It is good to have an opinion, right? Not only one but several! Tens or hundreds of the most varied opinions on topics, issues, problems, threats, solutions, people, places, animals, environment, celebrities, lifestyle, books, movies, etc... There is no better way to express our individuality than through opinions and views.
Of course, there are several ways to express our individuality. It can be direct, “artistic,” moderate or radical, respectful, or ignorant. The words we choose to express reflect on what we are (civilized people or pigs disguised as humans). No, that is wrong. Pigs are interesting animals because they are more useful than many people whom I had the misfortune to meet. Rather than “pigs disguised as humans,” why not “worms disguised as humans?”

What leads us to take a view on an issue, anyway? To almost everyone, there is a reality in which we operate. It is our social and psychological context, the sum of our experiences, as well as all numerous factors that may be influenced by different forms of knowledge and access to information.
My reality is quite varied. I live in a country where millions believe in talking animals such as snakes and mules. Moreover, there are people who believe faithfully that the position of the stars can actually influence our personality! Others believe that “demons” can take bodies of people, as if human beings were pieces of clothing. There are people who believe in life after death. There are even those who believe that the dead can communicate with the living.
Some believe in an ark that transported animals, in a man that could part the sea, in wine turned into water, in witches able to curse others, and in some deity that created our universe.

Some think that we must be good because there is a place called hell, that the world will end because there is an “Anti-Christ,” that evolution is a farce, that dinosaurs are an invention of the United States, that women are blamed for something that never happened, that homosexuals are the devil’s thing, and that men of a far away past were so wise that they could predict the future.
Finally, there is an entire “magical” universe that is around us. We are motivated by invisible beings so powerful that they make men act in the right or wrong way. Mankind suddenly stops being responsible for its actions and just be controlled by mysterious and hidden forces. Man hides from reality by using a religious pretext. But this, we know, he cannot completely do because this is weakness and cowardice – at least, from a psychological point of view.

But what is the sociological point of view of this? Can religiosity bring any benefit?
Yes, because religion allows the poorest and most ignorant to be controlled more effectively, without the use of violence, and reducing the government costs. Where there is hunger and misery, false opportunistic prophets emerge to take control of people.
This process is quite interesting because it seems very much like “voluntary slavery.” Actually, it is even more perverse because those who surrender to these religious criminals are paying to become stupid.
Is there a system of social control more efficient than that? Few dictatorships would be able to exert moral pressure as powerful as this. It’s brilliant!

Many argue that the poor are happy. We know they are not. The more people need religious “treatment,” the more unfortunate their state has been. This is the ultimate escape from reality. And that state of delirium never lasts very long, so they have to live in denial. Most of these people realize that this is wrong, but they will never admit the truth. Besides being unhealthy, it is a source of inexhaustible suffering.
But there is always a good side to everything, isn’t there? How is it possible for the strongest to control the weakest if it were not through religion? How does an absolute minority control an absolute majority? The fact is that the “weapons” are not as efficient when compared to the gods.
![]()
For some reason, even today, many prefer to believe blindly that we were created and not the opposite – that the supposed “Creator” is in fact a human creation.
LOL
Honestly, this piece has some of the things that prick our consciousness before we doze off at night. (Of course, I rarely sleep ’at night’ so I think about these any hour of the 24ever).
Brilliant message!
Let’s get rich in the name of the Lord!
backward, reactionary and authoritarian values like our world is the same as used to be by 200 years ago!
I wonder if he had any inkling as to how his followers would have twisted his intentions.
Fear that people discover that they oppressors were never right!
Thousands of people have perished and lots more continue to suffer because Omar al-Bashir has become a multi-billionaire while running a radical Islam state in Sudan.
Darfur is a glowing example of how Islam isn’t as impervious as its touted to be by its fundamentalists. Darfur is a clear example how twisted people can make twist Islam around. It is also a stark example of how Muslims can oppress others as well as their own kind.
That’s a clear message to all those who think that Islam can be impervious, pure, and pristine.
Why?
Because God said so.
And the leader God position must be rotative, because they cannot say all the time ”that happens because I say so”, it would generate a war among Gods, can you imagine that?
