Is Religion Simply A Security Blanket? INTELLIGENT Discussion With NO FLAMING

Also, another question to those with religious back rounds...

Does god only abide the human race? What happens to the cows, dogs, cats, fish, birds, etc?

As well, do you believe that the human race populated across the world at a similar time?

If the human race populated in one very specific location, wouldn't excessive sex within family result to many genetic mutations?

Is it coincidence or reason that those that live/living along the equator have darker skin due to a more intensive heat from the sun, while those living in cooler zones are of lighter skin? Is this proof that humans were all the same and evolved differently?

While I do not dismiss god from any of these equations, what do you believe his role was in them? I am a firm believer of physics and the laws of science, so how can god be put into the problems that could arise from inbreeding?

Also, for the above poster with the signature that says this...
Science is nothing but an organised system of ignorance.

Do you deny that science has made the quality of life in general much better as it has in the past? Science is just the knowledge of how the physical world works...is there a reason to go against it?

I do not wish to debate with anyone with my previous questions as I only want views. I am only stating my view and would enjoy those of a more religious back round to enlighten me with their thoughts.

Alas, I do not wish to go off topic with this thread...I just think that having asked and answered some questions I said apart from the ones you have asked will give a deeper meaning to me and the posts I read.

reply to post by FritosBBQTwist


There's a difference between religion and KNOWING God.
Religion is the people you decide to organize with. To gain knowledge from and SHARE the Lord's presence after YOU BECOME A SON OR DAUGHTER OF GOD.

As for science, well, some have had a monopoly for a long time and people like Tesla and
Caisse died with much of their knowledge.
Now, the FDA and the AMA think they have the whole of common sense.



[edit on 21-9-2008 by Clearskies]

reply to post by Dave Rabbit


1. No
2. Yes
3. Yes

I too among other people think that we still don't know the whole truth about our existence and the reasons we were created. Probably God knows but for some reasons he will not or cannot reveal the whole truth about the matter. Reasons for that if He is loving and caring would be that the whole truth would be damaging unless we meet some criteria or reach some certain level of something, perhaps some sort of cleansing. Since childhood we learn that God is not the only player in the field, there is also a deceiver. From what would a deceiver have a need to deceive us from? What is God seems relactunt to tell us and why? Is it all about our true nature? If our nature is greater than we think then what comes with that revelation? Possibly added responsibilities. Will we play a greater role in Creation? If yes then why? Why us? God then would have to answer "Why not? It wasn't my initial choice that you would have to go through what you are going now, but it was a possibility". So, is God making experiments? If yes then what kind of experiment are we? Something like a fail safe device for the balance of the Cosmos to be kept safe no matter what happens against any odds? Is God learning from us?

What Church is telling us is that there are rituals to be followed because they have a pure practical value also. They are offered as "shielding". A man can follow them without even being a 100% good christian, he/she will have a relevant level of protection.
Lets remember that God never really forced anyone to do anything, Church is. Yet He would be pissed (probably) if someone would try to stop them doing their practice, for pure practical reasons. Who else is going to be His emissary? The Federal Reserve? Even the Church is struggling to keep a straight face, imagine someone even less capable.

Oh, Wait! Church is supposed to be here because we don't like to take responsibilities.

I am still struggling to understand all these things myself but this is the whole story as I understand it.

It seems that were in a dire straits as a human race, we believe in an all powerful God where He could get us out of trouble in the blink of an eye, yet he doesn't. Who knows maybe some things are not practical even if you are a God by yourself.

If some things might not practical even for God, I can't imagine what level of responsibility is required even for us.

Lets face it. # happens. We are in it. Lets make the best of it. We are probably denying the whole issue because we are afraid of what comes next.


[edit on 21-9-2008 by spacebot]

reply to post by Dave Rabbit

1. Are people religious because they really believe?

2. Do they simply go through the motions because they are too afraid of the consequences .... just in case there is a Heaven or Hell?

