Post by Blessed Devil on Feb 17, 2008 21:28:39 GMT 7
Contents:
I. Introduction
II. The Dark History of the Church
A. The Inquisition
B. The Persecution of Witches
C. The Crusades
III. Religious Harms of Today
A. Personal
B. Social
C. Government
IV. Conclusion
--
The Essay:
I. Introduction
The earth revolves around the sun. But it wasn't always like this. The sun used to revolve around the earth. The proof was in Psalms 104:5, which states that "[the LORD] set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved." So for thousands of years, people believed that the earth was stationary.
But a man named Galileo dared to seek the truth. He stated that according to the laws of physics, the earth should revolve around the sun. For this, the Church banned his ideas, forbid any publication of his books, and arrested him for heresy. Later on, though, after much kicking and screaming by the Church, the earth did, in fact, start to revolve around the sun.
Religion was wrong about our solar system. What if it was wrong about something else, too? Won't you join me in a journey that only a few have dared to walk?
II. The Dark History of the Church
Behind all these "love your neighbor" and "turn the other cheek" verses, the Church has a large history of abuse, injustice, intolerance, and hypocrisy. Although these harms in history are nearly nonexistent as of now, one cannot forget the grief and harm that it brought to society back in those days.
A. The Inquisition
What happens when your mind starts to wander around the fact that there's no more evidence for God than there is for the Easter Bunny? That's right! People die!
Years ago, the Church had complete control over the government, human life, and spirit. The Inquisition is a demonstration of her intolerance and the lengths that she would go through in order to get everyone to accept Jesus Christ as their savior. This actually sounds like a plan for world domination.
The Inquisition references to the judgement of heresy by the Church, usually through imprisonment. Death penalty was not frequently imposed, but many states allowed the Church to use capital punishment. It is only one of the many movements where religion was used as a justification for the murder of innocent people. In this case, so many humanists and secularists around the world were prosecuted. Accusations of heresy were declared against a group of believers when their beliefs challenged, or were perceived to challenge the authority of the Church. This was the most well-known example of intolerance from the Church.
This asinine movement started around 1184, and was a response to the popular movements throughout Europe which were considered heretical to Christianity. In 1199, Pope Innocent III sent out inquisitors who answered directly to him, declaring that anyone who challenges religious dogma must be burned. This was the first of the many inquisitions that would follow.
With the approval of Pope Sixtus IV, the Spanish Inquisition was initiated and aimed towards converts from Judaism and Islam who were suspected to still follow their old religion, or to have re-converted to it. Later on, this inquisition was aimed towards Protestants, and it became imminent that Christian authorities were intolerant even amongst their own followers.
B. The Persecution of Witches
"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." (Exodus 22:18)
Thousands of innocent women have suffered excruciating deaths during the inquisition because of this verse. This is an early example of religious disaster due to excruciating ignorance.
Witches, supposedly, are evil women who had intercourses with Satan and do evil acts with the aid of the said demon in exchange for rewards. Proofs being a witch were inane traits such as a mole or a birthmark, not crying when under torment, or being afraid of interrogations. To make things worse, examiners of witches would at times claim to have seen an invisible mark, if no mole or birthmark is visible on the woman.
Catholics and Protestants alike burned and persecuted innocent women everywhere like there's no tomorrow because of this superstitious belief, and there was not the slightest difference between them. In fact, they even competed against each other, because neither side wanted to be left behind in the pursuit of the "devil's accomplices." No age, gender, or rank was immune. Healing priests, skeptic children, little girls, they're all equally guilty in the eyes of the Church's Inquisition.
C. The Crusades
What is the most popular example of a religious movement wherein thousands of people died in a day? The Crusades, of course. It is a series of Christian military campaigns during the time of Medieval England against the Muslims of the Middle East.
In 1076, the Muslims had captured Jerusalem - the holiest of all the holy Christian places. This is because Jesus had been born in nearby Bethlehem and Jesus had spent most of his life in Jerusalem. He was crucified on Calvary Hill, also in Jerusalem. No other place on earth had matched the importance of Jerusalem for a true Christian, which is why it is called the "City of God".
However, Jerusalem was also extremely important for the Muslims. Muhammad, the founder of the Muslim faith, had been there and there was great joy in the Muslim world when Jerusalem was captured. A beautiful dome - called the Dome of the Rock - was built on the rock where Muhammad was said to have sat and prayed and it was so holy that no Muslim was allowed to tread on the rock or touch it when visiting the Dome.
