Is Religion The Root Of All Evil?

Poette:

Well, but just being realistic here, have you ever, ever met someone who isn't a creature of habit? We all have habits - I 100% agree that it is a true statement. Whether it's brushing your teeth every morning or going to bed at 11 every night - that is, in fact, a habit. It's something you do routinely.

It would be very idealistic to assume that all people on Earth have the luxury of knowing what they will do and when. It's sad, but many people live a very stressful, chaotic life with things they cannot control, and they cannot form habits. Not everyones life allows for them to have a bedtime because their life and situation changes daily. Being able to form habits is a privillege, getting to develop a comforting routine is not something everyone has the luxury of being able to do and based on some of the comments in this thread many people seem to take that for granted.

At any rate, lets say you were correct and everyone does have habits. Anji said it was impossible to live without them. How could you possibly know that if no one has ever done it to test it? You can't. It isn't a fact, plain and simple.

I agree with you, being able to form a routine is a privilege. But even if you're homeless, you still form habits of maybe looking for shelter each day, or asking for money. It's still a habit, even if it isn't a luxurious one.

And, to answer your question, it's impossible to live without habit for the exact reason you said - no one has ever tried it. And there's a reason for that, don't you think? Would you agree that if humans could live without habits, we would be trying to do so? It's in human nature to stick with what you know - and that is when a habit is formed. It's something you're used to.

Heck, even eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner is a habit. You want to know what would happen if we didn't have that habit? We would starve and die.

Poette:

I agree with you, being able to form a routine is a privilege. But even if you're homeless, you still form habits of maybe looking for shelter each day, or asking for money. It's still a habit, even if it isn't a luxurious one.

And, to answer your question, it's impossible to live without habit for the exact reason you said - no one has ever tried it. And there's a reason for that, don't you think? Would you agree that if humans could live without habits, we would be trying to do so? It's in human nature to stick with what you know - and that is when a habit is formed. It's something you're used to.

Heck, even eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner is a habit. You want to know what would happen if we didn't have that habit? We would starve and die.

I wouldn't consider sleeping a different place every night because you have no constant shelter a habit to be honest. No one has ever tried it? That's your logical reason? People are constantly discovering new things that no one has ever done before, that's what we do. Humans tend to be curious by nature. Just because it hasn't occurred yet does not make it impossible, it means that we know nothing about it, and to claim that we do would be incorrect.

And once again, being able to eat three meals a day is a luxury that not everyone has. Some people are lucky if they get one meal a day and they still survive. Habit is not necessary. Not to mention that what you need out of meal routines is not the habit, but the nutrients, and you can get nutrients without a habit.

I think you guys are arguing over the definition of a word. Habits exist and the majority of humans have them regardless of whatever background. But they aren't necessary to our survival. Instinct and fortitude are.

However also i do not agree that Habit is for those who can afford it because it covers a wide range of activities, yes looking for a shelter every night to sleep is not a habit thats instinct to survive, but then when said place is found you then sleep in the same position that you always do, thats habit.

I found your debate hard to follow because of your confusion over what you think habit stands for. What you are really arguing is whether humans can survive without ORDER which although in the same word group as habit is altogether different and actually makes sense to the topic.

Order is something that does break the class boundries, its order that see's us awake in the daytime and asleep at night, Order or Time is what structures are eating habits. It disciplines are school systems and how we practise religion.

Thats your discussion, not habit.

NeoSteph:

But they aren't necessary to our survival.

That's what we are debating over. Anji claimed it was a fact that no one could survive without habits and I disagreed. And I do believe that she did actually mean habit, not order. Order would be a different discussion than what we're talking about.

At any rate this thread has gone way off topic so if anyone wants to continue this discussion we should make a new thread. I'd make it, but I'm not exactly sure what we all want. "Is Habit necessary to life?" or something like that? Maybe a better topic would be what is necessary to survive in general.

Oh my god, you're right. I kind of forgot what the point of this thread was in the first place!

i guess greed is the root of all evil and not religion.

Kurtni:

NeoSteph:

But they aren't necessary to our survival.

That's what we are debating over. Anji claimed it was a fact that no one could survive without habits and I disagreed. And I do believe that she did actually mean habit, not order. Order would be a different discussion than what we're talking about.

