't stand such talk.

I'm not sure that you need help. You have every right to not believe them and to state your views. You may not make friends with them that way, but at least you will stay true to yourself. Many people wear their beliefs on their sleeve and treat it like a badge of honor. You are welcome to also wear your beliefs as such, in my opinion. Just remember, if they try to quell your beliefs or if people in authority like your teachers or principals treat you worse because of them, then action needs to be taken. Freedom of religion also includes freedom from religion in public schooling environments. They have every right to have their views not be squashed, and so do you. Unfortunately in the US, where I live, Christians like to forget that because they consider themselves king of the hill.

My issue seems to be that religious worship is a social gathering, and as such it presents the usual difficulties. People think I'm weird when I look at things, and I am unsure of the intent of the things being said and done. Is it meant to be taken literally? Is any of this really true? What should I say or do if I think someone may be forgoing unnecessarily the activities to be enjoyed in this world because of it, or possibly using it for something that it doesn't do, or using it as an excuse to mistreat others? The practices and rituals may exist more for social significance than for religious significance.

Maybe you're just supposed to show up and not think so much.

with common sense comes great responsibility. people are stupid trying to change their belief structure will only hurt your head

I don't understand the impulse to become angry. Can you explain your need to attack the beliefs of others simply because they do not correspond with yours? I am not trying to be inflamatory in any way, I am just interested in the elicited response. Why does it anger you for other people to believe in something that you do not?

(If it is relevant, I am an agnostic)

Evolution IS a religion as much as Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, etc. Religion is a belief system that attempts to explain where we come from, why we are alive, and what happens after death. Evolutionism is no different. Many believers in this religion will say that it is based upon science, and to some degree, it is. Each different system of beliefs is ones' worldview.

However, there are so, so many different assumptions made when doing radio and geological dating. Macro-evolution (change from on kind of animal to another) has NEVER been demonstrated in a lab. I used to believe in evolution until I went through Nuclear Power School and learned the actual physics in regards to radioactive decay, etc. Much of what is drawn or inferred about early creatures is from the mind of the artist making the picture. I could go on and on, but the point is that the evolution of one kind of animal from another is in no way proven fact. I could also present scientific, archaeological, cultural, and linguistic evidence indicating a Creator, but even so, I will likely not change anybody's mind.

If you want to believe in the religion of evolution, that is fine. I respect that. However, don't look down at others or think others are less intelligent simply because they believe in a different religion. There is so much information out there that will sway intelligent people to each different belief system. One of my most brilliant science teachers is a Christian. I am not a Christian, yet I respect his religion. I also respect Muslims and Buddhists, etc.
We each need to learn how to respect what others believe.

Last edited by cyberscan on 15 Apr 2010, 12:24 am, edited 2 times in total.

i dont have to pay the church of evolution
im not molested by evolutionary priests

Actually, you do. It is called, "taxes." Here in the Police States of America, tax money goes to preaching the doctrine of evolution. Tax money goes to buying books that thoroughly preach this belief system. It also goes towards paying the preachers of this faith, and yes, some of the preachers (school teachers) do molest children. Evolutionism is the de-facto state religion.

People use every different kind of religion to promote their own desire for money, power, prestige, and sexual gratification. Some Catholic priests use their power over impressionable youth to get sexual favors. Some school teachers do the same. Hitler used the evolution religion to wipe out millions of people, and so did Stalin and Mao Zedong. Radical imams use Islam to get people to do their bidding as well. Bad people use religion to get what they want, and that is a sad fact.

Yep, some Christians do like to foist their beliefs on others and want to suppress the expressions of other religions. I bear witness to this. I also bear witness that the same occurs with Evolutionists, Muslims, Buddhists, etc. When schools at any time seek to explain where we come from or why we are here, they are getting into religion.

Couldn't have set it better myself. Even atheism, in my opinion, is a belief system of sorts. It is based on the assertion that God doesn't exist. It's as much a belief as any organized religion. The only "neutral" belief to me, is agnosticism.

I'm not trying to promote religion. I am trying to promote respect. Some here think from many of my posts that I want to bring religion into the school system. I am actually working to do the opposite. I believe that promoting the religion of evolution in the school system is in fact a violation of the Constitution. If the schools want to teach evolution, then they also need to teach Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and the other major religions as well.

If they want to teach religion in science class, then they need to teach other religions as well as evolutionism. The one reason why the school and university system are graduating so many atheists is due to the fact that they strongly and narrowly promote the teaching of only one religion (at taxpayers expense) and that religion is Evolutionism. When I talk to students about science and the origins of life, I try to present both sides as well as I can. I don't say, "This is how it is." I say, "This is what some scientists believe because....." "This is what other scientists believe because....." That way, known facts can be taught as well as the various interpretations of them.

I definitely agree. I don't think ANY belief should be pushed on anyone. I think people should decide for themselves what they believe and leave it at that. Indoctrination of any belief isn't good. I'm a Christian and it's not like you see me shoving my belief down everybody's throat.

I dislike religion as well. Idk why you get angry when people believe in it though. I have no problem with others beliefs as long as you don't talk to me about it, lol.

Albert Einstein had the very unusual
gift of dualistic and non-dualistic
thinking. "The most beautiful experience
we can have is mysterious" he once
said.

I think that Einstein's ability
and great gift is his message that
"Imagination is more important than
knowledge"

I know myself that when I fall prey
to black and white thinking, ("if one
thought or idea must be right, the
pther must be wrong") I loose something
of fundermental value, my humanity.

I don't believe in god either, and I think I can understand feeling angry, because it kind of chafes me that so many people believe something that I consider irrational and implausible.

But I don't usually react angrily when people talk about religion. It helps me to remember that it's important to a lot of people, so I don't want to upset them or hurt their feelings by openly attacking something that's important to them.

It's kind of like, if I thought someone's mother was a real jerk, I wouldn't say to them, "Wow, your mom is an idiot!" because I know it would be very upsetting to them to hear that. And it's none of my business. It's not my place to say something hurtful about a subject that is so personal.

Sunquan, if you're still reading this thread, I have very simple advice: On the subject of religion, keep your (appreciate the irony here) God-damned mouth shut when you are around non-atheists. I don't care how stupid you think religion is, it is even MORE stupid to think they'll see the light of reason because you shout at them spontaneously. All you will accomplish is becoming "that as*hole who can't even hear the word 'God' without having a fit." Exercise some self control, and you might just have some reasonable discussions on the subject.

By the way, evolution and the existence of God are NOT mutually exclusive, OK?