I simply do not understand

[doomguarder]

I simply do not understand the religious mind set.

 

I have never belonged to or believed in any religion. I was raised to question everything and demand concrete answers. When those type of answers are not apparent or available, the best answer is always the one that fits the largest number facts involved. This is how I have lived and learned throughout my life.

 

I joined this site and read many others to try and understand the mindset and reasoning used by those of faith. I still do not get it. I don’t know if it is my personal inability to empathize, or it is my unwillingness to do the same.

 

This is not a question seeking answers, but more an explanation of why I don’t post much. The Xtian god is one frightening character to me, no more real than Sauron or the Joker, but someone came up with this creature and others propagate the religion based around it. They base entire cultures around a belief without concrete proof or sound reasoning.

 

Why do humans have this need for control? I see religion as another of the mechanisms used to control and explain our environment. If there is a god in control of these natural events then we as humans can try to appeal to the god for better treatment. In addition, there is the fear of death that so many religions try to quell with an eternal afterlife.

 

Am I truly such an oddity that I do not feel scared of the natural process of death? I do not want to die, to be sure, but I do not fear the end. It will come no matter what I do, unavoidable. The end of my consciousness as provided by the biological processes in my mind and body, is the final step in existence.

 

I am often in wonder of the fact that I, as an individual, exist. Many wonder at this, but so often they give a creator god credit.

 

I was watching the end of Contact the other day (I really don’t like the flick, but it was on at a friends house), and one line came very clear to me, “why would we send a representative for humanity who thinks 95% of the world is suffering from a delusion” I do feel this way. Why do 95% of the world buy into a mass delusion?

 

As exXtians, many of you have anger for the religion you left. I simply do not understand. My mind won’t wrap around the idea of giving up so much for so little.

 

I will keep reading and perhaps one day I will give a bit more room, but the delusion creeps into my life daily. Between the girls who are fighting to be independent from their fuddy families, to the JW who has decided I must be saved, and the old friend who is now “born again” and wants to bring me along for the ride. Everyday Xtianity is in my face in some way. TO my now saved friend, I am not being truthful when I say I do not believe. I am deceiving him. He has known me for 20+yrs, and I have never said any different regarding faith of any kind. But now I am a liar.

 

He lost his brother, so I can give him room to grieve, but I will not change who I am for anyone.

[I Broke Free]

We are social animals and are not likely to survive on our own. Evolution undoubtedly selected for people who are followers. People who do not question authority and do what the alpha-male says are more likely to survive longer and produce more mindless drones.

 

People who reject authority, think for themselves and lead rather than follow are a minority and are the descendents of the alpha-male.

 

Just one of my many theories; destroy it at will. I do not hold them that dearly.

[qadeshet]

I simply do not understand the religious mind set

 

Most of us were programmed from a very young age in Xianity. Our fathers and mothers were believers, and we were encouraged and expected to follow suit. Young children will believe pretty much whatever they’re told. Children raised in Islam usually grow up to be good little Moslems. Were your parents Xians who forced you to go to church year after year? The indoctrination is powerful and difficult to break.

[Antihero]

I had the same thought when I was watching a program on religious art (I was bored, okay). They were juxtaposing a painting of the goddess Venus and Mary and I thought, how can it be that people can, at the same time, say one is clearly a myth, and then wholeheartedly believe in the other one? How do people delude themselves in this way?

[Thurisaz]

It's always nice if we (think we) have answers to any question. Lack of explanation isn't that pleasant, though of course not all people weigh the questions the same way. This is not bad in and of itself - it can also easily compell us to investigate and figure out the answers.

 

However, there are some questions that don't seem likely to ever get answered anytime soon... best example, of course, is "Is there anything after death?". How will we ever know indeed?

 

It's the main purpose of religion in general (not focusing on the abrahamic nonsense here) to provide answers to the tough questions like the one I mentioned.

