Why would anyone say ‘religion’ is here…to ‘control’ people?

Here is an example of how control was won. It was the steps taken to infiltrate the Republican Party. Yes, it goes to "theocracywatch.org" but, it is a listing from different sources which makes it interesting.

Taking Over The Republican Party


Below is a memo from Pat Robertson in his bid to be President in the 1990's.

"How to Participate in a Political Party

Rule the world for God.

Give the impression that you are there to work for the party, not push an ideology.

Hide your strength.

Don't flaunt your Christianity.

Christians need to take leadership positions. Party officers control political parties and so it is very important that mature Christians have a majority of leadership positions whenever possible, God willing."

reply to post by OldThinker


Religion, Belief, etc...... used to be here to explain the world around said people. I wish it was as still as simple

I think that anyone who says that religion is here to control people more than likely has had some experience with religion which allows them to share the obvious truth....Religion, the word is rarely found in the Bible - some translations show it is used or found only six or seven times - yet is is all the rave today.

Religion does not equal God

reply to post by OldThinker


1) Do you think faith/religion is here to control the masses?
"Religion IS a mental-control principle. There is no other reason for it to exist since it is not based on fact but on myths and legends, all of which are created by humans to control weaker-minded humans. This is proven by the fact that no actual intelligent human believes in any gods or religious characters such as "jesus." Add to this that in christianity there is not historical evidence to prove that the characters in the new testament associated with jesus existed. What exists is from later writings. THAT is historical fact."

2) Why?
"Stronger minds have always controlled weaker minds. When you can control minds you have slaves and the Vatican has millions of slaves that do its biddings and keep it alive with their hardearned money, especially American taxpayers' money which is sent to the Vatican in the trillion$."

3) Your evidence?
"Earliest historical documents which date from way past the dates the events are alleged to have occurred. Faith is required to accept these documents as representing any kind of truth, since they do not contain any real historical truths."

4) Did you once believe?
"In what, myths, legends? No. I've never believed. I've always either known or not known. I'm not mentally-conditioned to believe in nonsense."

5) Did you change?
"Yes, I became more intelligent about why people believe."

6) Why are you an atheist?
"Because I rely on reason, logic and common sense."

7) Why are you an agnostic?
"An agnostic is a fence sitter, unsure of what is real and what is not real."

8) Why you are a christian?
"Christians, as well as all religious believers, are mentally-conditioned. This is done first by religious parents as children grow up, enforced by authority figures such as teachers, politicians, actors, actresses, etc. Anyone that is looked up to."

9) What ‘SHOULD‘ God look like/act like/be like?
"No one can answer these questions since there is no model to base answers on. However, you can use your imagination to fill in all of the blanks since that is what religions depend on 'cause they can't provide the answers either. IOW, you are on your own!

reply to post by dariousg

People are NOT FREE. When you are BORN into an extremely religious family, especially ones that are well off (experience from visiting with relatives and cousins) you will find that you have very little choice. It is forced on you. AND if, God forbid, you choose to go another route you are pressured in an extreme manner. When your parents come down hard on you and your relatives, there are only a very few limited choices. You either CONFORM or you run. Running means that you are now your own person but it also means you now have very little to do with your family. So when people say that 'It's YOUR choice' and 'We live in a free country' (America) they are speaking with the typical blinders on. So, this statement was NOT concise and well done. It was written, as with many 'religious' people, with some very serious blinders on.

I'm sure that the people here on ATS will be surprised to find out that they are not free.


Unfortunately, your subsequent statements contradicts your own claim that people are NOT free. You admit that people can choose NOT to accept the religion that you claim their parents "force" on them. No one can FORCE ANOTHER to think in a certain way, unless the people being "forced" are very weak minded. Furthermore, your assumption that children only have two choices is flawed. There are plenty of other options, including "going along" with the parents, but believing what the child wishes. Parents cannot read minds. In addition, your scenario is not universal. I know many parents that let their children decide on their own.
In addition, I would appreciate it if you would not resort to personal attacks. Telling people that they have "blinders" on is very presumptuous, and calling them "very religious", when you know nothing about them, is wrong.
I would suggest that you stick to debating positions, and refrain from ad hominem attacks.

