A major religion like Christianity presents good ethical codes for living such as those found in the Ten Commandments. We are all going to probably agree that killing and thieving are not right and so will think that being commanded "Thou shalt not " kill or steal makes good sense. That is all well and good but other parts of the scriptures ask us to believe incredible stories such as that of Noah and his Ark.
It is obvious that there was no possible way that Noah and his family and a pair of every animal on the planet could have lived cooped up in a boat for 40 days and 40 nights. However, believers in the truth of the Bible accept that this fantastic story is the truth and if questioned will say it is "the word of God."
There is little or no historical evidence for many of the main characters in the Bible too so why should we believe in their reality? The answer again is because it is God's word. The book attempts to scare us with threats and dire warnings. The Old Testament is full of statements about what God regarded as an "abomination" and often handed out the death penalty for.
Believers in this religion are encouraged to convert others to their belief which in reality is a mental control system but an incredibly successful one! It is how a meme gets spread. It is information (not necessarily true) that others are told to pass along and often there is a supposed reward or punishment for doing so or failing to. In the case of the Bible we are led to believe we may go to Heaven or get punished by going to Hell.



Comments
BardofElyOct 6, 2013
frankbeswickOct 5, 2013
BardofElyOct 5, 2013
frankbeswickOct 5, 2013
BardofElyOct 5, 2013
frankbeswickOct 5, 2013
The New Testament I treat similarly. It is primarily the record of the experiences of people who knew Jesus and reflected on their experiences. It is not totally accurate history, but not totally inaccurate, so it must be read critically but with an open mind.
BardofElyOct 5, 2013
frankbeswickOct 5, 2013
If you think that religious people always believe what their leaders tell them, I suggest that you get to know more of them. Some do believe what they are told, but many can be quite critical. An axiom of philosophy is that all universal statements are falsifiable by one counter example. I am religious and no one can say that I just believe what the pope and priests tell me. There is your counter example.
BardofElyOct 5, 2013
frankbeswickOct 5, 2013
BardofElyOct 4, 2013
cmoneyspinnerOct 4, 2013
I tell you one thing, Mr. Bard. This is one piece of work ain't nobody gonna try to plagiarize!