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T1Pimp t1_j8i4zyc wrote

Isn't this how religions persist?

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airduster_9000 t1_j8iawyz wrote

Yes - I immediately had the same thought. Its rare religions people want to talk about their religion, its history, its purpose, its meaning and what their beliefs really are.

But this is only a thing because people are almost always introduced to religion when they are children and accept everything as the truth no questions asked.

If religion was introduced as another "theory" about life/world/society when you are 12+ like most other theories (that are actually based in science and observation) - instead of being presented as "the ultimate truth" to a clueless child from its parents - religion would play a much smaller part in the world.

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Davividdik696 t1_j8j5glc wrote

Have you considered the possibility that it might be true?

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phikapp1932 t1_j8j6emn wrote

Not OP, but yes I have. It’s definitely a hard sell to believe that we are made in the image of an all-knowing being that we need to worship or be relinquished. And if this being is all-knowing and allows the tragedies I see around me every single day to persist, to truly innocent people, then what would that make me if I worshipped it?

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SpeculativeFiction t1_j8jdqpw wrote

What might be true? Shinto? Islam? Hinduism? Christianity?

Have you given equal thought into those and what they say about a moral code, the afterlife, and how likely it is they are the actual true religion, or are you just asking about whatever religion you grew up with, and that people aroumd you believe in?

If the latter, have you re-read the scripture as an adult, to see if it describes an ethos you actually agree with?

If your religion has a core set of rules or ways to live your life, are their teachings something you see reflected in the actions of your fellow faithful, or more importantly, your priests (or equivilents?)

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Dhiox t1_j8k195l wrote

Interesting, so do you believe Zeus is the almighty king of the gods, and we should sacrifice goats to him?

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T1Pimp t1_j8l6foa wrote

I did.. when I was a child. But I have up childish things once no longer a child.

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[deleted] t1_j8jxm8u wrote

Yes. Religions are usually centered around fear and conformity. If you go your whole life believing in something as deep as the answer to life itself, it would probably be extremely traumatic to suddenly find out it's not true. I remember the day I decided I didn't believe in God anymore. It was honestly pretty scary. Fortunately, this happened when I was a teenager and I couldn't quite grasp the insanity of it all. I can't really imagine doing it as an adult. Not to mention the social repercussions.

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T1Pimp t1_j8l69q5 wrote

I definitely mourned the loss of faith and all that came with that. I think that I'm still dealing with the PTSD of being subjected at such a young age.

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macksters t1_j8k45xk wrote

Indeed. Faith is not wanting to know the reality.

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GLnoG t1_j8kj33e wrote

Anecdotal, but in my own experience with faith: it's not about not wanting to know the reality, but rather about fervently wanting to know and experience a reality that doesn't exists.

Rambling here, but i think you can argue faith is the desire for a certain idea of reality to exist, or the belief that that idea of reality does indeed already exists, or doesn't exists yet; the word "yet" being fundamental to that whole belief system.

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T1Pimp t1_j8l62lr wrote

You can argue that but I dunno it tracks. Religion is still around because humans can't accept their mortality and to outgroup others. There's nothing really about reality in it at all since it's not grounded in anything real... just belief.

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GLnoG t1_j8lut3k wrote

Maybe i worded it wrong, but everytime i used the word "reality", i didn't meant the real reality. The reality they believe in is a conception, an idea.

I thought it was clear, but sorry if it wasn't. English is hard for me.

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