3. Is it simply a security blanket because they want to believe that there is something better after they die and would be miserable if they didn’t believe there was something at the end of the religious rainbow?

1.) Some people actually believe, others are there for socializing, and others for a huge number of other reasons.

2.) Those who actually believe understand the difference between heaven and hell. Those who do not are just paying it lip service in my opinion.

3.) Most folks don't care about their afterlife. Most only pay attention to I,ME,MY ...SELF ... and don't care anything at all about a Creator until they are faced with loss.

I've read most of the posts in this very interesting thread. If anything,
the many and varied responses are some indication of how special we
all are. God created everyone as a special spirit.

I was raised as a Baptist/Christian in a small (pop. 30,000) town in
Michigan. We were all taught to love God and Jesus, but there was no
teaching from the pastor about being "saved". Most members knew
each other and many smoked, fooled around, partied, etc.. I viewed
church as a social place where we learned about the love of God, but
there were no real "rules", other than to love and help your fellow man
whenever you could.

After serving 4 years in the US Navy and meeting my wife-to-be in
1980, she introduced me to her church and family. They believed in
being "saved" to avoid hell. Being Saved meant no smoking, cussing,
drinking, wearing of jewelry, etc.. If you did any of these things you
were a "backslider" and were destined for hell's fire if you died before
repenting.

Eventually, she matured enough to grow out of this type of legalism
and we found that non-denominational churches which taught God's
love and the necessity of being Saved were far better balanced. We
attend such a church now. The pastor teaches that we're all imperfect,
and will allways be that way while in the human body. Since sins are
a part of human nature, we will all sin, even if it's being over-weight,
or driving faster than the speed limit. But God understands and
forgives.

Now that I'm in my upper 40's, the problem I'm having with ALL religions
is that each one of them truly believes that theirs is the ONLY way to
heaven.

Take Christianity, for example. Christians are only 30% of the world's
overall population according to a poll from a few years ago. Using the
Christian logic, 70% of the people who die every day are enroute to
hell, because they were not "saved" by the blood of Jesus.

Since all religions believe that God knows what actions we're going to
take in this life, even before we are born, the world's religions are, in
effect saying that God is creating children every second of every day
who are going to hell. He knows who they are, but keeps birthing them
into this life anyway.

Personally, I can't see God as being this sinister and evil. It would be
beyond belief for a loving God to bring Joe, Mary, Pablo, Yengsun, etc..
into this life, knowing in advance that these folks, his creations, will spend
eternity burning and suffering after their brief life on Earth.

At age 46, I'm now seeking another type of church, or group, that
teaches that GOD LOVES ALL HIS HUMAN CREATIONS...period. I suppose
in this type of church there wouldn't be much for the Pastor to talk about,
but so be it. It seems that those who have experienced Near Death see
God in this way. I'll keep researching to see if there is an organization
which teaches that God is much bigger than the narrow-minded evil
creationist most religions paint him as.

A huge thanks to Mr. Dave Rabbit for getting this thread started and
keeping it fun and informative to read. Everyone in my immediate and
extended family scorns me for thinking the way I do now. Even though
this may not be read by anyone, it felt saying how I feel without being
chastised for it. :-) -CWM (Chicago)

yup comes down to love as yeah right said

or in other words acting with good intentions

the biggest difference and i could be wrong is that most religious people give "god" the credit (instead of themselves?) for creating things in there lives (also takes responsibility away from other's in some cases which helps keep skeletons in closet's)

where as i attribute things to MYSELF tapping into the "loving infinite energy/ supreme power" and it's creative ability to manifest in ALL of our lives and our ability to harness it thru various beliefs

[edit on 21-9-2008 by cpdaman]

Always trying to reason the soul, rational man cannot fathom.

Originally posted by FritosBBQTwist
Also, for the above poster with the signature that says this...
Science is nothing but an organised system of ignorance.