This clash of ideas was the reason why Christians and Muslims waged war against each other for over 200 years. Imagine that. People were basically killing each other for two centuries just to see who's got a better imaginary friend.
III. Religious harms of today
Look around you and observe the happy faces of devout Christians when talking about the Church. How come I'm not that happy? I want to be that happy. But of course, happiness isn't the only face of Christianity.
A. Personal
Reality is so dangerous. There's so much crime, so much poverty, and so much hatred, and yet we are so small. No wonder most people dislike reality. This isn't a good reason to reject it, though, but this seems to be what religion is all about. It seems to be the top reason why people don't just reject religion. When a loved one dies, people hide away from the awful truth (he or she is really gone and isn't coming back) by reciting a prayer or saying that he or she "is in a better place." When something unfair happens to a believer, he or she would find comfort in the thought that there is divine justice and that someone has something better planned for him or her. When a believer faces something he or she can't explain, he or she would find comfort in the explanation that God created it.
Since religion is so comforting, why can't we just let the believers dwell on their fantasy if it makes them happy? Because the truth is, this is a mechanism for hiding from reality. It might lead some people to overcome bad things happening in their life, but for others, it could lead them to think that God commanded them to hijack a plane and crash it into the World Trade Center. It could lead them to think that the World Trade Center bombing means that God extracting revenge on gays. It could lead to indifference towards another man in trouble, because they "prayed for him anyways" and they'd "just let God do what's best for him." It could lead to indifference towards the truth, because "religion has given you the truth already."
The biggest problem with religion is that it teaches the dangerous theology that death is not yet the end. Because of this, a large majority of the people are not that keen on living their life to the fullest.
Escaping from reality can cause harm to you and to others. Some would say "Not all believers are like that! I'm not like that!" but it wouldn't really matter. This is a major way on how religion works in our world and you cannot minimize it just because it's not how it happens to play out for you.
B. Social
Religion is like a product. Let's say someone is trying to sell you a toothbrush. They can explain to you that you have teeth problems and they have just the solution for it. This is the same for religion. Everyone seems bent on endorsing their own religion because it leads to a "spread the word" mentality.
For Islam, "Allah is the only one who can forgive you and reward you in heaven. You need to be forgiven (problem), so you need to follow the teachings of the Qu'ran (solution)." For Hinduism, "If you are sinful, you will be reincarnated as a winkyroach (problem), but if you accept the Hindus' way of life, you will be reincarnated as a Brahman (solution). For Christianity, "If you are sinful, you will go to hell with weeping and gnashing of teeth (problem), but if you accept Jesus Christ as your savior, you will go to heaven (solution)."
This leads to the belief that you have a false problem and you have to act on a false solution. And because people are encouraged to "spread the word," these false problems has spread through billions of people around the world, and has inspired strange rules like not using condom, or saying no to stem cell research. Both of those practices can lead to saving the lives of millions, but the belief in a deity being offended by these practices has the potential to impair your life.
Moving on to another false problem, religion has given a justification for the mistreatment of homosexuals. Jerry Falwell, a widely-respected religious leader with millions of followers, holds the theology of a wrathful God extracting revenge against gays and lesbians by sending terrorist Muslims to blow up a building full of secretaries and investment bankers.
After the September 11th attacks, during the 700 Club, Jerry Falwell says "I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'" Pat Robertson concurred with this statement.
What is the effect of this asinine theology? This could mean that fearful homosexuals would spend thousands of dollars on therapy because they're afraid of eternal damnation. This could lead to the depression of gays who can't afford therapy, and the belief that even the most "loving" God hates f*gs.
C. Government
"No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under God." - George H. W. Bush
You know that there's a problem with the government when your president doesn't want you to be considered as a citizen. Not only is this extremely disrespectful to atheists. This is also disrespectful to Muslims, Hindus, deists, pantheists, and all other forms of believers other than the believers of the Abrahamic God. When your president isn't tolerant to someone because of his or her beliefs, you know that it spells trouble. This is another problem today when it comes to religion. It has the potential to create the kind of government that favors one religion over another.
IV. Conclusion
Despite the nature of this paper, I do not actually claim that ending religion would end war, corruption, and intolerance. I believe that with or without religion, good people will do good things, and evil people will do evil things. However, religion can provide justifications for evil acts, which over 70% of the population of the world would believe without question. It can bring so much harm to society like false hope, false problems, and government corruption.