”Many argue that the poor are happy. We know they are not. The more people need religious “treatment,” the more unfortunate their state has been. This is the ultimate escape from reality. And that state of delirium never lasts very long, so they have to live in denial. Most of these people realize that this is wrong, but they will never admit the truth. Besides being unhealthy, it is a source of inexhaustible suffering.”
I know alot of fish in my country that use bikes.
:)Yes, religion is a greatest dope invented to manipulate and control!
What is the price of one gram of God?
The true is God is very like the people who believe in Him, it’s impossible to scape from that.
To be atheistic is necessary to be strong, it’s necessary to get free of thousands of years of mambo jambo. It’s not about to be or not to be cynical, but to be or not smart enough to try too see things how they really are.
If you don’t like it, grow up!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4CRkpBGQzU
The problem with religion arises when dishonest men throw the basic tenets out and use it for personal gain, like ”The Sale of Indulgence” conducted by the Catholic Church a while ago. Religion itself is made to teach us to desire to be better, and act better. Forget about those have abused it, and focus on the core of its ideals.
By the time one gets to 30, there should be no need for any kind of guidance whatsoever, religious or otherwise. At that stage whether its the priest, the psychologist, or even the activist, one should be done with being led, and become a leader themselves.
I don’t know where this is going, but what I have known from the start (that no one came to this forum to learn anything new, but to state their views) has become even clearer to me now.
I just wish that we could be a little thoughtful about it instead of making childish attacks. The one thing I am glad of is that it is relatively inconsequential what gets discussed here. Because, lets face it, I don’t see the chances that any of the leaders of the world, now or to come would be writing and reading comments on Instablogs (myself included). Our opinions are irrelevant and don’t matter in the affairs of the world.
We are all just a bunch of sheep who are lucky to have access to the internet. After coming on here and feeling important, were still gonna go right back to that mediocre job, serving our bosses. You may think you have a voice, but no one who matters even knows you exist. Your opinions about the world don’t matter, because you will never have the power to change anything about it. The chances of any one of us here at Instablogs becoming great are as thin as Paris Hilton’s legs. If yall wanna come on here and pose, thats your own cup of tea. But when the hype is past, remember that you’re just a lousy number: So dispensable, that there is an actual number your government (whether controlled by religion or not) has calculated to be the value of your life (look it up).
Whether it’s heartless of them or not is not the point, but that you are only worth so much, and that’s the number they use to decide whether or not taking steps to improve your life is worth it. It’s better to humble than to let your head swell with B.S.
Your response comes as an surprise!
You are free to ignore the posts you disagree or don’t like!
You are free to express what you feel is cool or uncool! But your comments suggest you are reacting and taking it personally.
World has place for everyone, believers, non-believers, atheists, agnostics, atheists wannabes...everyone has a right to present their viewpoint and enjoy discussions on instablogs.
Atheists, or ’Wannabe’ atheists atleast don’t have any fanatic or conversion agendas!
You may find strength in god, others may not! You want to defend basic premise of religion. Fine. But each religion has been misinterpreted and abused by its own followers! How come none of religious kind react to such abuse of the very faith they believe in by fellow followers/leaders of the faith?
B.S. is the idea of being created for some kind of giant alien that lives in the skies. B.S. is all the false myths we can find in a Bible.
Can you really believe that the world was created 5 or 6 thousand years ago? Can you really believe that there are magical creatures around us influencing our decisions? This is a lame excuse to act like a brainless sheep!
Anyway, no matter what you say, I’ll not stop write articles, even if nobody reads them. You were the one that came here and get all offended because someone disagree of you. This speech of yours is nothing but hate.
”Don’t be different, don’t think”, I know this kind of thought and used to be very common in Germany before War World II or in communist countries. So, what kind of dictatorship are you following?
The problem with freedom of expression is that people tend to throw aside the fact that words actually have some weight to them, even if they are spoken without authority. Think how often people get discouraged by listening to the wrong words.