Do you deny that science has made the quality of life in general much better as it has in the past? Science is just the knowledge of how the physical world works...is there a reason to go against it?

science is the THEORY of how the physical world works.

And its people who have made the quality of life in general much better with love, compassion, empathy, selflessness these are the quality of which God told us to embrace because without these qualities all of the science in the world cant save us from our own doom.

I do believe that religion is a security blanket... and the basis for western civilization.

Like it or not the ten commandments are the basis for western law and Koranic teachings are the basis for law in other countries.

Religion gives us moral values. If we had only humanism then we would have no use for ideas, things, and people that do not benefit us.

Religion gives allows us to move away from "relative-ism" where as long as you can justify your actions they are not "bad" they are understandable.

Does religion help us feel better and secure? Yes.

But, I would like to put forward a question as well.

If you are a religious person and you lead a life that fulfills religious "obligations" and you find after death there is no god. What do you lose?

If you are an atheist and you live a "good" life, but when you die you find there is a god and a heaven. What have you lost?

By that I would say that having religion and doing good by it gives more utility than not and in the end no matter the out come for the here after you have only to gain.

As to what is good and bad and what religion is the right one.... That is a personal question question, that thankfully is not covered here....

Thank you NO FLAMMING rule

reply to post by Dave Rabbit


I can't speak for anyone but me - definitely NOT a security blanket - My family were nominal "christians" ...mum sent me to church every Sunday but only went herself on the high holy days - Xmas and Easter...

I had a calling at a very young age and ran with it - got a lot of ridicule for it especially from my mother...so belief does in no way represent security for me because my experience is that when you truly have faith the adversary is on your a$$ like white on rice...


Devastating events transpired in my life that drove me away from the "church" - I put that in quotations cause most people think a church is the sect they belong to and the building they hold services in...I have since learned that the church is me and other believers no matter where we sit our butts on the sabbath on any other day but back to my journey...I became a serious student of the occult and eventually became a buddhist for some twenty or so years - one night as I sat chanting I began to see a vision in my mind of Christ - couldn't make Him go away - tried meditating on the thousand buddhas at my back and chanting some more - no luck - finally I stood up and said okay "what the hell do you want???" the room took on a very strange atmosphere and I felt a wave of love so intense that I thought I would fall over...

that was my first encounter with the Holy Spirit...so I went back to "church" - found one I could stomach and joined a Bible study group...the "church" was not my cuppa tea but my little group of friends that met for study once a week was absolute gold....then some folk moved away and I relocated to another state as well and having never really regained my taste for "church" stayed away from fellowship with other believers finding most a little too pious...Pharasees are alive an well in todays world....

then I met a teacher, a bible scholar, and truly inspired apostle of God - doesn't have a huge ministry or anything like that - just a brilliant teacher - he taught me how to pray, how to resist the adversary, how to depend on the Holy Spirit for guidance and the renewing of my mind in study of the word...how to think outside of the box the way Yeshuah did - how to listen ( and I'm still working on that..lol)...

and since then my walk has been deepening everyday...I know people talk about heaven and the afterlife but I truly have my reward right here and now just to be able to walk in the newness of life...so whatever comes after will be fine...I don't fear death cause its been conquered - I don't fear the adversary cause he's a hamstrung loser...and he has to listen when I rebuke him in Yeshuah's name... sometimes I marvel at the gobbdlygook people come with in regards to the Bible and I know people have been betrayed by the church - I was too -so I know exactly how it feels - but a "church" isn't God, a pastor isn't God, a priest didn't die for me or speak to my heart...People make it hard when its so simple....

the spiritual mind, the spiritual kingdom operates differently from the natural - and no amount of explaining or apologetics will suffice unless one takes the plunge...so as the natural mind would look at faith as a security blanket - the spiritual mind knows that true faith sets you on the path to the "unknown country"...takes you to the gates of chapel perilous and into another world where there are no nets and "having done all therefore, to stand", you stand...

reply to post by Dave Rabbit


In my experience with a life in Christ, the hindrance was the religion!