 

As for fear of death, no you are not alone in saying that you don't fear death. I understand that people can fear the process of dying, especially if it's really painful... but death itself? Why fear it? You can only (somewhat) reasonably fear the time after death, assuming there is one you can perceive.

As for me, I don't want to die a meaningless death... but something like, say, die fighting for a just cause, to defend your loved ones for example, don't seem horrible to me. After all, we all have to die sometime, so why not do something useful when your time has come?

 

That said, I will repeat what I have said here numerous times. The Enemy™ is not religion per se... it's believers who are Niflhel-bent on converting everyone who hasn't climbed a tree by the count of three, and who won't take "no" for an answer. One's personal belief or disbelief is his own business, as long as others aren't made to suffer from it.

 

("suffering", in this case, would include situations like the one in the last US elections - the hordes of braindead fundie zombies, in a way, made the whole nation and the whole world suffer when they didn't use their brains but merely voted for the idiot they were told to vote for)

[Amethyst]

Our parents were brainwashed. Their parents were brainwashed, as were their parents. And so we were brainwashed, in a long tradition of brainwashing.

 

'Nuff said.

[doomguarder]

Our parents were brainwashed.  Their parents were brainwashed, as were their parents.  And so we were brainwashed, in a long tradition of brainwashing.

 

'Nuff said.

 

I guess I feel lucky then.

[MQTA]

Our parents were brainwashed.  Their parents were brainwashed, as were their parents.  And so we were brainwashed, in a long tradition of brainwashing.

 

'Nuff said.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Perpetuation of the generations.

 

The internet has freed us from Living Local.

 

Before some websites came online in the last few years, who could ever compare, or even think to make comparisions?

 

I read about the plagues before, I watched the 10 Commandments many times, I know the routine, but before it was pointed out online, I never knew the cattle were wiped out 3 times, and then the horsemen chased after the Jews crossing the Sea.. on WHAT horses? They're dead in 5, again in 7 and 10.

 

I had some ideas on the OT and knew something was strange about the NT, but 2-3 websites really confirmed it all, and MORE.

 

10 years ago people only had their neighbors.. if they were in the majority, most of their interaction were of like-minded children of their parents of similar beliefs, or at least local membership.

 

Who knows what this planet will look like in another 10 years.

[Eponymic]

The religious mindset is actually very easy to understand. It's all about fulfilling the basic needs. And religion is very good at catering to those. It provides a numbing veil of safety, comfort, and security to its constituants.

 

How they are kept in is a constant barrage of threats that they have the choice between eternal pain, or eternal pleasure (i.e. salvation). Not only in the afterlife, but it's made very obvious to most that if you leave the fold, you'll lose their support, friendship, and any association you previously had with all, or almost all of the church & its people. Which for many people, is there whole life as they know it.

 

It's no wonder so many people are too frightened to leave.

[shy1680]

I simply do not understand the religious mind set.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Since I have dropped christianity and became an Atheist, I have been having a problem with this too. Its so hard to understand why people think they way they do about religion and see nothing wrong with the things they are being taught to agree with, such as murdering children in the bible because they had "sinful" parents. Its VERY scary to me also when I read stuff from Christians that make it seem as if murder is perfectly fine as long as God ok's it. In the real world we call those people who say God told them to do it mentally ill but in Christianity, its called filled with the holy spirit.

 

Here is a perfect example about how some Christians feel if God told them to kill someone. When I read stuff like this, Im all for religions being banned.

 

http://www.christianforums.com/t2002348-a-...-believers.html

[a midnight star]

I was told when I was young that since I was born again, I would "blaspheme the HS" if I left christianity. That I would be going to hell no matter what I did, because there was no going back. As a teenager I used to curse my parents for "tricking" me into being bornagain (I thought I was too young to know what I was doing), that I wouldn't have the chance to find out on my own.

 

It was this fear that kept me from fully commiting to my current path. I find that I still have blocks, and worry if "demons" are going to start coming into my house. I know in my head that this is unreasonable, but I just can't seem to let go of it in the recesses of my mind.