That is not how this works.
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51% of Canadians believe religion does more harm than good (up 7% from 2011)
- Thread starter Zombie James
- Start date
That is not how this works.
legacyzero
Banned
Since when do Atheists claim to be a religion. Any prominent Atheist I know would fight you for saying that.
Or at least be intelligent enough a species to let Science and Religion co-exist
Betterment of mankind and all that.
bonesmccoy
Banned
Oh, duh.
Infinite Stars
Member
I'm not sure how I really feel about this, being Religious and Canadian. It's not like the greatest non-PM we've had was a devout Christian before entering politics, though I'll be the first to admit that the past 50 years has seen an uptick in Conservative aligned Christians that use faith as a weapon to justify their bigotry (See those who wanted to reject the Syrian refugees).
I mean, yeah, I'm all for it being a decision of your own (free will and all), but I'm just not sure I can get behind the "Oh you're religious let me lose all respect I have for you" belief.
I mean, yeah, I'm all for it being a decision of your own (free will and all), but I'm just not sure I can get behind the "Oh you're religious let me lose all respect I have for you" belief.
TimeEffect
Member
What's really hilarious is that Catholic school students are some of the most anti-religious peeps there are.
Hard not to despise religion when so many nut jobs believe in interpretations that harm the world. You can only hear "but it's not a true interpretation!" so much until you realize that a lot of the text itself is horrible and backwards.
Hard not to despise religion when so many nut jobs believe in interpretations that harm the world. You can only hear "but it's not a true interpretation!" so much until you realize that a lot of the text itself is horrible and backwards.
LeroyPantwether
Member
Huh?
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
Non-specialty hospitals tend to be municipally owned or affiliated with universities, or are non-profits, as far as I know. Nursing homes are of all types, but tend to be run by big companies. Soup kitchens are usually non-profits funded by different levels of government and private donations. We've got the Salvation Army, but that's really the only prominent religious organization, and even then they're only low key religious.
pretty much... religion infect so many fields. it is not restricted to after life matters
For some reason I thought it was actually the opposite, and religion was a growing force in America. It certainly is politically. But I have no numbers to back this up, only what I see and hear in the Not Fake News, But 100% Real News Media like Fox or Infowars, which tend to be louder and easier to notice than Fake News Mainstream Media which doesn't shout as much.
You Are Viewtiful
Member
Only 13% lose respect for someone one they find out they're religious.
He's not entirely wrong. Atheism is a belief.
~ Zyzomys ~
Member
Is this a joke post? Harper was the first Canadian PM to end a speech with god bless Canada. Or his proposed "barbaric practices law". As Canadian and a Quebecer, I could never vote for a political party led by a person who wears their religion on their shirt sleeves.
TimeEffect
Member
I dont really sympathize with religious people who expect to be treated seriously based on their incredibly bizarre and morally questionable beliefs, after they've had the upperhand on oppressing people for centuries.
I still hear churches bashing secularism and painting non believers as immoral.
killer rin
Member
Seems to align with the people I know. You are free to believe and practice whatever religion you want, however you want... In private. However if you are trying to force your beliefs on others or hinder the progress of humanity/society in any way, my respect for you will plummet.
If something happens politically and your only argument for or against it is "Because Religion" your argument officially holds no weight.
If something happens politically and your only argument for or against it is "Because Religion" your argument officially holds no weight.
A belief or even a lack of belief is not a religion.
JordanN
Banned
I was actually thinking about this today.
It's about why does religion exist. My personal interpretation is that religion is a by-product of culture. Wherever humans settled down, and establish a small group of people to share stories with, that's how religion was made.
You see this a lot with Christianity. Mormonism for example, is connected to Christianity in name, but it's really just a bunch of Americans who decided to settle down and found the state of Utah together. I wouldn't ever try connecting the dots to how does this Joseph Smith guy somehow know Jesus when the two continents they both lived on are distant from each other.
When it's not religion, humans will find something else to rally around and dedicate their life to. Korea was never always this scary warzone divided by communism and capitalism. It was only when Kim il Sung rose to power and founded his country did all of North Korea view him as a god.