If there’s anyone out there who is trying to make themselves a better person, by dedicating themselves to a higher power, then discouragement of that should not come from Instablogs, or any other place for that matter. I have no problem if anyone criticizes specific acts or institutions of religion that are being abused; I even pointed out ”The Sale of Indulgence” conducted by the Catholic Church a long time ago.
I myself don’t agree with blind religion (or blind atheism either). But we can’t just cast aside the whole concept. If you really want to go deep into theology, I can prove to you that the Bible did not claim the Earth is 5-6 thousand years old.
Religion is not about magic. It’s about the force of life that binds all things together and keeps things going. It’s about placing value on life and practicing life-promoting tenets. It’s not about worshiping beings and sacrificing things to them, but humbling oneself to see that there is more to life than the routines we practice. Whether it took 6 days or 6 billion years to create the Earth is not the issue, but that life is very precious and should be held at high value. That’s the meaning of religion. Everyone should seek to live a life that is positively inspiring to others, and practice humility. What could be better than this. If we all decide to ”liberate our minds” from the ideals of devoutness, would we be better for it? I don’t think so. I can predict that if people loose the opinion that life is sacred, there will be more atrocities carried out than any evil anyone attributes to religion.
I just woke up, getting ready for work, how did I miss so much?
The points you raised are what is called FAITH.
Religion is when the things you pointed out become vulnerable to various interpretations and misinterpretations.
I think this is precisely the message of the article.
We are all OK with faith. That need not be taught or hammered into us from the pulpit. People start to get ideas when that faith is sermonized and dogmatized by organized religion.
The article above does not criticize faith, only the dictatorial influence of organizations that use the faith of people to their advantage.
I’m in a Catholic country and this religion so far stand up against dictatorship and fight for human rights.
In the other hand, there are pentecostal groups that attack other religions, destroying other temples, fighting on the streets and supporting militia.
Those people claim to be chosen by God. And the only thing I see is millions of people being robbed and manipulated by greed pastors. C’mon, exorcism in 2008? Blinds seeing again? Former gay people?
This is wrong and should be forbidden. The way I see, in the world, intolerance is growing because of religion.
The reason why its hard for people to be ethical without religion is that in order to claim that life came into existence on its own by a fluke of physical and chemical factors, one has claim that life is an accident, and has no real purpose. In that case, the value of life becomes something that was assigned by man, and can be withdrawn by man. If people feel this way, then it becomes a free-for-all to take advantage of people as long punishment can be escaped.
There have been those who have managed to discipline themselves without religion, but in general, for people to hold life sacred, it is necessary that the value of life should be put beyond the limits of factors that man can control, because like I said, if there is nothing special about life, then there is nothing grave about abusing and manipulating it.
If an institution has to be created to instill moral values in people, then thats the way it should be. If we are honest, we know how many crimes we would commit if we did not have a law enforcement system. In the same way there needs to be a body instilling moral codes. As I have said, its not about miracles or magic, or deities and beings, but that there is something special about life that we cannot explain through our advanced Physics or Chemistry, and based on that, we have to treat life sacred.
I think so many have been burned by religion it has taken it’s toll...you are right, the world would be in a much worse position without the law of God..I don’t think we HAVE to have an interpertur.. There are and have been very good, loving, and humane leaders, but for the most part religious leaders are out to make a buck at everyone’s cost... I feel God and Religion are ofton a 2×1 deal, but it doesn’t have to be...by believing in God, you will seek to live accordingly (whichever God or high power you choose)...The Human and good of Humanity is in our devotion to our higher power, not in our devotion to a ”higher man” through religion.
What you called ”sacred” I call ”unique”. Deep down I guess you’re atheistic too!
Second and most important we believe those who slander the beliefs of others-and specially their Gods and prophets -are only ignorant and unfeeling brutes,and it is best to avoid discussion with them for you will be left with no alternative except to either behave the same -or leave such unsettling company like farihia did.i believe you gave a comment on this blog that she would never leave.Shame on you.
This poor guy Gabriel A must have found out what i mean.
You’ve encountered all the problems that one would attribute to religion. That it serves as a means to rule the majority is true to some degree. This seems especially right in the context of some of the countries that still are being governed under religious laws of one form or the other.