To me, as far as I have experienced, all religion is basically an organization, that man interprets what others are to believe. I thought this, and never experienced any evidence of what this God promised to be, through any religion, so I gave up!

To cut a long story short, many years later, I challenged Jesus to prove to me He is real! Just at home, in my bedroom! I was very broken at this time!

Anyway, He did, and blew me away. A truly supernatural experience!

Its not the religion! Its the relationship of love to Him, and others around me now! This was something I didn't do! He did it! I just let go!

When He did this, immediately a new consciousness was reality was very apparent! This again, was not something I did!
Reality actually changed! It was awesome!

But anyway, that's my story! No one can prove God, but God Himself to the individual! Religion most certainly does not!

The reason I love ATS is that I see the confirmation more and more of Gods word becoming complete, just in the way He said it would!

Anyway, that's just my story and experience briefly!

I'm not religious and never have been. I have an unbreakable belief that the cycle of life, stars, and our universe is all completely natural. I won't say it was hands down the big bang theory but I would never say it came from an all powerful being. I definitely think that religion is a security blanket for most people who fear death or at least won't accept that when you die that that is it because it's is impossible to comprehend what nothing is, which is where the afterlife idea came from, the belief that your spirit continues after your body fails. There are those other people who found religion during times of crisis where the belief in God gave them the will to push on. I respect religion for that reason.
But, religion has been kind of an exclusive sort of deal where if you don't believe in God that you go to Hell, whatever they think hell is (going through life is hell for me, in a good sense). Or the Muslim extremists who are convinced that if you drag people down with you that you get 14 virgins (or something like that) in Heaven. There is also the fact that some Christians seem to be pregidous against Jews even though their lord and savior was one of them. That is where religion makes me mad. Religion has turned into (for most, not all) just another reason to hate and I stand firm on that.

I am convinced ghosts are real but I don't think it has anything to do with God or something of the sort, I just don't know what exactly they are or why they exist.

I am jealous of religion in one way and that is that you get to see a lot of people and me being atheist has to be a strong individual. Which brings me to another opinion. There are a ton of people who rely on religion to tell them what to do, like "spread God's word and enlighten others to his presence" kind of crap. The world would be a phenomenal place to be if priests preached to follow Jesus's words for peace and also told kids to do well in school or told adults that if they wanted to make "God" think that giving them a life was a good decision that they should work hard to bring prosperity to themselves, their children, and everyone they know, but no you don't hear that and in fact, I know many people who are total failures, take this one guy for example, he has 4 kids, 3 of which live basically impoverished, the other lives with his bio mom, he is a drunk who smokes 3 packs a day and goes to the bar 5 days a week, and thinks it's all his wife's fault, oh but it's ok though because he has God so everything will be all right. There are some people out there who believe that as long as they believe in God that they will go to their precious little heaven no matter how much they suck at life, or how many people's lives they destroy.

Ok so i have for the first time ever ranted about the pro's and con's of religion. I will end on the note that people who try to debate me about religion and try to show me the evidence that their deity who(what)ever he may be is real that I couldn't care less about the evidence. It's more about common sense more than anything and yes I deny the possible of a great creator because if God was real and he created this infinitely massive universe then why, WHY would he choose Earth of all planets to be his toy, that must mean that life on other planets is impossible since "God" only seems to care about the lives of humans, the most senseless bunch of bumbling idiots in the galaxy. I say that because we are ALWAYS too caught up in our personal lives to look outside the box, to see that our everyday dramas aren't important should be directed at the bigger and realer issues at hand here. Rational Humans cannot think irrationally so we made god to compensate for all those unknowns. such a shame we began fighting over it.
1: few
2:most
3:most

Cheers!