A great example of religion's ability to control people and make them behave is to be found in Hinduism. The generation of this religion occurred back on the dim and distant past when the native aboriginal people who were inhabiting the region we now call India were conquered by some rather fair-skinned people that anthropologists believe immigrated from Eurasia. The society that evolved under the new rulers was one that featured a rigid class or "caste" system which was ruthlessly enforced. As you might expect, this class system was comprised of the many, who were on the lower rungs of the caste and had little to nothing, and the few that occupied the upper tiers and had everything. You can no doubt deduce which people compromised most of the bottom castes.

The problem with such a social system is, I think, pretty obvious. It naturally produces racial and class hatreds that, if left unchecked, can erupt into chaos and violence. Why it might even result in the top castes losing not only their belongings but also their lives as well. The elegant solution to this thorny problem of have and have-nots was the development of Hinduism. Hinduism enshrined the caste system as holy and of divine intent, thereby more or less permanently reinforcing the status quo. But it also brilliantly answers the caste envy of the lower brackets by introducing the concept of social mobility thru spiritual advancement. This concept is called Reincarnation.

Basically the Hindu doctrine of Reincarnation claims that every man is locked into an ongoing cycle of births and deaths. This idea goes back to very beginning of our species. What it adds to this basic notion is the idea that you are promoted in your social station in your next life if you behave yourself in the life that you're living today. It claims that the purpose of reincarnation is the spiritual perfection of the individual with the ultimate reward being freedom from the cycle altogether and it ties one's social station and affluence to one's supposed spiritual progress on this unending road. In a way it's like a cosmic game of chutes and ladders since bad behavior on the part of someone in an upper station will result in his or her subsequent birth into a lower caste the next time around.

In short, what Hinduism offered the new India was a specious promise that if the lower classes endured their lives of degridation, sacrifice and humiliation without causing trouble, then they would be rewarded in the next life with a higher station. Isn't this the same promise that the Levant Religions (Judaism, Islam & Christianity) deliver, only in the guise of an eventual Judgement Day where the ruling classes finally lose everything and have to spend an eternity in damnation and hellfire while those that faithfully suffered and did without so that the upper classes could have it all are rewarded with eternal paradise and communion with God?

Yes, bucko, many religions are indeed about constructing social belief systems that enable the privilaged to continue without fear of retribution from the people that they deny some of the amenities of life to in order that they might enjoy a privilaged status that would ordinarily earn them a death sentence if the general populace wasn't lulled into pacivity by the promise that all they really have to do is be faithful and everyone will finally get what's coming to them in the end. Of course, the great advantage any religion is that you never have to offer so much as a hint of proof to verify your fantastic claims. There's a built in catch 22 to all of them which maintains that if you require real bonafide proof then you lack the requisite faith.

Religions are the primal and original attempts at mind-control and they are so successful that very few of us bother to question their precepts even today. Most religions are totally getting the underprivilaged masses to accept their stations but a few, like Taoism, are purely quests for enlightenment.

reply to post by OldThinker

1) Do you think faith/religion is here to control the masses?
Faith is personal thing so no on that. Religion does control masses!
2) Why?
Because massess follow.
3) Your evidence?
Don't intend to prove obvious
4) Did you once believe?
In What?
5) Did you change?
I'm changing every moment
6) Why are you an atheist?
I'm not
7) Why are you an agnostic?
I'm not
8) Why you are a christian?
I'm not
9) What ‘SHOULD‘ God look like/act like/be like?
It's best to look into mirror