For my atheism, the only thing I rally behind is actual stuff I like. I'm not interested in the story of gods to the point I want to worship them. If there's anything I would ever worship it's art or games.
yanipheonu
Member
I'm actually skeptical of the religion does more harm than good idea.
it tends to ignore that many of our moral systems or even parts of our language stem from religious ideas. Some would argue morality necessitates religion (I wouldn't go that far though)
And while I sympathize with those harmed by the undoubtable evils of religious organizations, religion still remains an incredibly important part of people's lives. You could argue MLK or Ghandi don't do what they did without religion.
Mostly I have a hard time envisioning humanity without religion. That isn't something you just mandate away or ban. Far as I can tell we're basically stuck with it.
it tends to ignore that many of our moral systems or even parts of our language stem from religious ideas. Some would argue morality necessitates religion (I wouldn't go that far though)
And while I sympathize with those harmed by the undoubtable evils of religious organizations, religion still remains an incredibly important part of people's lives. You could argue MLK or Ghandi don't do what they did without religion.
Mostly I have a hard time envisioning humanity without religion. That isn't something you just mandate away or ban. Far as I can tell we're basically stuck with it.
Not quite. Atheism has different strands which is more of an absence of belief rather than an opposing belief.
Also religion itself is a structure designed to extract power, money and influence from followers of a belief... not a belief itself.
paperboywriter
Member
Number is still far to low.
killamajig
Member
Gnome Scat
Member
Well the benefits of Religion have already taken root in Western society. Regardless of whether you were raised religious or not, their teachings have been passed down for generations. Without religion, we might not be living in the world we are today, and although we are now living in a post-theist world where the harms of religion now outweigh the good, it is still important to recognize what religion has done for us as a society and to not dismiss it as a complete evil.
Considering how many people I know who went to catholic school and are virulently opposed to religion... Maybe that's why? Catholic schools are pumping out atheists.
I will say I've seen a rise in the amount of people who believe in Astrology over other religions though. Which is worse to me because its entire basis is in discrimination.
I completely agree with this. It's only when evil people realize how useful religion can be to get people to do evil things without feeling bad about themselves that things go sour very quickly.
Religion always seems to be the go-to device for some people to use if they want to do something that would be considered bad, but don't want to feel bad about themselves for doing it. So they find some way to attach it to religion so that people can "have their cake and eat it too," of acting a horrible way that they've been suppressing. Now, with religion as their excuse, they can say, "Hey, it's okay now, God's on my side, I'm actually being heroic now when I do these awful things and no longer have to face my conscience, or wonder if I'm going to heaven after this, and I still get to hurt people who've never actually done me any wrong, but... exist! Religion is fantastic!"
TheBryanJZX90
Member
Sure they can. Japan for example isn't religious on the whole, and even among those that are religious it's seen as a personal thing and not something to proselytize and hold over others. But Japanese people are still great at othering others and discriminating, lots of the same bad effects as religion.
Gunblade47
Neo Member
With this rise in the extreme right and ISIS both bending the prominent religious beliefs of their communities to fit their narrative of hate and supremacy I honestly can't say that I disagree.
I do subscribe to the idea that even if religion didn't exist the masses would still be misled through other means. It's happening today and it has happened to other secular societies throughout history as well.
Not to be too eye-rolling but I think the problem lies with organized religions that basically turn into hive-minds of whomever is in charge of it. Not to the average person finding personal strength in a belief in some divine being or peace once they move on from this life.
I do subscribe to the idea that even if religion didn't exist the masses would still be misled through other means. It's happening today and it has happened to other secular societies throughout history as well.
Not to be too eye-rolling but I think the problem lies with organized religions that basically turn into hive-minds of whomever is in charge of it. Not to the average person finding personal strength in a belief in some divine being or peace once they move on from this life.
Infinite Stars
Member
Lol at the idea that Atheism is a religion(it's not) or a belief(it's the lack of a belief). Like, seriously, please at least understand these two things.
Lose respect based on how they act/what they actually think, not what they profess to think.
Ideally, it'd be actions that let you judge someone, but instead everyone wants to jump straight to tribalism of "X is bad, Y is Good".
Some of the kindest people I've met were Religious, some of them were staunch atheists. Some of the most bigoted people I know of are Religious(Thanks WBC) and some are Atheists(Thanks "Rationals" on YouTube). I just think judging someone based on something as broadly interpreted as faith/religion in any form is useless.