What I’m interested in are the sociological roots of religion. What social need gave man a reason to invent the creator needs a careful delving into.
That was a wonderful article but it seems all those who read it were so excited by the new information you fed them with, i whole heartedly agree with your opinion but on the other hand hurt, it is just the other day when i and another friend of mine were discussing how churches, men and women of the robe have turned out to be money mincing machines in Kenya.They have continually continued to milk more and more money from poor followers of their churches promising them more wealth if at all they were faithful while giving to the
’Lord. There was this lady who gave out everything she could to a extent that one day she started taking households to the Pastor. Can u imagine as a husband going back to your house only to find that your wife has given out your expensive fridge since she wanted to go to heaven? It so unfortunate what religion can drive us to, i wish you would see the kind of cars some of the preachers drive here while their followers continue to live in abject poverty since most of them are slum dwellers. Its only God who will save us.
This sad reality you’ve mentioned is happening here too. And these pastors here collaborate with armed militia and traffickers bringing a worse problem.
What they do is not teach people to be good, but instead, they are greed people taking advantage of poor people.
Either way, religion is not going to make them any worthwhile. As a matter of fact if sufficient number were to see through the fact that we do not need a being that’s beyond us all, And that life might be after all, just what we do as routine then perhaps we could change the way the world functions.
True religion is whatever you may construe it to mean.
Believe me you couldn’t change yourself even if you wanted to-without help.And if you havn’t learnt that yet,you soon will.
Local Opinions (22)
You must know that I was possessed when I wrote this article, otherwise, how could I say such lies about the order of the universe?
Let’s get rich in the name of the Lord!
backward, reactionary and authoritarian values like our world is the same as used to be by 200 years ago!
Fear that people discover that they oppressors were never right!
And the leader God position must be rotative, because they cannot say all the time ”that happens because I say so”, it would generate a war among Gods, can you imagine that?
What is the price of one gram of God?
The true is God is very like the people who believe in Him, it’s impossible to scape from that.
To be atheistic is necessary to be strong, it’s necessary to get free of thousands of years of mambo jambo. It’s not about to be or not to be cynical, but to be or not smart enough to try too see things how they really are.
If you don’t like it, grow up!
B.S. is the idea of being created for some kind of giant alien that lives in the skies. B.S. is all the false myths we can find in a Bible.
Can you really believe that the world was created 5 or 6 thousand years ago? Can you really believe that there are magical creatures around us influencing our decisions? This is a lame excuse to act like a brainless sheep!
Anyway, no matter what you say, I’ll not stop write articles, even if nobody reads them. You were the one that came here and get all offended because someone disagree of you. This speech of yours is nothing but hate.
”Don’t be different, don’t think”, I know this kind of thought and used to be very common in Germany before War World II or in communist countries. So, what kind of dictatorship are you following?
I’m in a Catholic country and this religion so far stand up against dictatorship and fight for human rights.
In the other hand, there are pentecostal groups that attack other religions, destroying other temples, fighting on the streets and supporting militia.
Those people claim to be chosen by God. And the only thing I see is millions of people being robbed and manipulated by greed pastors. C’mon, exorcism in 2008? Blinds seeing again? Former gay people?
This is wrong and should be forbidden. The way I see, in the world, intolerance is growing because of religion.
This sad reality you’ve mentioned is happening here too. And these pastors here collaborate with armed militia and traffickers bringing a worse problem.
What they do is not teach people to be good, but instead, they are greed people taking advantage of poor people.
What you called ”sacred” I call ”unique”. Deep down I guess you’re atheistic too!
Global Opinions (48)
LOL
Honestly, this piece has some of the things that prick our consciousness before we doze off at night. (Of course, I rarely sleep ’at night’ so I think about these any hour of the 24ever).
Brilliant message!
I wonder if he had any inkling as to how his followers would have twisted his intentions.
”Many argue that the poor are happy. We know they are not. The more people need religious “treatment,” the more unfortunate their state has been. This is the ultimate escape from reality. And that state of delirium never lasts very long, so they have to live in denial. Most of these people realize that this is wrong, but they will never admit the truth. Besides being unhealthy, it is a source of inexhaustible suffering.”