There is a huge difference between being CONTROLLED by religion, and using religion as an EXCUSE to do things. This post is not directed at anyone individually on this thread, BTW.
Weak minded people can be "controlled" by anything or anyone. Examples of controlling agents are drugs, alcohol, politicians, blogs, and yes, religion. However, that does not mean that these things were instituted to CONTROL.
Having free will means making choices that you are capable of making, and carrying out. Free will does not mean that you actually can CARRY OUT anything that you wish to do. For instance, I cannot use free will to fly, or if I were a political prisoner in a dictatorial country, to free myself from jail.
We DO have free will to think what we wish, however, and BELIEVE or NOT believe in things such as the existence of God, or the Big Bang Theory. At an existential level, it is an eons old debate about whether free will exists, or whether everything is determined by nature. Personally, I BELIEVE that free will exists, and others are "free" to believe that it does not. In other words, I am a compatibilist, that is, I believe that determinism and free will can coexist.
To this day, NO ONE in the history of humanity has come up with a fool-proof argument as to the existence or non-existence of free will.

There is no doubt in my mind, religion was created to control. It gives the message of: Obey your government, and mentions King's and Queens ruling the land as thats how it should have always been. The Hierarchy, certain humans to always control the many. It gives you the impression it's the RIGHT WAY. But in reality, that can be debated.

Think about it: What made Cavemen and Cavewomen along with their Cavechildren decide one day that ONE superior being should rule over them? What happened to make them think that way? What went on? Before that, they were hunting their own food, making their own tools and clothing, what made this change?

Here's a good example:





[edit on 6-2-2009 by J.Son79]

1) Do you think faith/religion is here to control the masses?

Hmm, faith no, But religion yes.

2) Why?

It is Possible that religion started out uncontrolling, but today it can be seen clearly. With so many other religions, I think now instead of the old ways, they incorporated new rules to control the masses and gain more ground over other religions.

3) Your evidence?

Well, there are plenty of religions around. Now you can see Christianity losing its grasp on people as more and more go to other religions.

4) Did you once believe?

Never have. Ive always been open. Ive read the book(s) of a few religions, but do not follow any specific one.

5) Did you change?

I have never changed my core thoughts and beliefs. My beliefs do get a tweaking every now and then with new knowledge.

6) Why are you an atheist?

I'm not.

7) Why are you an agnostic?

Not really agnostic

8) Why you are a christian?

Not christian

9) What ‘SHOULD‘ God look like/act like/be like?

I believe God to be a group of entities. kinda like a counsel. So I think God should be thoughtful, logical, and knowing.

This is another good one.

Sorry about the videos not working. Please read my post first. Here are the links to the videos.

This is the link to the video in my FIRST post:

www.youtube.com...

This is the link to the Second video:

www.youtube.com...

1) Do you think faith/religion is here to control the masses?

Pretty much all mass religions, organized and institutionalized have this purpose of control and many other purposes.

2) Why?

Because some people desire control over others, greed and also because the ones is such positions have more knowledge and secret agendas for the masses.

3) Your evidence?

Fear, all religions which base their doctrine on fear are trying to manipulate you. If they tell you, you will go to hell if you don't listen to me you are on the wrong boat.

4) Did you once believe?

Yes, I was born as a Christian.

5) Did you change?

Yes, I am no longer a Christian, I am no loger controled by fear, my spirit is free, at last, its wonderful, I have met God thanks to my inner self.

6) Why are you an atheist?

I was one in order to escape from the fear religion though me, that was a very good teaching, I had to not believe in God in order to escape the fear religion gave me about God. With no fear I could start seeking for God once again, this time differently.

7) Why are you an agnostic?

No, not one.

8) Why you are a christian?

Nope.

9) What ‘SHOULD‘ God look like/act like/be like?

I believe in God, but not the religious term, that has so many biases, God is everything, God is you. To find God you need to desire this, if so you will see him. He is always near you speaking to you, all the time, all your life is the will of God. I sound like a religious nuts, but no, this I learned by myself. Think of God as all the feelings united, love, hate, beauty, peace, war, etc. United we are God.

