This is a question for the atheists here, although religious people may chime in if they like!
Karl Marx said “religion is the opiate of the masses,” but rather than dismissing it like that, I’d like to discuss it thoroughly, starting from the very first religions known (now considered to be myths).
Was religion created to keep peasants in line? (Serve your masters and you’ll go to heaven where you never have to work again?) Or just as a way for mankind to explain the natural phenomenon around him that kept occurring - like there being a “God of Thunder” whom the Norse called Thor, etc.
Probably depends on the religion, no? Satanism, for example, was created to be contrarian, it seems. I don’t think that’s the case with other religions.
Could we start from the beginning of time and work our way up, discussing each myth/religion and our estimations of how each one came about?
For example I believe the first monotheistic religion actually happened in Egypt which was known for its pantheon of gods with Osiris at the top. And the Pharoas were supposed to be Gods themselves (Which didn’t prevent their tombs from being plundered after they died.)
Yet Aknenaten (spelling) wanted his people to start worshiping a single god, Aten.
Hmmm. The Pharaohs were required to obey the gods…whose words could only be interpreted by the priests. When Akhenaten came into power he wanted a god who spoke only to him. So he got rid of the other gods–and the priests–and ruled as he wished. These policies were reversed after his death.
In Plato’s account of Atlantis (which, imo, is allegory for one of several pre-flood civilizations ~12,000 years ago), he sheds some light on what their spiritual beliefs might have looked like:
“For many generations…they obeyed the laws and loved the divine to which they were akin…they reckoned that qualities of character were far more important than their present prosperity. So they bore the burden of their wealth and possessions lightly, and did not let their high standard of living intoxicate them or make them lose their self-control…
But when the divine element in them became weakened…and their human traits became predominant, they ceased to be able to carry their prosperity with moderation.”
To explain how we got here, why things we don’t understand happen, and where we go after death. Then the religions are used as means of control of the people.
Why are atheists so obsessed with religion? Maybe they shouldn’t obsess so much? Live a Godless life if you choose. Don’t worry so much about the rest of us. It’s called free choice. Let it go.
Religions oppose gay marriage. Even though two gay people in no way affects the religious people who oppose it they still used religion as justification to outlaw it. It took the courts to force freedom and gay marriage on everyone. A majority of religious people would still outlaw it if they could. Vice President Mike Pence absolutely would which is utterly scary since he’s merely a successful impeachment away from the presidency.
Religions try to enforce all kinds of morality laws on the public where the so called crime is actually harmless and in no way affects anyone.
You can be as religious as you want in your home. You can be as religious as you want in your church. But as soon as you start trying to codify your religion into law you’ve crossed the line of what should be allowed.
Do you believe in Zeus? How about Odin? Or Ra? Or any other non christian God? How about whatever in the hell Scientology believes in? You are an atheist for each and every one of those religions because you don’t believe in them. I’m going to assume your christian based on your response so the only difference between you and me is that I go one god further and don’t believe in the christian god either.
Most atheists are not “obsessed” with religion. I, personally, am just interested in why and how people believe what they believe. It’s called curiosoity.
Maybe they shouldn’t obsess so much?
Is that a rhetorical question?
Live a Godless life if you choose
Thank you.
Don’t worry so much about the rest of us.
We’re not worried.
It’s called free choice.
What is?
Let it go.
Let what go? Trying to find out how people believe what they believe? BUt it’s so interesting.
Take for example the Jim Jones cult in Guyana or the doomsday cults here in the US who sell all their possessions when their pastor tells them to get ready for the end. Aren’t you interested in how people can go from believing in a God to believing in a man who tells them crazy things like, “Let’s all kill ourselves so our spiritis can board that spaceship when it passes by.”