[edit on 22-9-2008 by MoothyKnight]

I guess I'm in the same boat as you, Dave. I'm an agnostic by choice, and was a die-hard Roman Catholic up until about a year ago. Here is my story...

One of the biggest things that didn't bode well with me was actually when I was in second grade, receiving my first communion. This, as I'm sure you're very well aware, is a very hyped up event in a young Catholic's life. We took my whole religion class year to prepare for this glorious event. So the day rolls around and we get all dressed up, our parents were there, mothers crying, and we sit anxiously in the pews waiting to receive the body of Christ. Well, my turn rolls around and the father says "The body of Christ." I respond with a humble "Amen." The wafer goes into my mouth, and mind you I truly believe that this is going to give me the biggest feeling of joy, as I had been told it would. And you know, the feeling that I felt wasn't joy. Oddly enough, the feeling I felt was disappointment. In the end it was just a mildly stale wafer, nothing more.

This was supposed to be the body of my savior, and it did not have life altering effects as I had envisioned it would.

I want to believe in God, I really do, I just have not had that eye opening experience that Semper had. I want that experience, but God knows if we truly believe in Him or not and that's something I do not want to lie about. So until that time comes, I will not falsely believe in God.


[edit on 22-9-2008 by Ketzer22]

reply to post by Dave Rabbit


my thoughts :

1. I personally believe that a vast majority of people only believe in a particular faith because they were brought up in it, and by extension religion itself.

2. Sure. I can't even tell you how many sermons i heard at a young age talking about fire and brimstone and punishment for the wicked(even if it was just a lie) for eternity. eternity is a hell of a long time. compare that to the 70-100(if you're lucky) years you live, i'd call that disproportionate response. a god who works like that is a sadistic pig and doesn't deserve your worship.

3. I'd say for most it is a security blanket, they find it depressing that this is all we get. they want to feel special.



I'm religious(non-abrahamic religion) not because i was brought up in it, but because i researched all the religions that interested me and the religion of my family and chose the one that suited and called to me. much to the disappointment of my mother and grandfather lol. in fact for a few years i was an atheist.

religion is a tricky subject, mostly because none of it can currently be proven as fact, other than people have and do believe in them. I personally believe we are more than physical, we dont really know much about consciousness and how it arises and what exactly it is besides i think therefore i am. I also believe that if people, regardless of faith stopped the prosteletising and just worshipped their respective gods and holidays we'd all be a lot happier and there'd be less conflict over it.

reply to post by Dave Rabbit


if you believe that someone or something created everything then you are not agnostic..you are a deist..an agnostic is someone who simply admits they dont know if there is a creator or not...

me...there is no evidence for a creator..therefore im an atheist..its the common sense standpoint..everything else is just wishful thinking..lazy reasoning..and ignorance.

Originally posted by Dave Rabbit
1. Are people religious because they really believe?

In most cases I don't believe so. From what I've observed, even the people that really seem to be sticking to their guns in terms of belief often use shields of illogic. They often do not, and perhaps cannot, fathom the thought process that leads to atheism, and therefore a discussion of such leads to all sorts of ignorant comments.

2. Do they simply go through the motions because they are too afraid of the consequences .... just in case there is a Heaven or Hell?

I believe many are indeed in this boat. The very possibility that hell could be real is terrifying. This fear can completely override the brain's ability to process the monumental logical fallacy of "hell" and "damnation's rules" in the judeo christian sense. Perhaps there is a dumping ground for irredeamably sociopathic consiousnesses after corporeal existance, but to think that the belief, or lack thereof, in a completely unprovable (and most likely fictional) historical character's divinity is a determining factor as to whether or not a consiousness will wind up in this dumping ground is warped thinking that can only be caused by acute brainwashing.

3. Is it simply a security blanket because they want to believe that there is something better after they die and would be miserable if they didn’t believe there was something at the end of the religious rainbow?

This too is possible because most people aren't capable of coming to terms with the finality of death, and the reality that no one knows just what it is to die. If you let go of religion you are left with a question mark, and the only knowable thing concerning death is that it is an end.