At any rate this thread has gone way off topic so if anyone wants to continue this discussion we should make a new thread. I'd make it, but I'm not exactly sure what we all want. "Is Habit necessary to life?" or something like that? Maybe a better topic would be what is necessary to survive in general.

To the previous discussion, maybe squatting in different locations is not a habit, but to find a place to sleep and to sleep every night is a habit. Infact, I think that under-pirviledged people are more vulnerable to forming habits because they cannot afford to live freely as they wish due the the economic stress. Especially if you're in the proletariat class, labouring, there is no more a habitful life than that.

But also, to rephrase perhaps to make more clear, maybe habit isn't necessary for survival, but I think it is for mere existance.

By habit I mean a periodical, repetitive routine. Not order, literally habit as in Samuel Beckett or James Joyce and how they used the theme of habit in their literature.

Anji:

maybe habit isn't necessary for survival, but I think it is for mere existance.

If you can survive without habit... then how is it necessary to exist? Maybe I'm not getting your point but that seems contradicting to me.

Kurtni:

Anji:

maybe habit isn't necessary for survival, but I think it is for mere existance.

If you can survive without habit... then how is it necessary to exist? Maybe I'm not getting your point but that seems contradicting to me.

To exist idealistically or dualistically, not materialistically because that would physically be surviving.

Anji:

To exist idealistically or dualistically, not materialistically because that would physically be surviving.

Ah, I see. Well, you said "I think" this time, so I'm satisfied

On another note, I think I'll make a thread about Dualism later. I think it's the most ridiculous philosophy I've ever heard, but I won't get into that here because it's off topic.

*Is prepared to totally disagree.*

By the way, make it about ontology in general because it's interesting and in my own ontonological theory, impossible to talk about one without any of the others.

*waits patiently for thread to be made*

I've just spent the last 5 hours categorising the different effects of malnutrition in infants, i need a discussion that doesn't involve the words, food or nazi...possible only courtney knows what the hell i'm going on about it XD

i believe religion doesn't cause evil, the people that can't accept other religions do, if we want to live in a stable society without fear of terrorism and extremists then people just need to accept other people's choices in their religious aspects of their lives, once people do that, it will make the world a much better place

laks;;LICIOUS:

i believe religion doesn't cause evil, the people that can't accept other religions do, if we want to live in a stable society without fear of terrorism and extremists then people just need to accept other people's choices in their religious aspects of their lives, once people do that, it will make the world a much better place

Hmmm. One of the main points about ~most~ religions is that you believe that your God is the only true God tbh.

bjtp:

laks;;LICIOUS:

i believe religion doesn't cause evil, the people that can't accept other religions do, if we want to live in a stable society without fear of terrorism and extremists then people just need to accept other people's choices in their religious aspects of their lives, once people do that, it will make the world a much better place

Hmmm. One of the main points about ~most~ religions is that you believe that your God is the only true God tbh.

That's fine as long as those groups don't force their opinions on anyone else, or try and make them change from their own religion.

I don't think religions need to recruit people, they'll find the religion if it's what they're looking for.

It's the extremists who take away human priviledges that cause problems in my opinion.

Jax.:

That's fine as long as those groups don't force their opinions on anyone else, or try and make them change from their own religion.

I don't think religions need to recruit people, they'll find the religion if it's what they're looking for.

It's the extremists who take away human priviledges that cause problems in my opinion.

They don't need to recruit people.. whoever 'they' are, they don't even need to exist, but they live to spread the word of God and his teachings.

Religion has set ideologies, which, if you aren't a part of that religion, and don't practise, 'they' see it as a sin, or paganism.

Again, not speaking for all religions, sticking with predominantly Christian, because its what I know best.

I dont think they necessary disapprove of other religions (except of Buddhism which they consider to be basically a form of Atheism), but they to dislike atheist.

I was taught in school in R.E. that if you ever meet an atheist that you should try to ~recruit~ him. And besides, every priest will say that Atheism is the biggest enemy of Catholicism which does make sense, but also opposes the fact that only ~hardcore catholics and freaks~ disrespect other peoples choices.

Firstly, I just choked on my cereal and thought you said ~hardcore Catholic freaks~ Thank you for that.

Secondly, that's SHOCKING about Buddhism and about recruiting athiests!! I'd love someone to try and recruit me, bring it on.

We were taught, in Roman Catholic secondary school, to sort of pity those without religion, and view them as uninformed and ignorant.