Sheep spend their time being entertained. Empowered men and women spend their time creating power and then applying power to accomplish good.
You are racing toward death. Every hour is precious. What will you leave behind when you die? |
You are racing toward death. Every hour is precious. What will you leave behind when you die? |
why should I care?
Good question. It is built into you to care. If you have lost that, then you have lost something precious. If you have never cared, then you have missed out on something.
Religions attempt to answer your question, but I think that the only persuasive answer is that it is your nature to care, and I think that you probably do care, from what I've learned about you. Best regards and thanks for all of the TLC that you've sent this newbie's way.
Thanks.
I'm agnostic.
Preachers, pastors, and priests are just politicians wearing robes.
Exhibit A...all of history.
To have an "on target" view of religion, you need to give equal weight to religion at its worst and religion at its best. Both extremes are remarkable. Focusing on one of the two extremes misses the mark.
Regarding whether God exists, all of our stories about "God" originated with men. Higher Power exists by definition; it is whatever this thing is that contains us and everything we know about. Each religion has a story that puts "Higher Power" into human terms. But it's all just storytelling. So focusing on whether any particular story is true misses the point.
The point of religion is to enable people to make wise decisions and to succeed in life, and the essential key to this is to be unselfish.
Higher Power exists by definition
only if YOU write the definition...I see no requirement.
Reality IS.
That's good enough for me.
Ah, but that's the point. Reality IS whatever it is. But to comprehend reality, we must put it into terms that we understand. And this exercise is forced upon us by adversity, such as during war or famine or when your cherished 13 year old daughter's head is bitten off and swallowed by the local tiger.
Educated or naturally analytically intelligent people can get through life without any religious "story" or belief system, especially if they are lucky enough to live 80 years without experiencing serious adversity. But for 99% of humanity, the story is needed desperately. If you have a 3rd grade education and have spent your life as a slave on a North Korean farm, you need the story just to get through your days and your nights, just to stay alive.
nope.
exactly the opposite.
religion was invented by the ruling class to keep the peasants in line.
That is an important part of the "religion at its worst" part. But focusing on that blinds you to the other important aspects of religion.
You might well have no use for religious myth and ritual and rules. But embracing a biased view of religion in order to justify your rejection of it isn't necessary. If you are a truly "free mind", you won't be threatened by the wonderful "religion at its best" part of the whole truth about religion.
Religion at its best is a very very good thing, and deserves credit for much of the comfort and security that you and I take for granted every day.
To have an "on target" view of religion, you need to give equal weight to religion at its worst and religion at its best.
or...I could just dismiss them all.
I have not more interest in any of them than I do of collecting pet rocks.
Some day I'd like to show you my collection.
I'm with you @everittmickey, all, and I mean all religions, are part of the Matrix to further disempower us and keep us trapped.