Which Religion Is The Most Attractive

[SeagullSongs]

it seems in later life there are still plenty of options to be forced into religion,it could be by a missionary or a religious prophet who claims you will be damned if you dont believe or a religious group that runs a homeless shelter and you must listen to a sermon before you can eat.....these would all be blind faith too no?

Yes, but I mean people who have nothing else in life and turn to religion for a purpose.
Actually I guess you could say that is blind in the sense that they NEED it...

 

[Robski]

Not strictly a religion, but Humanism seems to have it all covered without having to believe in the supernatural

 

[binky]

As an atheist, that wasn't the intent! Atheism is a point of view on one specific question - does God exist.

Quite.

An Atheist shouldn't claim that God doesn't exist. The only thing an Atheist can claim is that there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that God exists, which is true. The fact that there is no evidence to support "His" existence doesn't automatically mean that he doesn't exist.

Whoa there. You are confusing atheism and agnosticism.

An Atheist is specifically expressing his faith that there is no god.
Note the use of the word faith, because as you correctly point out, absence of evidence is not the same as evidence of absence.
In this respect the Atheist has shown more conviction than the Agnostic, as they have made a decision based on their belief.
Most people who claim to be Atheist are in fact Agnostic.

It is interesting to see the number of potential Budhists on here, as Budhism is widely regarded as an Atheistic Religion.
That is to say, not founded on beleif in the existance of a God creator.
Given the OPs ban on atheism, that should probably rule out Budhism as a choosable option.

Interestingly many modern proponents of Paganism and Wicca also self identify as Atheist, choosing to believe the gods of those religious systems to be metaphors, or simply outdated concepts which their religion has outgrown.

Before coming off my particular fence, I should like the OP to be more specific about what is meant by the use of the word "religion".

"A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature and purpose of the universe" = Religion
"Belief that there is a god, or gods, being some supernatural entity which has created the universe" = Theism
"Faith" : Would include Atheism.

 

[Mutts Nuts]

In this thread Atheism isn't a possibility.

If the most important choice in life was to choose the religion which brings out the best in you, which would you choose and why?

They are all a different brand of the same product,control of the masses through fear by a few greedy leaders.I could never choose any one of them accept maybe Budism, as they do not use fear as a weapon to control with

 

[pastafarian]

Qu
An Atheist is specifically expressing his faith that there is no god.

bullshit!faith does not come into it.evolution does not need faith and evolution proves gods are bullshit!

Most people who claim to be Atheist are in fact Agnostic.

double bullshit!with that sort of reasoning i claim most christians are agnostic.....tell me have you ever met an agnostic christian?


long live pirates!

 

[DBL]

The Muslim faith has to be the least attractive.

Outside their mosques when they get some power, their people are suppressed, standard of living for the masses is shite, unless you are of the few who own oil, warmongering, backward, low life expectancy & of course blame all their problems on the west.

How many Arab nations are their & of the millions living in their countries how many Nobel peace prizes have they won?

Who would want to live in Lebabon, Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Tunisia etc etc.

The world will be a better place if Mualims just kept their religion outside of politics.

 

[stss30]

No scientific evidence, therefore, I don't believe in any religion. If I had to? Buddhism.

 

[Silk]

In this thread Atheism isn't a possibility.

Because it's not a religion, presumably?

 

[Silk]

As an atheist, that wasn't the intent! Atheism is a point of view on one specific question - does God exist. An Atheist shouldn't claim that God doesn't exist. The only thing an Atheist can claim is that there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that God exists, which is true. The fact that there is no evidence to support "His" existence doesn't automatically mean that he doesn't exist.

I would go further than that. There is evidence that God exists. It's just that it isn't the kind of evidence that would convince most sceptics. The testimony of millions of humans, for example, could certainly be regarded as evidence.

 

[Silk]

I have "faith" in many things: the human race, people, friends, community nature, myself, positive thought, doing the right thing and many many others.

I just don't have "faith" in an imaginary friend.

You have faith in the human race? Oh dear!

 

[Silk]

Quite.


Whoa there. You are confusing atheism and agnosticism.

An Atheist is specifically expressing his faith that there is no god.
Note the use of the word faith, because as you correctly point out, absence of evidence is not the same as evidence of absence.
In this respect the Atheist has shown more conviction than the Agnostic, as they have made a decision based on their belief.
Most people who claim to be Atheist are in fact Agnostic.