I. Introduction
II. The Dark History of the Church
A. The Inquisition
B. The Persecution of Witches
C. The Crusades
III. Religious Harms of Today
A. Personal
B. Social
C. Government
IV. Conclusion
--
The Essay:
I. Introduction
The earth revolves around the sun. But it wasn't always like this. The sun used to revolve around the earth. The proof was in Psalms 104:5, which states that "[the LORD] set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved." So for thousands of years, people believed that the earth was stationary.
But a man named Galileo dared to seek the truth. He stated that according to the laws of physics, the earth should revolve around the sun. For this, the Church banned his ideas, forbid any publication of his books, and arrested him for heresy. Later on, though, after much kicking and screaming by the Church, the earth did, in fact, start to revolve around the sun.
Religion was wrong about our solar system. What if it was wrong about something else, too? Won't you join me in a journey that only a few have dared to walk?
II. The Dark History of the Church
Behind all these "love your neighbor" and "turn the other cheek" verses, the Church has a large history of abuse, injustice, intolerance, and hypocrisy. Although these harms in history are nearly nonexistent as of now, one cannot forget the grief and harm that it brought to society back in those days.
A. The Inquisition
What happens when your mind starts to wander around the fact that there's no more evidence for God than there is for the Easter Bunny? That's right! People die!
Years ago, the Church had complete control over the government, human life, and spirit. The Inquisition is a demonstration of her intolerance and the lengths that she would go through in order to get everyone to accept Jesus Christ as their savior. This actually sounds like a plan for world domination.
The Inquisition references to the judgement of heresy by the Church, usually through imprisonment. Death penalty was not frequently imposed, but many states allowed the Church to use capital punishment. It is only one of the many movements where religion was used as a justification for the murder of innocent people. In this case, so many humanists and secularists around the world were prosecuted. Accusations of heresy were declared against a group of believers when their beliefs challenged, or were perceived to challenge the authority of the Church. This was the most well-known example of intolerance from the Church.
This asinine movement started around 1184, and was a response to the popular movements throughout Europe which were considered heretical to Christianity. In 1199, Pope Innocent III sent out inquisitors who answered directly to him, declaring that anyone who challenges religious dogma must be burned. This was the first of the many inquisitions that would follow.
With the approval of Pope Sixtus IV, the Spanish Inquisition was initiated and aimed towards converts from Judaism and Islam who were suspected to still follow their old religion, or to have re-converted to it. Later on, this inquisition was aimed towards Protestants, and it became imminent that Christian authorities were intolerant even amongst their own followers.
B. The Persecution of Witches
"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." (Exodus 22:18)
Thousands of innocent women have suffered excruciating deaths during the inquisition because of this verse. This is an early example of religious disaster due to excruciating ignorance.
Witches, supposedly, are evil women who had intercourses with Satan and do evil acts with the aid of the said demon in exchange for rewards. Proofs being a witch were inane traits such as a mole or a birthmark, not crying when under torment, or being afraid of interrogations. To make things worse, examiners of witches would at times claim to have seen an invisible mark, if no mole or birthmark is visible on the woman.
Catholics and Protestants alike burned and persecuted innocent women everywhere like there's no tomorrow because of this superstitious belief, and there was not the slightest difference between them. In fact, they even competed against each other, because neither side wanted to be left behind in the pursuit of the "devil's accomplices." No age, gender, or rank was immune. Healing priests, skeptic children, little girls, they're all equally guilty in the eyes of the Church's Inquisition.
C. The Crusades
What is the most popular example of a religious movement wherein thousands of people died in a day? The Crusades, of course. It is a series of Christian military campaigns during the time of Medieval England against the Muslims of the Middle East.
In 1076, the Muslims had captured Jerusalem - the holiest of all the holy Christian places. This is because Jesus had been born in nearby Bethlehem and Jesus had spent most of his life in Jerusalem. He was crucified on Calvary Hill, also in Jerusalem. No other place on earth had matched the importance of Jerusalem for a true Christian, which is why it is called the "City of God".
However, Jerusalem was also extremely important for the Muslims. Muhammad, the founder of the Muslim faith, had been there and there was great joy in the Muslim world when Jerusalem was captured. A beautiful dome - called the Dome of the Rock - was built on the rock where Muhammad was said to have sat and prayed and it was so holy that no Muslim was allowed to tread on the rock or touch it when visiting the Dome.
