>So, once again, we see that religion is truly the opiate of the masses.
This is a very important point. Constantly we see examples of religion taking
in unsuspecting people (as a specific, and extreme example, we could use
religious sects such as the Moonies, or the Scientologists), and making them
believe in their ideal through fear. I know that people who have left the
Church of Scientology have actually fled the country to escape from death
threats by other members. It's a sad state of affairs when people cannot be
free to choose what they believe.
I, personally, do not believe in the existence of God - at least, not in the
form that many religions percieve him as, and I have reached that
decision by a logical thought progression, but others must have equally thought
about becoming, say, a Christian, and arrived at their conclusion by a similar
method. In the question: "Is there a God?", there are only two possible
answers: "Yes", and "No". The problem that arises is that it produces many
sub-questions which must first be answered, but which don't produce a simple
Yes/No answer. For example: "What form does God take?", or "What is the
definition of God?", because without those answers a final conclusion is
impossible to reach.
Let me use a slightly ridiculous example: Suppose that your average broom was
God. It takes the form of a broom, and its definition is that which is used
to sweep the floor, composing of a straight stick, and some bristles.
Therefore, if the broom were God, then you would be able to say that God does
exist, as you know the answers to the questions concerning it's nature, and
thus can see that it exists. Now, suppose that you had never encountered a
broom. As you have no idea what it does, or what it looks like, you could never
know if it actually - truly - existed in the form that you envisage it in. If
you envisaged it as a large rectangular box, then decided that it exists, then
you would be wrong. Your faith in the existance of this broom would be based
solely on what other people have told you, and this faith is unfounded -
both logically and actually. The same, therefore, follows over the existance of
God. We can never really know until those questions and others are answered.
If anyone knows the answers, then please let me know.
One thing that instantly puts me off the idea of a God, is that if he follows
all of the lines that the Christian Bible tells us he does - and I'm not saying that he does - then he really isn't a very nice bloke! The God that destroyed
two cities for not doing what he wanted them to do, the God who believed that
all Homosexuals should be stoned to death, the God who reckoned that if a
woman having her period sat on your sofa, then you had to burn it! I'm refering
specifically to Christianity here, as I am not too aware about the intricacies
of other religions.
It's kind of sad, but I've built up quite an intense aversion to all things
Christian, due to the things that I've seen them do, and the things I've heard
them say. Somewhere on the NET, someone wrote: "Fascism and Christianity, are
those two words not fundamentally linked", and it's true. Religion is the
worst form of oppression in my eyes, and if I believe in the maximum freedom
of the individual possible, then I cannot condone Christianity or the Muslim
faiths. They are definately the most blinkered people I've ever met, and I'm
saying this from personal experience, not from some generalisation.
Thanks for listening to my ranting,
Drakir,
-----------------------
Richard Jones
jonesr@gatwick.geco-prakla.slb.com
"The late May frost may blight the crops, but will never be abscribed to the
heavenly dog, or nature, but infernal tasks."