Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by orpat on February 29, 2012 at 11:45pm

Old superstitious beliefs are a joke here where I live too.Untill now I have been least interested in religion(even now not interested)

I am just answering to the question-A World without God.

And for me, it will be like China. And there will be more dictators like Hitler.

Simple.

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Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on March 1, 2012 at 12:05am

How can there be more dictators driven by what they perceive as their divine destiny if there aren't any dictators, or citizens, who believe in divine destiny?  Sounds very complicated, actually.

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Permalink Reply by orpat on March 1, 2012 at 12:43am

What if the driving force isn't divine destiny?

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Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on March 1, 2012 at 1:12am

I was just saying that it was for Hitler.  That also happened to be a significant part of the reason he was able to get a widely devout Catholic populace behind him.

Without being able to invoke a deity, kings/dictators can only win over the will of the proletariat through fear or reason - and fear can be a very expensive commodity when you have a large population.  Usually what gets exchanged for 'divine authority' is some form of hyper-nationalism - which both the Chinese and Hitler use/used.  Both also use/used fear - but the current Chinese government hasn't, as yet, tried to push their populace to war.

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Permalink Reply by orpat on March 1, 2012 at 3:09am

Agree. And that was my point too.

I feel Fundamentalism i.e. excessive Theism or Atheism is harmful for humanity.

Middle ground is preferable.

Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on March 1, 2012 at 11:19am

Well Catholics certainly aren't fundamentalists so I don't see your point at all.

Permalink Reply by orpat on March 2, 2012 at 7:33am

Fundamentalism is present across all religions. 

You can not blindly reject it.

What Hitler did was use religion as a tool.

Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on March 2, 2012 at 10:05am

Our topic, however, was Nazi Germany & Hitler - and early 20th century Germans were certainly devout Catholics and most definitely not fundamentalists.  This entirely undermines your point, so I would suggest you try an example other than Hitler.

The point here is that although there will always be tyrants hoping to rule the world, removing religion just eliminates one of the most efficient means they have of doing so.

Permalink Reply by orpat on February 29, 2012 at 1:47am

Loop Johnny

Hope I answered your question

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Permalink Reply by Rob Klaers on February 29, 2012 at 3:37am

We saw this a bit with the Age of Reason after the Dark Ages. We had many scientific and intellectual advancements which we didn't have prior. When we set ourselves free from religion, we broke the chains which were holding us back. We were free to explore, invent and think like never before. There were advances in art, literature and technology. Some of which would have been considered 'of the devil' or heresy before. That is what the world would be like....

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Permalink Reply by orpat on March 2, 2012 at 7:53am

This is my personal opinion that a world without religion will be like China. I feel religion is not the only disease affecting humanity. Without religion, humanity would still have to cope with other aspects of human nature-Racism, Sexism, Nationalism etc.

My opinion is subject to criticism. I want to know what others have to say.

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Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on March 2, 2012 at 10:07am

I take it that you realize now that a lack of religion does NOT in anyway create 'more dictators like Hitler'?

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