I believe religion is a personal decision. Its our own personal relationship with god. Does god really care if we come together and pray, or does god care about each of us praying, his or her own way. From my own studies and experiences, all religions follow the same basic tenants. I think its man who twists and bends the truth to benenfit his or her own personal beliefs and ideaology. Religion is the biggest propaganda tool man has ever seen.

i agree

you have said what I've been trying to say

ty

Indeed.

Religion is harmless as a personal belief.

It's when people start telling you aren't righteous unless you blieve in their dortine when religion crosses the line.

Or when they proselytize that you need to be 'saved' after you've just told them that you're already happy with you're own beliefs.

Or when they judge you to be a 'sinner' even though their God told them never to judge others.

Religion is only harmful when people try to push their beliefs onto others using God as a club in an attempt to beat them into submission.

The only problem is that far too many religious people and organization do this daily, both on an individual level, and on an organzied political level.

In fact, some members of the United Nations have voiced strong concerns that religious proselytizing does indeed lead to violence, polical unrest and has the real potential to spark "Holy Wars".

That's when religion becomes far more than a mere personal belief system.

If all religious people agreed with you the world would be a better place . .. I know that much.

If all the religions of the world would agree with one another AND agree with all the non-religions (and be done with it), then... wouldn't the world finally see peace?

Give up spouting for the sake of hearing your own voice...

(hmmmm... maybe I should just shut up now)

Fighting (almost obsessively) to prove the validity of one's own position seems like just an excuse to prove to self one's individual "worthiness". No matter how brilliant the argument, the result only gets more loneliness.

Maybe... Prove each other correct and feel the grip of insidious self-doubt exponentially lift.

Then again... am I STILL trying to be right? Am I still caught up in the same cycle?

D'oh!

Individuality is authenticity.

be authentic, then you will find individuality in EVERY aspect of your life.

Religion is a tiny droplet in the ocean of WHO you are.

Today, this individual is authentically pessimistic.

That's why I find so much irony that a thread of this name should appear in a forum based on an institution that maximises Authoritarianism and Dogmatism.

More ironic still is that the Dogmatists pay lip service to individualism while left-handedly doing everything they can to quash it. I have to wonder if they don't secretly see it as begetting Anarchy, something their Authoritarian gullets can't digest.

Spiritual broccoli, if you will. ( Might that be the reason they serve wine at communion instead of less popular green veggies? :)

-Kerry O., "Read your William Blake if you want to grow up open-mindedly healthy and intellectually strong."