Imagine no Religion....I wonder if you can

[mopaul]

seriously, do you think that a human being might be able to make it all the way through his or her life without ever having worshipped or prayed to or believed in a god or gods, and suffer no ill effects from it?

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

1. it happens all the time

[ProgressiveConn]

2. I've been forced to pray before.

Err kneel, fold my hands, and bow my head. It involved me sitting there and contemplating why people bother wasting their time.

I have never believed in any form of personified divinity and I generally think those who do to be ignorant followers.

I feel the mere ignorance that results in worship is a negative effect and failing to worship a purple polka-dotted Cow in the sky not only gives no ill effects but is a completely positive thing.

[Cooley Hurd]

3. Yes, and all it takes is the understanding of two basic tenets:

1) "Do unto others..." (sorry for the Judeo-Christian rhetoric). Simply treat others with the respect that you yourself wish to be treated.

2) Death is NOT scary. When you die, there is nothingness.

It's worked for me for 39 years...

[Jersey Devil]

7. A lot of people hedge their bets when they get old

They want to cover all the bases...just in case.

[mattclearing]

13. There's no reason to, as long as you live properly.

Unless you believe that God wants adoration. If he's up there, I don't believe he is waiting for us to pray. And I'm sure he'd rather we help the needy.

[Jersey Devil]

4. No hell below us, above us only sky

You may say I'm a dreamer

[morgan2]

5. I've never for a second

believed in any sort of God. Even when I was a little kid I remember thinking how ridiculous church was when my parents dragged me there. It was kind of like Santa Claus, I just kind of played along for a few years because thats what my parents expected me to do.

[Mnemosyne]

6. Here you go...

The Freedom From Religion Foundation:

www.ffrf.org/

They just had a 100yr. old woman join as a lifetime member!

[formernaderite]

8. Huh?

So far no ill effects...now perhaps I'll develop dementia and fall for this crap late in life.

[TahitiNut]

9. It'd be sad to go through life without a sense of wonder and mystery ...

... about our very existence - some sense of awe for the "Grand Is" itself. When I regard the contemplative works of the most profound thinkers and philosophers of all of history and the overwhelming abundance of positions in favor of a transcendent and ubiquitous entity beyond our comprehension, I tend to frame my own personal inner experiences along those lines. I feel richer for it, and don't regard that as a Bad Thing™.

A mistake? I'll gladly make that mistake - and accept a grade during my final exam.

[morgan2]

10. You dont need a God to have a sense of wonder...

Just look to the earth.. look to the universe... They'res quite a lot to ponder.

[TahitiNut]

15. If you're going to tell me what I "need" or "dont need" ...

... are you not becoming that which you claim to eschew? Sorry, but my karma ran over your dogma. I'll let others attend the "Church of Morgan2." :evilgrin:

[morgan2]

16. no I'm just stating a possibility

Maybe thats not how you meant it, but people in general tend to act like there is so much to think about by being religious. All I'm pointing out is there is just as many questions, if not more, not being religious. In fact many people believe religion was invented so as NOT to have to answer questions.

[TahitiNut]

22. Well, my faith doesn't give me "answers."

I just find I'm able to ask myself better questions with it than without it.

[mopaul]

12. i don't deny you your spriituality, and wouldn't want to

i too have that sense of wonder and awe when i look into the night sky, or gaze at hubble photos.

[demnan]

11. Yes - but being a non-believer is a lonely life

You go through life with only your common sense, a belief in what's right and science to guide you while around you swirls an ignorant world of supervision and greed.

[Bridget Burke]

14. "Imagine no Yoko"

John Lennon was my favorite Beatle, but he had his weaknesses, too.

Even famous multi-millionaires see the need to surrender to a greater power.

[H2O Man]

21. Yoko is cool.

As people who enjoy John's music know, Yoko wrote quite a bit of "Imagine."

[Alpharetta]

17. It's funny how many non-believers still believe in Luck

You know, the quirky force that causes coincidences beyond randomness.

They'll believe in Luck but they can't bend their head enough to consider something which could exist before the start of time.

[shadowknows69]

18. I am absolutely all about

people being spiritual in whatever way serves them best and having a relationship with their vision of what thier creator is. Having said that, all organized religion should be dissolved immediately.

[progressoid]

19. God is a concept by which we measure our pain...

I'll say it again
God is a concept
By which we measure
Our pain

I don't believe in magic
I don't believe in I-ching
I don't believe in Bible
I don't believe in tarot
I don't believe in Hitler
I don't believe in Jesus
I don't believe in Kennedy
I don't believe in Buddha
I don't believe in Mantra
I don't believe in Gita
I don't believe in Yoga
I don't believe in kings
I don't believe in Elvis
I don't believe in Zimmerman
I don't believe in Beatles
I just believe in me
Yoko and me
And that's reality

[H2O Man]

20. John used to love to quote

his good friend Harry's saying, "Everything is the exact opposite of what it really is." That seems to apply.