Your will is Gods will in all action, you are completly free to do as you wish. Fear of God is fear of knowing who you are. Fear is hiding from reality. Say "F_ck you God!" if you are afraid of him, that might help, he will not be angry with you, he will love you for realising that you can say that to him. There is no limit, the only limit is you. You decide where to stop. God will never try to push anything unto you, you are God, you decide how much you want to know, learn or see in this current life.

Find your purpose since you have one, it might have some bad moments, but be sure they are all of your choosing since you seek a certain experience, always.

Originally posted by FIFIGI
2. This leads to the second point - this is why believing in anything is dangerous - you are manipulated into this state of belief without investigating. For me it is simple - either I know or don't know. I have not seen the god, so I simply don't know if it exists. To believe in it seems to me like a waste of time - any whatsoever story could be presented as evidence that there is invisible thing that exists and is punishing and rewarding us.

4. Every one believes once - a child believes in everything, an elderly man does not believe in anything. The reason behind it is that critical thinking at birth is 0 and it slowly takes over the irrational part of the brain as you grow up and eventually many people just know things and do not relie on believing in anything.

?

Thank you for the lengthy response...


Is believing in anything really dangerous? Aren't you using hyberpole?

Why would you say older people don't believe at all? Isn't that a generalization man?

OT

Originally posted by Odessy
[1) The idea of faith or religion is man made.

???
Seems more inate than that to me...different cultures, different times....


"Made" in my mind should be "comes from "within"??? I dunno?

Originally posted by enkira
nope. religion is not to control people.it was never meant to. but what it has done and still doing is to mess up all of us.xtians , muslims, jews, hindus they all compete to exterminate one another.Evidence?
prima facie...right in our faces...we are all brought up with the culture or millieu with specific beliefs. that is staus qou.if i was born in asia mostly probably im a buddhist if in europe most probably xtian,baptist, methodist ,protestant,if middle east most probably i'll be a muslim...and regarding to your #9 querry? i think thats the basic premise of why there is such chaos in our planet today...

Great point about the culture/environment going a long way to influence our beliefs!

Week point at the end of your paragraph that religion is the basic premise for chaos...true faith is a RESTRAINT to chaos bro!

OT

edit:add: I love the word millieu

[edit on 7-2-2009 by OldThinker]

Originally posted by BlesUTP
1) Do you think faith/religion is here to control the masses? ~Yes
2) Why? ~Google FEMA preachers
3) Your evidence? ~common sense
4) Did you once believe? ~unfortunately
5) Did you change? ~yes
6) Why are you an atheist? ~im not
7) Why are you an agnostic? ~because i cannot understand the concept of infinity
8) Why you are a christian? ~im not
9) What ‘SHOULD‘ God look like/act like/be like? ~the chick from weird science, or Kelly Rowland

I hear you...infinity...is mindboggling...

Concerning your number 2...I'd encourage you to look more....see here...for some balance....take in more before coming to a conclusion, ok... see search.live.com...

Originally posted by GorehoundLarry
Religion is perhaps more corrupt than government. It is here for mass control and nothing else.

Thanks.

....Nothing else..." ????


That a juvenile perspective there ... Let's see a world without the 10 commandments....

reply to post by freighttrain



fatth/religion/spirituality....these are all ONLY words....I would encourage you to challenge the creator...seek him/her/it with all your heart and you'll find!!!! I'm talking about a RELATIONSHIP...

Originally posted by CloudySkye
I'm not christian because I cannot accept that Jesus Christ was the son of God. I respect the teachings in the New Testament as well as those of the Torah and Qo'ran the Vedas and the Teachings of the Buddhas. All the religious Texts have aspects that make sense because they teach you to be a respectful, sociable, open-minded person if taken in the right light.

Nice reply...let's focus on the above....was JC of God, a prophet, or what?