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Religion and happiness

For topics that are more about faith, religion and religious organisations than anything else.
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Compassionist
Posts: 3590
Joined: July 14th, 2007, 8:38 am

Religion and happiness

#1 Post by Compassionist » May 2nd, 2019, 10:11 pm

https://www.pewforum.org/2019/01/31/rel ... the-world/ What about religions make people happier? Is it the assurance of heaven? Is it the fellowship with nice people who share the same beliefs? I certainly used to be happier when I was religious. I used to find great comfort and strength from my faiths (firstly Islam - which I was born into, then Christianity, which I converted to). I am certainly more depressed as an agnostic humanist. Anyone else has this problem? Do you miss your faith? I wish there was an omnibenevolent, omniscient and omnipotent God was looking out for all living things but the evidence shows the opposite. Life is full of horror, suffering and injustice. No God is coming to save us. Only suffering and death are guaranteed.

VINDICATOR
Posts: 596
Joined: December 22nd, 2016, 11:07 am

Re: Religion and happiness

#2 Post by VINDICATOR » May 4th, 2019, 3:44 pm

Dear Compassionist,
You're absolutely right. Religion makes people happier. That's one of the reasons why religion is so tenacious. Whether you like it or not, people love religion. You should be familiar with the "Pascal Wager"? If not look it up on the internet. They say that many people find "God" on their death bed. Very true! Perhaps the greatest hymn is "Abide with me". If anything can pull me back to religion it's the haunting sound of that hymn accompanied by a pipe-organ! Jihadists blow themselves up with a smile because they know that 72 virgins are waiting for him! An army fights much more bravely with Chaplains, etc.
Does that prove that religion is good? Of course not, you could get the same response, (If not better), by administering drugs and opiates! The greatest quote by Karl Marx is "Religion is opium for the masses"! Just look at the drug situation world-wide! Drugs are expensive. Religion will give you the same results, and you can get it free!

Compassionist
Posts: 3590
Joined: July 14th, 2007, 8:38 am

Re: Religion and happiness

#3 Post by Compassionist » May 4th, 2019, 10:21 pm

VINDICATOR wrote:Dear Compassionist,
You're absolutely right. Religion makes people happier. That's one of the reasons why religion is so tenacious. Whether you like it or not, people love religion. You should be familiar with the "Pascal Wager"? If not look it up on the internet. They say that many people find "God" on their death bed. Very true! Perhaps the greatest hymn is "Abide with me". If anything can pull me back to religion it's the haunting sound of that hymn accompanied by a pipe-organ! Jihadists blow themselves up with a smile because they know that 72 virgins are waiting for him! An army fights much more bravely with Chaplains, etc.
Does that prove that religion is good? Of course not, you could get the same response, (If not better), by administering drugs and opiates! The greatest quote by Karl Marx is "Religion is opium for the masses"! Just look at the drug situation world-wide! Drugs are expensive. Religion will give you the same results, and you can get it free!
Yes, it is a crazy aspect of the human species that 84% of humans are religious in the age of science and technology because most people prefer religious delusions to the facts of life. A Christian friend of mine attended a humanist funeral and felt it was very dissatisfying when compared to the Christian belief of going to heaven for eternity. There is a flaw in Pascal's Wager. What if you bet on the wrong God? What if Zeus is real instead of the Christian God? Here is a list of gods https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_deities If we were to examine the evidence for the existence and nature of all the gods we would find that all of them are totally unreliable. All sentient biological organisms suffer and die. No God saves anyone from suffering and death. It's a wonder that people still pray to gods given the 100% unreliability of prayers.

VINDICATOR
Posts: 596
Joined: December 22nd, 2016, 11:07 am

Re: Religion and happiness

#4 Post by VINDICATOR » May 5th, 2019, 3:45 pm

Dear Compassionist,
You are right again. There are at least a thousand gods worshipped on Earth alone. Now all Gods are narcissistic. If you don't worship them you will burn in Hell fire for eternity. However, all Gods are also jealous.(See the Ten Commandments for an example) If you happen to worship the wrong God you will burn for two eternities in a much hotter fire!

Compassionist
Posts: 3590
Joined: July 14th, 2007, 8:38 am

Re: Religion and happiness

#5 Post by Compassionist » May 5th, 2019, 7:22 pm

VINDICATOR wrote:Dear Compassionist,
You are right again. There are at least a thousand gods worshipped on Earth alone. Now all Gods are narcissistic. If you don't worship them you will burn in Hell fire for eternity. However, all Gods are also jealous.(See the Ten Commandments for an example) If you happen to worship the wrong God you will burn for two eternities in a much hotter fire!
I think that all the gods are either imaginary or evil given all the horror, suffering and injustice life is so full of.

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