Thousands of people have perished and lots more continue to suffer because Omar al-Bashir has become a multi-billionaire while running a radical Islam state in Sudan.
Darfur is a glowing example of how Islam isn’t as impervious as its touted to be by its fundamentalists. Darfur is a clear example how twisted people can make twist Islam around. It is also a stark example of how Muslims can oppress others as well as their own kind.
That’s a clear message to all those who think that Islam can be impervious, pure, and pristine.
Why?
Because God said so.
:)Yes, religion is a greatest dope invented to manipulate and control!
I know alot of fish in my country that use bikes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4CRkpBGQzU
You’ve encountered all the problems that one would attribute to religion. That it serves as a means to rule the majority is true to some degree. This seems especially right in the context of some of the countries that still are being governed under religious laws of one form or the other.
What I’m interested in are the sociological roots of religion. What social need gave man a reason to invent the creator needs a careful delving into.
The problem with religion arises when dishonest men throw the basic tenets out and use it for personal gain, like ”The Sale of Indulgence” conducted by the Catholic Church a while ago. Religion itself is made to teach us to desire to be better, and act better. Forget about those have abused it, and focus on the core of its ideals.
By the time one gets to 30, there should be no need for any kind of guidance whatsoever, religious or otherwise. At that stage whether its the priest, the psychologist, or even the activist, one should be done with being led, and become a leader themselves.
I don’t know where this is going, but what I have known from the start (that no one came to this forum to learn anything new, but to state their views) has become even clearer to me now.
I just wish that we could be a little thoughtful about it instead of making childish attacks. The one thing I am glad of is that it is relatively inconsequential what gets discussed here. Because, lets face it, I don’t see the chances that any of the leaders of the world, now or to come would be writing and reading comments on Instablogs (myself included). Our opinions are irrelevant and don’t matter in the affairs of the world.
We are all just a bunch of sheep who are lucky to have access to the internet. After coming on here and feeling important, were still gonna go right back to that mediocre job, serving our bosses. You may think you have a voice, but no one who matters even knows you exist. Your opinions about the world don’t matter, because you will never have the power to change anything about it. The chances of any one of us here at Instablogs becoming great are as thin as Paris Hilton’s legs. If yall wanna come on here and pose, thats your own cup of tea. But when the hype is past, remember that you’re just a lousy number: So dispensable, that there is an actual number your government (whether controlled by religion or not) has calculated to be the value of your life (look it up).
Whether it’s heartless of them or not is not the point, but that you are only worth so much, and that’s the number they use to decide whether or not taking steps to improve your life is worth it. It’s better to humble than to let your head swell with B.S.
Your response comes as an surprise!
You are free to ignore the posts you disagree or don’t like!
You are free to express what you feel is cool or uncool! But your comments suggest you are reacting and taking it personally.
World has place for everyone, believers, non-believers, atheists, agnostics, atheists wannabes...everyone has a right to present their viewpoint and enjoy discussions on instablogs.
Atheists, or ’Wannabe’ atheists atleast don’t have any fanatic or conversion agendas!
You may find strength in god, others may not! You want to defend basic premise of religion. Fine. But each religion has been misinterpreted and abused by its own followers! How come none of religious kind react to such abuse of the very faith they believe in by fellow followers/leaders of the faith?
The problem with freedom of expression is that people tend to throw aside the fact that words actually have some weight to them, even if they are spoken without authority. Think how often people get discouraged by listening to the wrong words.
If there’s anyone out there who is trying to make themselves a better person, by dedicating themselves to a higher power, then discouragement of that should not come from Instablogs, or any other place for that matter. I have no problem if anyone criticizes specific acts or institutions of religion that are being abused; I even pointed out ”The Sale of Indulgence” conducted by the Catholic Church a long time ago.
I myself don’t agree with blind religion (or blind atheism either). But we can’t just cast aside the whole concept. If you really want to go deep into theology, I can prove to you that the Bible did not claim the Earth is 5-6 thousand years old.
