KarlD said:
Its because despite evidence to the contrary I think most people are basically good and don't need the idea of punishment by some god if they don't bahave themselves.
But that might be because of thousands of years of religious conditioning no? I mean before this religious framework maybe they DID need that idea of punishment?
What annoys me is religious types who do good stuff under the impression that if they don't they will be squished by some sky fairy, its like people who say there is only one reason for a moral code ,because it was given by god, well no the fact is that people who are not religious are able to form their own morals and amazingly they are pretty much the same as those 'given by god' the difference being that non-religious people try to stick to them because it would be wrong for them not to, not because they think that they are going to be sent to hell if they shag the neibours cat.
Imo very few religious types think like this, or at least do good for this reason. They would do it anyway....religion serves a different function for them.
And this is where I think you and I may diverge - to me, all people are - more or less - unbalanced and the differences merely exist in to what degree and how aware they are of their psychological imbalance.
For those that are aware, there are many roads to try to equilibriate oneself; therapy, drugs, spirituality, drugs, religion, philosophy...and on...
All these methods can be valid or can mess you up even more. All they are is a means to an end; psychological balance. So I think if one sees it this way then it is a bit offensive to downgrade it if it works for that person.
Of course there are cases where it does not work - door-stopping fundie prostletysers imo are not actually balanced but rather are faking it by trying to convert others on the principle '1000 converts can't be wrong' - but to label all religious types like this is wrong imo. Many have achieved closure through it and many are in the process of doing so even though they might be bloody annoying till they do...
Anyway, it might not be your way or my way but that does not mean it can't be someone else's...
From the way i see it religious types live their lives on their knees saying 'oh look how good I am don't squish me wonderous god' which is pretty pathetic.
Seems a bit wild. there are billions of 'religious types' currently on the loose....I have seen this behaviour very, very rarely and then only in a psychotic case...