As an #atheist I have to wonder, how many centuries of conflict, persecution, poverty, hunger, despair and atonement do you endure before you begin to wonder if maybe you're not your deities favorite?
(Not picking sides, not aimed at any one belief system)
@chuck34108 That's quite a conversation isn't it? I feel like in a world where religion didn't exist we'd find other ways to be horrible to each other (classism, racism already exist). Maybe we'd kill each other over philosophy?
@Jess oh I don't think a world without religion would be heaven (full irony in play) but I just wonder why the more ppl suffer the more they think their the Ones.
@chuck34108 I think there are subtle differences to belief. Spiritual, Religious, Cult, and Extremism are how I categorize behaviors. A spiritual person looks for connection, a religious person looks for community... Cults and extremists look for control and inflicting pain.
@Jess yes but in these constant conflicts where all sides are saying they're the special ppl, how many centuries of this battle cry have to echo before you start to say "hey, wait a minute..."
As Will Varley sang:
"Well it doesn't take 'till we're painting caves,
Makin' some men kings and other men slaves,
Sayin' 'god is our reason, god is our leader,
God spoke to me and he told me to kill ya.'"
war and conflict happens for many reasons but this reason seems to be the one I would think ppl would start to question eventually.
If nothing changes, nothing changes
@chuck34108
I think this comes under, "Tell me about this god you don't believe in. Sounds like I don't believe in him, either."