Good and Bad sides of religion

[haas mark]

Darth Wong,

Funny you should mention the laying of hands on automobiles. In Korea, some folks still bless the family car.

XPViking

Lots of American Catholics still do house blessings, as well. Hm.

[Darth Wong]

Lots of American Catholics still do house blessings, as well. Hm.

Really? You learn something new every day. But that's not as goofy as divine automobile maintenance.

[Joe]

A major glitch in my agnosticism is that I pray for help 1) to win bets and 2) during college football games. I'm ashamed.

[Howedar]

The RCC has a patron saint of automobiles.

[Frank Hipper]

Good- How much of the world's great art and architecture is inspired by religion.
Bad-Extreme belief leads to extreme behavior.

[haas mark]

Lots of American Catholics still do house blessings, as well. Hm.

Really? You learn something new every day. But that's not as goofy as divine automobile maintenance.

Yeah. When my aunt bought her house, she wanted to get it blessed.

[haas mark]

Good- How much of the world's great art and architecture is inspired by religion.

Music, as well.

Bad-Extreme belief leads to extreme behavior.

Strangely enough, sometimes so does non-belief.

[Darth Wong]

Good: religious people are less likely to fear death, and may be more willing to put their lives on the line for others.

Bad: religious people are less likely to fear death, and may be more willing to fanatically sacrifice their lives for some kind of cause, crusade, or jihad (when religious people get extreme, they can really get extreme).

[haas mark]

I'm not sure if its a good thing or a bad thing, but more religious people oppose wars....however, they seem to be less likely to protest.

Bad: Religious people often seem to have a bit less confidence than others as far as large group projects (unless it is bashing someone).

Bad: Religious people tend to have a bit less ability to debate well.

[Darth Wong]

I'm not sure if its a good thing or a bad thing, but more religious people oppose wars....however, they seem to be less likely to protest.

Where did you hear that religious people are more likely to oppose war? That doesn't seem to be the case historically, or today in India/Pakistan, Palestine/Israel, etc. Some sects are very pacifist, but some are also very violent. It depends on the particular religious sect.

[Drewcifer]

On the bad side, however: expecting God to solve problems for you.

True, the flip side of the coin

The difference between acting under the belief of providence, that God will guide you to the best solution, and inaction, under the belief that God alone will solve your problems.

[haas mark]

I'm not sure if its a good thing or a bad thing, but more religious people oppose wars....however, they seem to be less likely to protest.

Where did you hear that religious people are more likely to oppose war? That doesn't seem to be the case historically, or today in India/Pakistan, Palestine/Israel, etc. Some sects are very pacifist, but some are also very violent. It depends on the particular religious sect.

*ahem* Generalizing on my part. Christians (as far as I have noted) tend to oppose war more often. Sorry about that.

[Drewcifer]

Yeah. When my aunt bought her house, she wanted to get it blessed.

THere are similar pagan practices as well. I've seen people have a new house "smudged"; a set of rituals involving the burning of a stick of sage in every room of the house to purge evil spirits.

Western Feng Shui is another example. Red envelopes, mirrors, and crystals, to 'harmonize the energies' of a dwelling.

[The Yosemite Bear]

I tend to take a bit of a middle ground.

I don't get very depressed when really bad things happen, as I believe that it will eventually work it's way out. I take advantage of most every means at my disposal to elevate my problems.

Example, My diabetes, I don't just pray for it to go away, but I do diet, take medicine.

Another example is was when my car broke down seven weeks ago, I made makeshift repairs, and did pray that would hold to gether while I was trying to get to the shop.

[haas mark]

Yeah. When my aunt bought her house, she wanted to get it blessed.

THere are similar pagan practices as well. I've seen people have a new house "smudged"; a set of rituals involving the burning of a stick of sage in every room of the house to purge evil spirits.

That I have never heard of....

Western Feng Shui is another example. Red envelopes, mirrors, and crystals, to 'harmonize the energies' of a dwelling.

Yes, her sister that lives with her wanted Feng Shui done on the house...but its not all the fancies that you say. I can find out from her, maybe, if you'd like.

[Lagmonster]

When I look at the earliest records of human history, I find that faith is older than religion. People seemed to write stories about and talk about gods far earlier than they had organized ceremonies and events to glorify them, and codify morals into 'god's will'. For example, in Sumeria organized religion came into being almost exclusively to justify the power of first the priesthood ruling class, and later the monarchy style of leadership.

So, although it's been somewhat mentioned, I'd say that one of the good things of religion is that it provides - and provided - an effective way of implementing and enforcing a rational code of laws (fear of gods smiting you, etc.).