Bottom line is, I'm an agnostic, atheistic, scientific spiritualist. The truth of death is that you will go back to the universe. It is the state you were in before you were concieved. As to how complicated that reality is is anyone's guess, but even if there is a hint of your essence that continues in some fashion after the human body dies, whether it be as an individual or a return to the source, I just cannot reconcile that with religion or even a creator entity.
I'm basically saying that there's a 70% chance that reality is more complicated then we can imagine, and that it might take a few thousand years of technological, intellectual, and spiritual growth to truly understand.

Any way you slice it, you've got to enjoy the ride. And hopefully you're inclined to do good for the sake of doing good, or at least for the glory of it.

Originally posted by Dave Rabbit

1. Are people religious because they really believe?

2. Do they simply go through the motions because they are too afraid of the consequences .... just in case there is a Heaven or Hell?

3. Is it simply a security blanket because they want to believe that there is something better after they die and would be miserable if they didn’t believe there was something at the end of the religious rainbow?

I decided to answer before I had seen anyone else's response, to make sure it was my words and only my words that came out.

1) I am not religious because I really don't believe. I think most people who are religious are so because they really do believe. One reason I think so is that people who are religious tend to ask the same question of me: "are you really not religious because you don't believe? Are you sure it isn't because you're angry at God/the Church/society/the status quo?" They have as hard a time fully understanding my nonbelief as I do their belief.

2) I think most people have a hard time imagining that they might go to hell, even if they fully believe it exists. My impression has been that people are more concerned about remaining on a good footing with God during this life rather than after death.

3) I think fear of oblivion is probably a big factor in religiosity, but not the only one. Too many people believe in a life after death without being religious for me to see this as a major factor tying people to organized religion.

I expect them to believe that I don't believe in God, heaven, hell, or an afterlife, so who am I to decide that they don't really believe what they say they believe.

EDIT: I'm glad I put my thoughts down before I read through all the posts, but reading them has definitely made me want to respond to some of what I've seen. What I wrote above has remained as I wrote it after having read nothing but the OP; what comes below is further thoughts. Feel free to skip them altogether

Firstly: thank you, Dave, for opening up on this issue, for asking to hear us, and for keeping this thread a safe place for people to open up.

Although I consider myself agnostic and do not believe in God, I believe the pattern of the universe is more powerful than we are, and I will never be able to comprehend it. I have faith that the world is as it is, and that it is good that it is this way. I don't mean that details, like the U.S. government or Wall St. shenanigans, are good or should not be fought against. I just mean that the way things work fit together to form a beautiful whole. I think perhaps this sort of faith is what you (Dave R.) describe earlier in the thread when you talk about being on the beach, and feeling at peace.

I've talked about this in other threads too, a little, but I'll share it here also. My closest friend is a devout Catholic, and I have watched his transformation over the last six years from lapsed Catholic to potential friar from a privileged position. It has given me new respect for organized religion, something I have never had. He voluntarily follows most of the pre-Vatican II Church practices (no meat on Fridays, mass every day taken on an empty stomach, reads Matins and Vespers on the way to and from work every day, sings in the choir, Confession around once a month, no sacrament if he has committed the sort of sin you're not supposed to take sacrament after) -- all the things that I have always looked down my nose at as earthly trappings and in fact traps, used by the hierarchical clerical structure to keep the commoners at arm's length from God, and under their thumb.

What I have seen is that he has become more fully himself than I could have dreamed. For him, these "trappings" are pathways -- what I imagined bound people gives him increasing opportunities to approach and explore the divine, and his relation to the divine. He has found spiritual advisers in the church who are able to help him relearn some of the "punitive Catholicism" he was taught as a boy, to begin to understand forgiveness rather than just sin. It has forced me to rethink my entire view of organized religion -- to look at it as practice rather than institution.

