Why today's kids look down upon religion ?

Because religion got too mainstream.

Whatever, I don't care. I have my religion and my beliefs. Guess what? If I'm wrong, we're both screwed to spend eternity as soil. If I'm right, have fun in hell. I don't see a reason not to believe or try to find God. At the rate science is going, we're gonna be living a lot longer and I wouldn't doubt within a few hundred years that we find some kind of immortality process. It'd kinda suck living forever though. TBH, I don't wanna die but living forever actually sounds just the same. Just thinking about either subject makes one go mad. Wish we really knew the answer.

I'm just gonna add my 2cents here.

I don't think kids frown on religion in general. It really depends on the parents and the people around them. The internet for all it's might is nothing more then a tidal wave of information and misinformation. Most people i know who use the internet don't spend their time looking up Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. They're spending their time gossiping, looking up porn, messing on Facebook, Youtube, etc. The general population is not Off Topic or any one forum one may go to. Information is power, but it's only as good as how people use that information as well.

It's also something to note that religion, like any other idea or structure is not the sole thing going on anymore. There are a myriad of other things grabbing our attentions at all times. Then you got the whole rebellious teenager phase which virtually everyone goes through in looking to make their own identity, and i do believe that even kids of religious parents will either give up religion, or come to peace with it on their own terms.

People can say they dont like organized religion, but from what i've experienced it's got more to do with just wanting a reason to not go to the place of worship rather then the wrongs that some churches/mosques/etc leaders might be doing. Even i'm gonna admit there are times when i'm at Friday prayer and i'm listening to the sermon and the topic is running long ("I get it! can we move on now?!"). Or when the people at the Mosque start hitting you up for donations. Yes it can be irksome, but i still go, it's not a terrible experience, sometimes it's pretty enjoyable. At least for me it is.

It's also true that we hear a lot of bad news from religious people, be it explicitly for what they believe they're religion is telling them, or is still a topic at hand. So it's easier to make a generalization and make a blanket assumption of the belief and it's believers. If it bleeds it leads as they say with the news. Rarely do you hear of good things from churches, mosques, temples, synogogues outside of local community news. I mean in the city of Milwaukee, if your homeless or you are one broke dude who can't feed himself, chances are your going to a church.

The modern world, for as awesome it may be, i believe is getting entirely too materialistic. People are far more concerend about their own desires and the things they want rather then the things they need. I'm not all that concerned though, because i do believe things will work out in the end as well, the exponential economic growth we've been experiencing in the 20th century and 21st century will not last forever.

I can respect a person's sincere disbelief or belief in whatever, Because either way you cut it, believe in God or not, it does take a leap of Faith to say outright "I definently think this". However I have a hard time respecting a persons decisions to stop believing something mostly on the grounds to live a life of hedonism. Really in the end it's not skin off my back either.

Religion saves a person from doing wrong things as Sex , doing Drugs ETC kind of sins. indzman

To any who would claim religion and the bible as the only possibility to have a sense of ethics and morals: Try actually reading the thing before you dare speak to me of morals, ethics, and conscience.

The bible is a terrible example of morals. It's littered with messages of sexism, intolerance, bigotry, violence, and murder. Nothing will turn you into an Atheist faster than reading the bible cover to cover.

As for culture, a culture of what exactly? Intolerance and fear? Violence and war? Presumptuous and arrogant indignation?

I am not a religious person, I never have been. Yet I somehow have lived my 28 years without ever having so much as been drunk or smoked a cigarette. I've never been into a real physical fist fight my entire adult life. I've never been arrested, and I have no criminal record.

But I know more than my share of religious history and mythology. It's something that has always fascinated me. I've seen little more than religion hinder human progress in my life time and in the history of mankind.

"I once bought a forest. The parasites claimed that the land belonged to God, and demanded that I establish a public park there. Why? So the rabble could stand slack-jawed under the canopy and pretend that it was paradise *earned*. When Congress moved to nationalize my forest, I burnt it to the ground. God did not plant the seeds of this Arcadia - I did."

I don't look down at religion. Everyone is entitled to his own beliefs.

But I do think that modern Christianity is a scam. None of the things mentioned in the bible ever came true and when I look at the world around me I don't see God helping people when they are in pain or are in trouble.

The only religions which come close to reality in my opinion are Buddhism and Daoism.