The bad side is that religion allowed people to enshrine as laws things like the murder of heathens and racial and social class-based hatred.

[Peregrin Toker]

Religion provides morality for those unfortunate people who do noot have their own but then again, religion can be used as an excuse for practically every conceivable atrocity.

[Coyote]

As far as religion starting wars or protesting them, I think that is more of a social angle. Note that many liberal Christians and Jews in the US oppose war, and the liberal Jews in the US actually criticize Israel for actions in the territories (some have even joined Palestinian protesters, although this is very rare). While I have no proof, I'd wager that many of the liberal sects in Europe also have a large hand in anti war protests.

Meanwhile, religious extremists in the MidEast and Asia create the very wars that the western liberal believers are protesting... so it seems to be more social/regional...

[Darth Wong]

I think it's just liberalism vs conservatism. Right-wing Christians usually have no problem with war (see George Bush). Social progressiveness and reactionary conservatism have been at odds for centuries, and religion experiences the same forces.

[Durandal]

At this point, the conflict has turned more into moderism vs. extremism.

[Drewcifer]

Western Feng Shui is another example. Red envelopes, mirrors, and crystals, to 'harmonize the energies' of a dwelling.

Yes, her sister that lives with her wanted Feng Shui done on the house...but its not all the fancies that you say. I can find out from her, maybe, if you'd like.

It depends on what type of Feng Shui one is following. Traditional Feng Shui is more about the harmonious placement of graves and structures, and sometimes the objects in them. IIRC, it is a very ancient tradition from China that started as a way of building shrines and graves that would honor one's ancestors and please the gods.

Western Feng Shui, however, has grown to encompass all sorts of new things. Although some use it primarily for determining placement of things in a house, I have seen some take it to an extreme. Dependent on the placement of your front door, every corner and midpoint has a certain meaning, and you must place objects of certain colors and composition to offset or strengthen certain 'energies'. Things like "metal cuts wood, so paint that SW room an earthtone, not silver".

I admit, I have practiced some minor Feng Shui in my place, and I like the way my place is set up better now, but I didn't go around placing colored ribbons above doorjams and such.

I think this is another example of the whole moderation vs extremism idea. Or more specifically in the case of Feng Shui, the rituals, the process, can beomce more important than the outcome.

Like the Bible. Taken literally, one can justify burning witches, a planet only 6,000 years old, protesting people's funerals, and so on. OTOH, if everyone followed the ten commandments with a bit of common sense, wouldn't the world be a better place? Don't lie, don't steal, don't kill, or as Strowbridge once said "Stop being such jackasses to each other."

[neoolong]

Feng Shui has gotten so damned trendy. It's like the all the Zen of crap too. That's why there is so much extra stuff in it, to make it new and trendy.

[Drewcifer]

I think some of that comes from people wanting solutions rather than methods.

"If I Feng Shui my house, I will be in harmony with the universe, and my life will get better" rather than "If I Feng Shui my house, it will be a more comfortable place to be, and I will feel more relaxed and in a better mood."

Not a great example but it kind of gets my point across.

[haas mark]

Western Feng Shui is another example. Red envelopes, mirrors, and crystals, to 'harmonize the energies' of a dwelling.

Yes, her sister that lives with her wanted Feng Shui done on the house...but its not all the fancies that you say. I can find out from her, maybe, if you'd like.

It depends on what type of Feng Shui one is following. Traditional Feng Shui is more about the harmonious placement of graves and structures, and sometimes the objects in them. IIRC, it is a very ancient tradition from China that started as a way of building shrines and graves that would honor one's ancestors and please the gods.

Western Feng Shui, however, has grown to encompass all sorts of new things. Although some use it primarily for determining placement of things in a house, I have seen some take it to an extreme. Dependent on the placement of your front door, every corner and midpoint has a certain meaning, and you must place objects of certain colors and composition to offset or strengthen certain 'energies'. Things like "metal cuts wood, so paint that SW room an earthtone, not silver".

I admit, I have practiced some minor Feng Shui in my place, and I like the way my place is set up better now, but I didn't go around placing colored ribbons above doorjams and such.

No, she doesn't plan on doing the whole ribbons things. But she is more concerned with the flow of chi (energy), so placement of things int he household is key. Such as, plants go in this corner as opposed to a table and round tables vs square tables vs rectangle tables....gets very confusing.

[Evil Sadistic Bastard]

OK, this is a contentious topic, but could anyone please try to list the good and bad sides of religion? Let's try to keep it from becoming a flamewar; we've had enough of those lately.

Good:

1. Church is a good place to pick up chicks.

Damn straight, boss dude; my church female population is 70% hotties.