teddy_002

teddy_002 t1_j8y6001 wrote

−18

teddy_002 t1_j8xxlnb wrote

believing in god doesn’t inherently mean you believe god has the power to affect your physical health.

it’s also sad when people perpetuate stereotypes about religion through ignorance.

−14

teddy_002 t1_j131h9i wrote

i agree, this is a good conversation. i think you make a very interesting point, ironically one that is often debated within theology - the difference between religion and faith.

i’m a theology student, and also a Quaker. we don’t have any dogma, or a hierarchy, so are able to avoid a lot of the potential dangers of those being corrupted. i agree that highly institutionalised religion is a danger - the catholic church is a good example of this, it has many wonderful people within its ranks, yet also has some truly evil people who have caused untold damage.

it’s interesting you make that point about it helping to make sense of life, i actually have a very similar viewpoint. religion, IMO, is a way of making tangible the intangible. the idea that we are all alone, in an apathetic world, with no meaning or purpose can be unbearable. faith provides us with a way of giving ourselves meaning, and allowing us to embrace our humanity.

overall, i think you make a really great point, one i often argue for myself as a theology student - the difference between personal faith and institutional religion. whilst institutional religion is a mixed bag, weighed down by corruption, control and zealotry, personal faith is a powerful antidote to the inherent apathy of our existence, and when applied with earnest, creates a vision of true humanity and love.

ironically it’s an often misquoted karl marx quote that i think sums this up well:

“Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.”

2

teddy_002 t1_j108sj5 wrote

religion is not a scientific system, why would it be scientifically proven? that’s not what religion is about. antitheists have an obsession with religion being some quantifiable scientific system, which is an incredibly bad faith argument.

religion is about faith in humanity and the world, that which is beyond quantifiable means. it is not about understanding the world, it is about understanding humanity and the human experience.

3