To any who would claim religion and the bible as the only possibility to have a sense of ethics and morals: Try actually reading the thing before you dare speak to me of morals, ethics, and conscience.

The bible is a terrible example of morals. It's littered with messages of sexism, intolerance, bigotry, violence, and murder. Nothing will turn you into an Atheist faster than reading the bible cover to cover.

As for culture, a culture of what exactly? Intolerance and fear? Violence and war? Presumptuous and arrogant indignation?

I am not a religious person, I never have been. Yet I somehow have lived my 28 years without ever having so much as been drunk or smoked a cigarette. I've never been into a real physical fist fight my entire adult life. I've never been arrested, and I have no criminal record.

But I know more than my share of religious history and mythology. It's something that has always fascinated me. I've seen little more than religion hinder human progress in my life time and in the history of mankind.

"I once bought a forest. The parasites claimed that the land belonged to God, and demanded that I establish a public park there. Why? So the rabble could stand slack-jawed under the canopy and pretend that it was paradise *earned*. When Congress moved to nationalize my forest, I burnt it to the ground. God did not plant the seeds of this Arcadia - I did."

keech

Morals Without God?

Well, if I believe in a God, I doubt he'd want the attention he gets. Its ok to believe in God, but I don't think he wants everyone treating him as if he's perfect or that he has some master plan. Nor would he want people doing acts in his name as if they know what he really wants. The way I see it, only animals that aren't human will be capable of to going to heaven since they live without idolizing any deity. Everyone else would be thrown into fire for their troubles....

Well, if I did wanted to follow any religion, I'd follow the one that believes God is the Sun. It seem we have it to thank as the reason we are still alive. Without it, we are doomed. However, I'm not gonna worship it. Just acknowledge that it keeps the Earth spinning and alive....

Morals Without God?

kuraimen

Something like that. Though I would personally take it a step further and say I don't push for "morals without god" as much as I push for "humanity without morality". Concepts of right and wrong can become horribly subjective in the minds of individuals. How often have any of us been in a conflict with another where we DIDN'T believe we were right? The "right" decision for a specific situation does not mean that decisions is always the right one. So I hold to the notion that morality is by no means some absolute truth. That's It's not so much about what is right or what is wrong, but about weather or not you can live with the knowledge of what you've done after the fact.

[QUOTE="kuraimen"]

Morals Without God?

keech

Something like that. Though I would personally take it a step further and say I don't push for "morals without god" as much as I push for "humanity without morality". Concepts of right and wrong can become horribly subjective in the minds of individuals. How often have any of us been in a conflict with another where we DIDN'T believe we were right? The "right" decision for a specific situation does not mean that decisions is always the right one. So I hold to the notion that morality is by no means some absolute truth. That's It's not so much about what is right or what is wrong, but about weather or not you can live with the knowledge of what you've done after the fact.

Well I think we can all agree that morality is not something absolute. But i don't think humans can live without some type of moral code since it is part of what we are as a social species.

They are anti everything just about

Anti Gay
Anti Immigration

They also come off as the most vengefull peope I have ever seen "KILL HIM..let him/her burn"

It goes on and on in these and other forums all the time so I just gave up on it.I think the internet and politicians have played a huge part in changing minds.People are getting sick of it and sick of being demonized for not believing what others want them to believe.

[QUOTE="keech"]

[QUOTE="kuraimen"]

Morals Without God?

kuraimen

Something like that. Though I would personally take it a step further and say I don't push for "morals without god" as much as I push for "humanity without morality". Concepts of right and wrong can become horribly subjective in the minds of individuals. How often have any of us been in a conflict with another where we DIDN'T believe we were right? The "right" decision for a specific situation does not mean that decisions is always the right one. So I hold to the notion that morality is by no means some absolute truth. That's It's not so much about what is right or what is wrong, but about weather or not you can live with the knowledge of what you've done after the fact.

Well I think we can all agree that morality is not something absolute. But i don't think humans can live without some type of moral code since it is part of what we are as a social species.

If you're using moral code in a more general sense I can concede to that idea. As everyone has a different idea of what is moral. This is where religion always falters IMO. Religion is incapable of reasoning that different people have a different idea of what right and wrong is. Not only can they not reason it, but cannot allow it. As this would concede that their is no absolute right or wrong, just what is right or wrong for the individual. Which in turn would make the need for religion much lessened.