That number still seems higher then what it should be, tbh, considering there's some non-religious loons on the Left(the ultra Green Party Voters) who are just as deserving of ridicule.
Lose respect based on how they act/what they actually think, not what they profess to think.
I'm not saying Sympathize with them forever, just that by lumping all religious people as being not worthy of serious treatment is basically what you're complaining some churches do.
Ideally, it'd be actions that let you judge someone, but instead everyone wants to jump straight to tribalism of "X is bad, Y is Good".
Some of the kindest people I've met were Religious, some of them were staunch atheists. Some of the most bigoted people I know of are Religious(Thanks WBC) and some are Atheists(Thanks "Rationals" on YouTube). I just think judging someone based on something as broadly interpreted as faith/religion in any form is useless.
My daughter and all her friends are agnostic, and they went to Catholic school. I'm sure the Catholic school board is uncomfortably aware of the discrepancy, and are just trying to ride things out and stay funded until they're inevitably folded into the public school board.
A big part of the reason Canadians aren't big on religion is because it's not part of our national identity. Some people go to church, and, well, that's their business. Americans, on the other hand, have God & Guns at the core of their national identity.
There's a difference between "I don't believe there is a god" and "I believe there is no god". It's subtle, and difficult to explain, but it's there.
That said, I never said it's a religion, but it is a belief.
You spelled Alberta wrong
OfficerRaichu15
Member
As a guy who attends a Catholic school. This man is right they shove shit down our throat.
ChimpBottle
Member
I think it's important to note how religion over the last few thousand years has played a role in shaping us and giving us our humanity. It gave people a sense of morality before secular discussion ever did, and it also was basically the most fulfilling thing in people's lives for a long time. In the midieval ages, for example, the life of a peasant was quite horrible. You worked from sunrise to sundown, you had very little in the way of art and entertainment, being cold and being hungry was regular. The hope offered by religion, and the anticipation of Heaven was really the only thing motivating these people.
Of course, now it isn't doing us much good. But something to think about.
Of course, now it isn't doing us much good. But something to think about.
Atheism is an opposing belief... Agnostic is the absence of belief (or rather, the belief it's not accessible to humans, so that you have atheist agnostics and theists agnostics, but well...).
(not sure where I stand between those twos, I mostly don't care, so I haven't think a lot about it...)
He was definitely more anti-Muslim than pro-Christian. He didn't put his views out their like Bush or anything. He was about as overtly religious as Trump is, and Trump's basically an atheist who throws out a "God bless" every now and then as an afterthought.
I don't have an expectation that my politicians be atheistic, just be low-key about it. Trump/Harper type stuff doesn't bother me, Bush/Pence stuff does. Even Obama sang Amazing Grace in a church and I was fine with that.
Dice//
Banned
Perfect answer.
The lame "I just want everyone to be happy without fucking others over" is really all I want; even the thread title is "a bit too much" for me in some respect. If you're religious it's fine, just don't think god will take care of your disease or that the environment will get better by someone's will or that gay people doing is destroying the fabric of "human decency".
Religion is fine.
Blind belief and ignorance to things outside of the doctrine and with no ability to question it is the problem.
KernelPanic
Member
I attended Catholic school and graduated from the system and I don't remember any religious classmates. Most of us ended up agnostic or non practicing.
Religion makes everything worse. Whether you believe in it or not it creates a cult like environment where everyone gangs up on an opposite viewpoint or tries to push their beliefs on others. Athiests can be just as bad
I prefer the dont give a shit approach. Believe in it? Sure? Hate Religion? Sure. Who gives a shit just dont tell me what to do
I prefer the dont give a shit approach. Believe in it? Sure? Hate Religion? Sure. Who gives a shit just dont tell me what to do
The thing with the Harper Conservatives was that they were opportunists. The only reason they got elected was because they used the sponsorship scandal to leverage a backlash against the Liberals, who were doing an otherwise competent job governing. When the Conservatives' popularity was going down the tubes they started throwing shit a the wall to see what sticks, and using pro-Christian/anti-Mulism rhetoric was one of those thing they tried. That it actually backfired on them says a lot about our society.
hurricanes
Member
I swear some people never even bother to look up the meaning of words they spill out.
Agnosticism is unknown/unsure of the existence of God.
Atheism is the absence of belief.