In turn, that helps me to develop practices that strengthen my own variety of faith, and find new ways to explore the wonder that is consciousness and the beauty that is the universe, to incorporate the physical world and ritual in my spiritual life.

One final note: for various reasons, I've heard a lot of lapsed Catholics discuss their anger at the Church through the years. I also listened to a friend's feelings about the fringe church his grandmother had taken him to for exorcism when he was 13, and I have seen the scars across his back from the experience. But the single most angry lapsed believer I have ever seen was a former Tibetan Buddhist.


[edit on 9/22/08 by americandingbat]

[edit on 9/22/08 by americandingbat]

I think one thing to remember, and I try to apply this to everything in life (I'm a Libra ),
Is that while to some of us peering in at religion from the outside it may seem insane and obviously has nothing to do with the true nature of things,
for those of you brought up on it, you probably see things very differently. Your whole reality and ways of thinking has been molded since an early age.

Get someone from the age of 20 living in Japan to come to America. They'll always still hold onto some aspects of their Japanese culture and ways of thinking.
The same thing definitely applies to religion.

I don't think many of us on the outside can truly understand religion and why people adhere to it.

I'm not sure what my point there was. = /
Maybe it's that 'some people don't use it as a security blanket, it's just ingrained into their psyche'?

I started to read the OP, and began to think... I skipped up everything in between so as to not get second opinions or drill into my own opinions of what I thought.

I was taught by the baptist church as a child, I didn't listen much though. I know the christian, and catholic religion from my own research.

I'm sitting here wondering what the OP wants to know exactly... I imagine an answer to faith? I'm not sure at all what one would conceive from a post of this manner... The OP seems to know what a belief system is but regards it as nothing I suppose.

A belief system is nothing if you don't believe. A faith based belief system is so out of your own realm to even consider the idea others speak to you about it is ....condescending of your own self.

Not to deter from your main questions I'll give my insight.


1. Are people religious because they really believe? Who wants to know? Seriously if you have to ask then you have no intentions of believing in the first place. So the question itself is sort of stupid. To answer I'll gander yea most people do believe in it. I can't understand such a large following if the people following were just guessing on a hunch...

2. Do they simply go through the motions because they are too afraid of the consequences .... just in case there is a Heaven or Hell? This is truely a stupid question...referencing question #1 your inclination is some may believe it so umm yea...wow. You know I don't even buy into any of this crap, but the questions you pose really are garbage.

3. Is it simply a security blanket because they want to believe that there is something better after they die and would be miserable if they didn’t believe there was something at the end of the religious rainbow? Again you follow with yet another crap question....I honestly can not believe you were looking for honest answers but better yet just wanted to bag religion. If you want serious answers from those who believe in this crap I suggest you come up with better way of asking what you are looking for.

From me personally.
Question #1 Yes some do really believe, or in my opinion want to believe so bad let it effect their own lives.

Question #2
No, they go through the motions because there is a heaven, and hell.

Question #3
No , They believe the way they do because it is what the lord tells them...blah blah blah

Look #1 is the lure, the catch em wrong and show em god. #2 The test of faith, who will stick around to throw more dough. #3 The catch, the knowlege of who is in my grasps.

I hate religion. It is the single thing hindering this world to the load of crap it is now. I am not a leaning to the left or leaning to the right American. I am not an American who supports eavesdropping, nor am I one to choose war. I am just an American who wants to work, buy a house, and be left the hell alone. That is my religion, and all I ask.

You have received a WARNING for the STUPID and CRAP comments. Too bad you simply could not have made your points, stated your position, given everyone the ability to hear your own story, without the petty slams.

Dave


[edit on 9/22/2008 by Dave Rabbit]

EDIT: by rightuos

I want to apologize to anyone who may have taken offence to my language, and to the OP for calling his question "stupid". No questions are stupid, and I should have taken a different approach to addressing the question as trivial.

[edit on 22-9-2008 by rightuos]