This clash of ideas was the reason why Christians and Muslims waged war against each other for over 200 years. Imagine that. People were basically killing each other for two centuries just to see who's got a better imaginary friend.
III. Religious harms of today
Look around you and observe the happy faces of devout Christians when talking about the Church. How come I'm not that happy? I want to be that happy. But of course, happiness isn't the only face of Christianity.
A. Personal
Reality is so dangerous. There's so much crime, so much poverty, and so much hatred, and yet we are so small. No wonder most people dislike reality. This isn't a good reason to reject it, though, but this seems to be what religion is all about. It seems to be the top reason why people don't just reject religion. When a loved one dies, people hide away from the awful truth (he or she is really gone and isn't coming back) by reciting a prayer or saying that he or she "is in a better place." When something unfair happens to a believer, he or she would find comfort in the thought that there is divine justice and that someone has something better planned for him or her. When a believer faces something he or she can't explain, he or she would find comfort in the explanation that God created it.
Since religion is so comforting, why can't we just let the believers dwell on their fantasy if it makes them happy? Because the truth is, this is a mechanism for hiding from reality. It might lead some people to overcome bad things happening in their life, but for others, it could lead them to think that God commanded them to hijack a plane and crash it into the World Trade Center. It could lead them to think that the World Trade Center bombing means that God extracting revenge on gays. It could lead to indifference towards another man in trouble, because they "prayed for him anyways" and they'd "just let God do what's best for him." It could lead to indifference towards the truth, because "religion has given you the truth already."
The biggest problem with religion is that it teaches the dangerous theology that death is not yet the end. Because of this, a large majority of the people are not that keen on living their life to the fullest.
Escaping from reality can cause harm to you and to others. Some would say "Not all believers are like that! I'm not like that!" but it wouldn't really matter. This is a major way on how religion works in our world and you cannot minimize it just because it's not how it happens to play out for you.
B. Social
Religion is like a product. Let's say someone is trying to sell you a toothbrush. They can explain to you that you have teeth problems and they have just the solution for it. This is the same for religion. Everyone seems bent on endorsing their own religion because it leads to a "spread the word" mentality.
For Islam, "Allah is the only one who can forgive you and reward you in heaven. You need to be forgiven (problem), so you need to follow the teachings of the Qu'ran (solution)." For Hinduism, "If you are sinful, you will be reincarnated as a winkyroach (problem), but if you accept the Hindus' way of life, you will be reincarnated as a Brahman (solution). For Christianity, "If you are sinful, you will go to hell with weeping and gnashing of teeth (problem), but if you accept Jesus Christ as your savior, you will go to heaven (solution)."
This leads to the belief that you have a false problem and you have to act on a false solution. And because people are encouraged to "spread the word," these false problems has spread through billions of people around the world, and has inspired strange rules like not using condom, or saying no to stem cell research. Both of those practices can lead to saving the lives of millions, but the belief in a deity being offended by these practices has the potential to impair your life.
Moving on to another false problem, religion has given a justification for the mistreatment of homosexuals. Jerry Falwell, a widely-respected religious leader with millions of followers, holds the theology of a wrathful God extracting revenge against gays and lesbians by sending terrorist Muslims to blow up a building full of secretaries and investment bankers.
After the September 11th attacks, during the 700 Club, Jerry Falwell says "I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'" Pat Robertson concurred with this statement.
What is the effect of this asinine theology? This could mean that fearful homosexuals would spend thousands of dollars on therapy because they're afraid of eternal damnation. This could lead to the depression of gays who can't afford therapy, and the belief that even the most "loving" God hates f*gs.
C. Government
"No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under God." - George H. W. Bush
You know that there's a problem with the government when your president doesn't want you to be considered as a citizen. Not only is this extremely disrespectful to atheists. This is also disrespectful to Muslims, Hindus, deists, pantheists, and all other forms of believers other than the believers of the Abrahamic God. When your president isn't tolerant to someone because of his or her beliefs, you know that it spells trouble. This is another problem today when it comes to religion. It has the potential to create the kind of government that favors one religion over another.
IV. Conclusion
Despite the nature of this paper, I do not actually claim that ending religion would end war, corruption, and intolerance. I believe that with or without religion, good people will do good things, and evil people will do evil things. However, religion can provide justifications for evil acts, which over 70% of the population of the world would believe without question. It can bring so much harm to society like false hope, false problems, and government corruption.
Did you remove the censor words?))