No religton

[halfspanishlee]

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/18729

 

The lines in the John Lennon song are famous by now: "Imagine there's no religion... it's easy if you try..." But is it, and what would it mean?

That is the topic for a challenging conversation at the Just Festival in Edinburgh tonight (5 August 2013) - and the fact that it has already sold out seems to be an indicator that it is one quite a few people care about.

The speakers this evening are Professor Richard Holloway (former Bishop of Edinburgh, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church and author of Leaving Alexandria), Tim Maguire from the Humanist Society Scotland, and Sanderson Jones of the Atheist Church initiative. The chair will be the Rev Professor Jolyon Mitchell from the University of Edinburgh and the Centre for Theology and Public Issues.

The panellists will ask whether the world really would be "as one", as Lennon apparently envisaged, or whether we would in fact remain divided?

Indeed, is "a world without religion" a realistic possibility or a totalising dream?

 

EDIT - Added SOURCE link to make this a "News" topic.  

Edited August 6, 2013 by trottigy

[jayrtom]

Check this part on reasoning book

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1101989261

Is belonging to an organized religion necessary?

Most religious organizations have produced bad fruitage. It is not the fact that groups are organized that is bad. But many have promoted forms of worship that are based on false teachings and are largely ritualistic instead of providing genuine spiritual guidance; they have been misused to control the lives of people for selfish objectives; they have been overly concerned with money collections and ornate houses of worship instead of spiritual values; their members are often hypocritical. Obviously no one who loves righteousness would want to belong to such an organization. But true religion is a refreshing contrast to all of that. Nevertheless, to fulfill the Bible’s requirements, it must be organized.

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/1101989251

And this WT article

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2011406#h=0:0-29:33

▪ True Christians are organized to serve God in unity. As Jesus’ sheep listen to his voice, they become “one flock” under his leadership. (John 10:16) They are not scattered among independent churches and groups; nor are they divided over doctrinal matters. Rather, they all “speak in agreement.” (1 Corinthians 1:10) To dwell in unity, we need order, and order requires organization. Only a unified brotherhood can have God’s blessing.—Psalm 133:1, 3

Edited August 6, 2013 by jayrtom

[Jordan]

I always liked John Lennon and listened to and sung along with that song when I wasn't in the truth. It was a noble idea he had but of course as followers of the real life we know that there's no way man can stand on his own or rule himself.

 

Even atheists can't get together on what is right or moralistic (do no harm to others) so as long as you do no harm to others anything goes and any action can be defended. I saw a comment from atheist once that literally said that necrophilia was okay as long as consent was prearranged. So much for man made reasoning providing a moral framework.

 

If left without God, life would have no intrinsic worth and moral reasoning would not be rational apart from God. Most atheists will admit this.

 

Can morality exist apart from Jehovah? Transcending value must come from a person of transcending worth. In a world in which matter alone exists there can be no intrinsic worth. Moral values only exist if Jehovah God exists.

 

Which makes me wonder how it is that people can't see the fraud in what people like Richard Dawkins professes. He admits that science has no methods or authority for deciding what is ethical or moral, where then does the intrinsic moral value (placed in our hearts) come from then? There can be only one truthful answer, Jehovah, the highest transcending moral values come from the one that created them and put them in all of us. 

 

I don't think you can blame religion for Pol Pot, Stalin or Hitler and many others. Although they try living by that double standard it doesn't work for them. Auschwitz was the ultimate consequence of mans theory that man is nothing but the product of heredity and environment - or, as the Nazi liked to say, "of Blood and Soil." I'm pretty sure that the gas chambers of Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Maidanek were ultimately prepared not in some Ministry or other Church in Berlin, but rather and the desks and in the lecture halls of nihilistic scientists and philosophers.

 

The world is a dark place without knowledge Jehovah, way to dark for me to live in.

 

I was reading about a drug that removes guilt and remorse.

 

http://epubs.scu.edu.au/law_pubs/79/

 

http://youwillanyway.blogspot.com/2004/04/drugged-and-laughing.html

 

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/02/55159.html

 

http://www.villagevoice.com/2003-01-21/news/the-guilt-free-soldier/1/

 

They have this and have been testing it since 2004, sometimes not even telling soldiers while giving it to them. I wonder what kind of world we'll have when a rapist can take a morning-after pill? What a great idea, in fact lets add that to the water supply for everyone and see what happens to religion. That's mans morality.

 

Surprising it's even a question to anyone other then those that hate Gods laws.

 

 

[rbrown1205]

PsychiatryOnline | American Journal of Psychiatry | Religious Affiliation and Suicide Attempt

 

A 2004 research paper on the connection between Religious Affiliation, Atheism and Suicide seems to be suddenly popular reading.  Here it is, above.

 

I did not read all of it, it is serious clinical stuff, but an answers board poster copied this:

 

   Atheists have a significantly higher rate of depression than non-atheist groups.

 

• Teenagers who identify themselves as atheist have a higher rate of suicide than those who don't.

• The WHO says venereal diseases spread faster among atheistic populations, particularly syphilis, hepatitis and HIV.

• On average, atheists have a 60% higher chance of dying from cancer and a 54% slower recovery rate.

• Married couples where one or both spouses is an atheist experience a higher rate of divorce than those who don't.

• Atheists account for an unusually high percentage of the total number of people who died of AIDS since the 1980s.

 

It goes on and on ... not sure if all of the points that are in the post (and there seems to be 2 or 3 dozen points) came from this research paper, but if they came from anywhere with authority, it is a serious thing.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130827160107AAsyQFx