[Sidders]

Martin Luther King was a christian.

So what? Was it his religion that made him seek racial equality, or was it that he saw that something was wrong with the world and so he wanted to fix it?

A mixture of both I think. I think he he wasn't a Christian he wouldn't have decided that he should make a difference.

Are you saying Jesus is fictional?

Yes.

Even if I wasn't a Christian, I'd still find that hard to believe.

[Mafro]

It's always a good laugh when you get religious folk at your door, can't help but feel sorry for them. There was Mormons invading my street the other week, but luckily they avoided my house after I switched off the lights and went upstairs

[Sidders]

What are mormons?

[Quincy]

like moronic moomins

[Mafro]

I don't know what the religion is about, wasn't really listening to what the guy was telling me, but I think its vaguely like an American form of Christianity, and they always come to your door in pairs. Interestingly one of them was the spitting image of one of the guys from Nip/Tuck.

[MK Chris]

They tried to buy QPR once if I remember rightly.

[Mafro]

What? Mormons buying QPR, are you being serious?

[Console]

IIRC a Morman is another term for a 'Latter Day Saint'. I would tell you more, but everything I know about Mormans either comes from 'South Park' or 'Orgazmo'. which aren't exactly reliable sources, although they are damn funny.

[Mafro]

everything I know about Mormans either comes from 'South Park' or 'Orgazmo'. which aren't exactly reliable sources, although they are damn funny.

Thats the same with me and my knowledge of Jews.

[Mcqueen_]

The nutters would still be there without religion. Religion is an excuse, if we got rid of it - it wouldn't make a jot of difference

If they are fighiting for the 'beliefs' of a religion against another religion, and if the religion/beliefs didn't exist then that is going to make a huge difference.

Hitler couldn't have acted in accordance with the Almighty Creator against the Jews if neither religion existed.

"Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord."

Even Hitler then realised Christianity was wrong.

[Sheep]

Its usually jahovis (sp) witnesses i get annoying me askin me to join their wierd cult where children die cuz they dont like blood transplants...

[Mafro]

Yeah I get them at my door too, usually around easter time, and it's always partonising old women. It's good though caus ethey are always too slow to realise I'm taking the piss out of them.

[Quincy]

2 of my bess friends are jaohvas witness's they are cool.

[Sidders]

You can't say that religion is wrong by using extreme examples like Hitler.

[fish heads]

The nutters would still be there without religion. Religion is an excuse, if we got rid of it - it wouldn't make a jot of difference

If they are fighiting for the 'beliefs' of a religion against another religion, and if the religion/beliefs didn't exist then that is going to make a huge difference.

If religion didn't exisit, then other excuses would be found to fight. Instead of following religious leaders/beliefs, people would follow political leaders/beliefs or find some other outlet and things would continue in a similar fashion to they are now.

[Gaspode_The_Wonder_Dog]

I don't know what the religion is about, wasn't really listening to what the guy was telling me, but I think its vaguely like an American form of Christianity, and they always come to your door in pairs. Interestingly one of them was the spitting image of one of the guys from Nip/Tuck.

Mormons are quite common.... theres a Mormon church in Southport.

[Mcqueen_]

If religion didn't exisit, then other excuses would be found to fight. Instead of following religious leaders/beliefs, people would follow political leaders/beliefs or find some other outlet and things would continue in a similar fashion to they are now.

It is only a presumption that they would find another 'excuse'. Some tensions between religions are genuinely just that, therefore if religions didn't exist the tension wouldn't either. Fact.

If there was no religion then that is one less excuse for people to use to justify fighting. Surely you can see that, and can agree that is better.

I can't see how your argument promotes religion in any way.

[Sidders]

Look at the BNP, they're not religious.

[Walter Sobchak]

Its not religion that causes wars, it's greed, whether thats a greed for money or control over 'lesser' peoples, it's still greed.
Religion plays a major part in a lot of peoples lives, recently I was talking to an 11 year old girl with cancer, the astonishing thing with her was the fact that she knew she was going to die, to sit and listen to a child talk about how she reads the Bible, as it may give her some clues on what to expect when she "leaves for heaven" was just about the most humbling experience of my life.
Religion DOES play an important role in a huge number of peoples lives, and by saying religion is good for nothing is at best short-sighted.
Another incident happened when I met a muslim friend of mine shortly after 9/11, who was crying because his beloved Koran had been used as a "tool of evil" against a way of life that he considered himself to be part of, yet he remains a muslim.
I will never accept religion as an excuse for wars, bombings, or any other hatred driven act, religion is about love and community, not about blasting people to bits!

[fish heads]

It is only a presumption that they would find another 'excuse'. Some tensions between religions are genuinely just that, therefore if religions didn't exist the tension wouldn't either. Fact.

I can't see how your argument promotes religion in any way.

It's not a promotion of religion, its a realistic view (in my opinion) that the end of religion would not be the end of the majority conflict.

Are you suggesting that religion should never have been "invented", or that it should be scrapped now? I know both are completly fictional scinarios, but if religion had never existed, then I doubt society would exist either - as religion was undeniably a major factor in it's building. If it was scrapped now, it would not releave tensions, because how on earth can you force a ban on something people feel so strongly about?

[quote=Mcqueen]
If there was no religion then that is one less excuse for people to use to justify fighting. Surely you can see that, and can agree that is better.[/quote]

Good point - but if there were no wepons that would be one less excuse as well, but it's never going to happen.

[DemonHorse]

Its not religion that causes wars,

The Crusades?
what caused that if not religion?
it is, after all, by the very definition a HOLY war... which is what extremist muslims and those who hi-jack the faith believe they are fighting.

[DemonHorse]

IIRC a Morman is another term for a 'Latter Day Saint'. I would tell you more, but everything I know about Mormans either comes from 'South Park' or 'Orgazmo'. which aren't exactly reliable sources, although they are damn funny.

Same here, I seem to remember something about "self-righteous pig f**kers"...

I also got some extra education about the Catholic faith and religion in general from Dogma.

[fish heads]

which is what extremist muslims and those who hi-jack the faith believe they are fighting.

Which is why people who follow religion properly shouldn't be "punished" for people who use it for their own personal grudges

[Sidders]

Its not religion that causes wars,

The Crusades?
what caused that if not religion?
it is, after all, by the very definition a HOLY war... which is what extremist muslims and those who hi-jack the faith believe they are fighting.

Indeed you are correct, but it was not caused directly by religion, just by an army of Christians who believe the 'holy lands' should belong to them. Where they got this belief I do not know, because it is not stated in the bible that Christians should be the only people who should live in Palestine, and the bible forms the basis of Christianity.

[Mcqueen_]

Are you suggesting that religion should never have been "invented", or that it should be scrapped now? I know both are completly fictional scinarios, but if religion had never existed, then I doubt society would exist either - as religion was undeniably a major factor in it's building. If it was scrapped now, it would not releave tensions, because how on earth can you force a ban on something people feel so strongly about?

I agree that religion has a played a huge part in creating society years back. Therefore it would be stupid to argue that it should never have been invented. It served it's purpose as providing a reason for existance before we were technologically advanced enough to deduce other theories of our existance.

Banning it is also unrealistic when so many people feel so strongly about it. An ideal, and also unrealistic scenario for the forseeable future, would be that religious feelings fade away of their own accord.

In my opinion it is absurd to follow a way of life that was created so long ago. The world has changed, society has advanced beyond religion.