It is interesting to see the number of potential Budhists on here, as Budhism is widely regarded as an Atheistic Religion.
That is to say, not founded on beleif in the existance of a God creator.
Given the OPs ban on atheism, that should probably rule out Budhism as a choosable option.

Interestingly many modern proponents of Paganism and Wicca also self identify as Atheist, choosing to believe the gods of those religious systems to be metaphors, or simply outdated concepts which their religion has outgrown.

Before coming off my particular fence, I should like the OP to be more specific about what is meant by the use of the word "religion".

"A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature and purpose of the universe" = Religion
"Belief that there is a god, or gods, being some supernatural entity which has created the universe" = Theism
"Faith" : Would include Atheism.

Sorry, but this is all wrong. Atheism is about belief. If you believe in God, you are a theist. If you don't, you are an atheist. Agnosticism is about knowledge, not belief. An agnostic says "it's impossible to know either way." But in saying that, they have said nothing about whether they believe in God or not. In fact you have it backwards : most people who say they are agnostic are actually atheists. And yes an agnostic theist is a possibility.

And of course it follows that atheism is not a faith.

 

[beorhthelm]

An Atheist is specifically expressing his faith that there is no god.

absolute bollocks. there is no faith involved in being atheist, its whole point is the rejection of gods, whose existance rely on belief and faith with no evidence. Pagans and Wiccans are not athiests, they simply have a belief in something other than the traditional religions. i really dont understand why theists have to try to prove that athiests "believe" in something, it has a simple definition: some who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being(s).

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Really? "Most of us" are homophobic, xenophobic, racist, paedophilic slave-owners?

So many people have been killed in the name of Christianity. Every day, kids get disowned by their parents because they're gay, and grown men and women cry rivers because they're convinced their sinning children are going to hell. Scientific development worldwide in areas like stem cell research has been held back by years because of Christian bigotry.

Science needs to be held back, it's not some benevolent creature that is capable of only good.

You're so enamored with science you forget the horrific experiments it has carried out and the consequences of its creations that have utterly destroyed people and societies over the years.

One mad religious person can only kill one person at a time by hand. Science however gives people the ability to kill millions with the flip of a button.

 

[SeagullSongs]

Atheism (ey-thee-iz-uhm)
noun.
1. the doctrine or belief that there is no God.

Agnostic (ag-nos-tik)
noun.
1. a person who holds that the existence of the ultimate cause, as God, and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable, or that human knowledge is limited to experience.

Religion (ri-lij-uhn)
noun.
1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotion and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.


I just added to binky's definition of religion, as otherwise you could stretch to define science as a religion - a notion I am completely uncomfortable with for some reason.

 

[Silk]

Atheism (ey-thee-iz-uhm)
noun.
1. the doctrine or belief that there is no God.

Agnostic (ag-nos-tik)
noun.
1. a person who holds that the existence of the ultimate cause, as God, and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable, or that human knowledge is limited to experience.

Religion (ri-lij-uhn)
noun.
1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotion and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.


I just added to binky's definition of religion, as otherwise you could stretch to define science as a religion - a notion I am completely uncomfortable with for some reason.

I think this confirms what I said, just for the record

 

[Tricky Dicky]

"Which Religion Is The Most Attractive "

None of them, it is all complete b*ll*x. Religion is the most devisive and destructive thing ever invented by man. Bhudism is quite relaxing though and they wear pretty clothes.

 

[Silk]

"Which Religion Is The Most Attractive "

Religion is the most devisive and destructive thing ever invented by man.

Well, perhaps it is. But then again it also has the potential to bind societies together, and even unite people of different nations. Nothing's ever black or white.

 

[SeagullSongs]

Religion is the cause of all war (oil can be too).
But if it wasn't for religion, we'd find something else to fight over.

 

[Silk]

Science needs to be held back, it's not some benevolent creature that is capable of only good.

You're so enamored with science you forget the horrific experiments it has carried out and the consequences of its creations that have utterly destroyed people and societies over the years.

One mad religious person can only kill one person at a time by hand. Science however gives people the ability to kill millions with the flip of a button.

Er, by using science, one mad religious person can kill millions with the flip of a button - religious people don't restrict themselves to using pea shooters. It's people that are the issue here, not science or religion.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

"Which Religion Is The Most Attractive "

None of them, it is all complete b*ll*x. Religion is the most devisive and destructive thing ever invented by man. Bhudism is quite relaxing though and they wear pretty clothes.

No it's not.

Statistically Communism is by far the most destructive system ever created by man.

By a long, long, long stretch.