Religion is not about magic. It’s about the force of life that binds all things together and keeps things going. It’s about placing value on life and practicing life-promoting tenets. It’s not about worshiping beings and sacrificing things to them, but humbling oneself to see that there is more to life than the routines we practice. Whether it took 6 days or 6 billion years to create the Earth is not the issue, but that life is very precious and should be held at high value. That’s the meaning of religion. Everyone should seek to live a life that is positively inspiring to others, and practice humility. What could be better than this. If we all decide to ”liberate our minds” from the ideals of devoutness, would we be better for it? I don’t think so. I can predict that if people loose the opinion that life is sacred, there will be more atrocities carried out than any evil anyone attributes to religion.
I just woke up, getting ready for work, how did I miss so much?
The points you raised are what is called FAITH.
Religion is when the things you pointed out become vulnerable to various interpretations and misinterpretations.
I think this is precisely the message of the article.
We are all OK with faith. That need not be taught or hammered into us from the pulpit. People start to get ideas when that faith is sermonized and dogmatized by organized religion.
The article above does not criticize faith, only the dictatorial influence of organizations that use the faith of people to their advantage.
That was a wonderful article but it seems all those who read it were so excited by the new information you fed them with, i whole heartedly agree with your opinion but on the other hand hurt, it is just the other day when i and another friend of mine were discussing how churches, men and women of the robe have turned out to be money mincing machines in Kenya.They have continually continued to milk more and more money from poor followers of their churches promising them more wealth if at all they were faithful while giving to the
’Lord. There was this lady who gave out everything she could to a extent that one day she started taking households to the Pastor. Can u imagine as a husband going back to your house only to find that your wife has given out your expensive fridge since she wanted to go to heaven? It so unfortunate what religion can drive us to, i wish you would see the kind of cars some of the preachers drive here while their followers continue to live in abject poverty since most of them are slum dwellers. Its only God who will save us.
The reason why its hard for people to be ethical without religion is that in order to claim that life came into existence on its own by a fluke of physical and chemical factors, one has claim that life is an accident, and has no real purpose. In that case, the value of life becomes something that was assigned by man, and can be withdrawn by man. If people feel this way, then it becomes a free-for-all to take advantage of people as long punishment can be escaped.
There have been those who have managed to discipline themselves without religion, but in general, for people to hold life sacred, it is necessary that the value of life should be put beyond the limits of factors that man can control, because like I said, if there is nothing special about life, then there is nothing grave about abusing and manipulating it.
If an institution has to be created to instill moral values in people, then thats the way it should be. If we are honest, we know how many crimes we would commit if we did not have a law enforcement system. In the same way there needs to be a body instilling moral codes. As I have said, its not about miracles or magic, or deities and beings, but that there is something special about life that we cannot explain through our advanced Physics or Chemistry, and based on that, we have to treat life sacred.
I think so many have been burned by religion it has taken it’s toll...you are right, the world would be in a much worse position without the law of God..I don’t think we HAVE to have an interpertur.. There are and have been very good, loving, and humane leaders, but for the most part religious leaders are out to make a buck at everyone’s cost... I feel God and Religion are ofton a 2×1 deal, but it doesn’t have to be...by believing in God, you will seek to live accordingly (whichever God or high power you choose)...The Human and good of Humanity is in our devotion to our higher power, not in our devotion to a ”higher man” through religion.
Either way, religion is not going to make them any worthwhile. As a matter of fact if sufficient number were to see through the fact that we do not need a being that’s beyond us all, And that life might be after all, just what we do as routine then perhaps we could change the way the world functions.
True religion is whatever you may construe it to mean.
Second and most important we believe those who slander the beliefs of others-and specially their Gods and prophets -are only ignorant and unfeeling brutes,and it is best to avoid discussion with them for you will be left with no alternative except to either behave the same -or leave such unsettling company like farihia did.i believe you gave a comment on this blog that she would never leave.Shame on you.
This poor guy Gabriel A must have found out what i mean.
Believe me you couldn’t change yourself even if you wanted to-without help.And if you havn’t learnt that yet,you soon will.
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You must know that I was possessed when I wrote this article, otherwise, how could I say such lies about the order of the universe?