The CONCEPT of religion, not a particular religion, but in our species history, THE CONCEPT, is like a bad diet. It is full of empty calories that fill you up, but for the most part cause more problems than they solve.
The only proper "diet" I can conceive of is a natural version of the comic book version of the famous Christian verse "Lord grant me the wisdom to change the things I can, accept the things I can't, and the the ability to know the difference". I write this with trepidation knowing Christians will jump on me saying "SEE SEE SEE", Knowing they will claim I secretly believe. Not at all. If a Muslim and Jew and Hindu and atheist and Mormon and Sikh can all stand in a parking lot and and point to a blue car, and agree the color is blue, that is all I am doing.
I hate that quote with a passion when people point out to me when I'm having a hard time with tragedy. Solitary
The saying is some blather from AA meetings.. Count me in on hating it too. It's basically saying, 'I'm a dumb fuck, but here's my excuse.'
Quote from: Solitary on April 18, 2014, 01:21:24 PM
I hate that quote with a passion when people point out to me when I'm having a hard time with tragedy. Solitary
It isn't that a quote from fiction OR religion does not reflect our desire for empathy and survival that bothers me. It is that religion creates a false presumption that the club invented morality and evolution.
I agree with the MOTIF, and when you look at all religions we all have the same desire to want to feel good about what we do. The problem is that it is merely a comic book reflection of our own desires. Religion teaches us to forget that we are not a separate species.
In reality outside of war, a group will welcome "outsiders" at first, when they come in without aggression. But the expectation is that the if you are the host, we still expect submission from our guests.
You're still just asking to be magically smart when in fact if you're a dumbass you're going to remain a dumbass because you're asking for magic to make you smart. The whole premise of the request is dumbass based.
Quote from: AllPurposeAtheist on April 18, 2014, 02:48:58 PM
You're still just asking to be magically smart when in fact if you're a dumbass you're going to remain a dumbass because you're asking for magic to make you smart. The whole premise of the request is dumbass based.
How is it "Dumbass" to say humans have a leaning to bad claims? How is it "dumbass" to know more often than not as a species we go with what feels good rather than test the claims we make?
Did you miss the part where I said AS A SPECIES, when you cut out all the bullshit, we are after the same things?
Quote from: Brian37 on April 18, 2014, 03:31:03 PM
How is it "Dumbass" to say humans have a leaning to bad claims? How is it "dumbass" to know more often than not as a species we go with what feels good rather than test the claims we make?
Did you miss the part where I said AS A SPECIES, when you cut out all the bullshit, we are after the same things?
It's the 'Lord grant me..' part.. asking for magic to grant wisdom. Wisdom isn't a thing that can be granted, loaned, borrowed, etc. You know good and well wisdom comes from life experience and learning, not from magic boogaboo granting it because you said the pretty please magic words.
Maybe I'm misinterpreting what you're getting at.
I definitely find wisdom in the Serenity Prayer. I don't believe in appeals to God but I try to determine whether I can change a situation, whether making the change is worth the effort, or if I should just accept and move on. Learning to accept things I cannot change, things such as other people's behavior, has made me more content.