Why do so many people hate religion?

If worshipping chocolate is a religion I am there. Seriously how do people who dont believe in god or a higher spirit have religion? It makes no sense. Just more christian propaganda to make you feel all warm and fuzzy and that your world makes sense.

Good article, Donald. I agree.

"Faith is the substance of things hoped for , the evidence of things not seen." I believe most people FEAR religion more than hate it. They may hate the 'zealots', but they fear religion.

I dont FEAR religion Ivan....I do however fear the religious zealots that murder and start wars in the name of some faceless, formless god.

Don-----

I don't think anybody really hates religion, in general.
It is the religious that they hate.

"Seriously how do people who dont believe in god or a higher spirit have religion? "

See definition #4 and my example about vegetarians that are so devout. Look at some of the people with PETA or some of the environmentalist. They are devoted to a cause and have made it a religion to some degree. And some of them are so obnoxious in their devotedness; that the offend others.

So; no you don't need to worship a supernatural god to be religious. That is why one of the command of God the Father in heaven said that we are to "have no other gods before me!" Worship of the environment, a certain lifestyle, rich and famous, animals or any other thing like this is not that dissimilar to the idol worship of pagans hundreds and thousands of years ago.

Nationalism is like a state religion. Example of National Zealotry", can be seen in Nazi's. They viewed Hitler as practcally infallable, and he certqainly whipped up the frenzy of his followers, among whom were devout Christans who quite willingly carried out the dirty work of shoving it's targets into the ovens.

Love of God and Country/Nationalism at work.

Stalin also. A mix of atheism and Nationalism built around an ideology that had the religous fervor/frenzy of idolizing Stalin as if he were also so infalable as to carry out his purging agenda.

"Now it's a monolithic conglomeration of tax-free rackets and worse. "

Above is a reference to Christianity.

I think this is just a phenomenon of this country. I don't think other countries necessarily lend the same support/benefits. Even without it, Christianity still grows in many other countries. Other faiths in this country have the same tax benefits as the "Christian" churches.

You also get tax benefits for giving to agencies such as American Cancer Society, United Way, Red Cross and other organizations that have no affiliations with churchs or religion. The incentive is a giving incentive and not a scam propagated by Christians.

I don't deny that some people have abused it; but not just in church organizations. Having said that; Christians should be setting a higher example and I also am offended and disappointed by the abuses. This also correlates to the physical/sexual abuse that is being uncovered in the Catholic church. Fiscal or Physical abuse should not be occurring in Christian organizations. But they do. Why? I will save it for another article; this comment is getting too long.

I will just point out that Jesus is our example and we are to live as much as possible like he did. I already know what Jesus did to people referred to in Lyndon's comment; he ran them out of the temple and told them they made his Father's house a den of thieves.

I really am sorry so many people cannot see Christ and his love for them because of people that call themselves Christians but do not live like and follow Christ as they should be.

John O - Atheism and Agnosticism are faiths.

If you want to call modern Agnostisim (the hold out to the gospel of "I don't know") as a faith, fine, then that's what I am. A faithful follower of, "I don't know, and I "doubt" you or anyone else knows either"

I propose one more definition of religion:

a system of beliefs and practices based on truths that have become forgotten or have become known through authentic spiritual enlightenment, while lacking the capability of being provable from what has been accepted as factual by the community

For example, should a future people have no knowledge of cholesterol, the danger and avoidance of eating fatty foods might be a religion for them. Not for us, because we have scientific data to back up the claim. Without that, there exists the making of a religious value. (Perhaps this might figure into some of the Jewish dietary restrictions.)

That's silly. How do you know what is "intertwined in our minds as spiritual beings"?

Lyndon, I don't know if lea can answer that; but some of your comments lean toward "the break down of basic common civility".

The comment was not silly just because you disagree with it no more than your comments seem pointless because some of them make no sense to me?

Hali I didnt say I hate religion or government. Religion is not my gig...however I do have it pushed on me on a daily basis.

I think often what people really hate about religion is hypocrisy that often goes with it. Also they hate the violence that is sometimes used to enforce a religious way of life.

People should feel threatened by religion; it requires a lifestyle change. But some of us need a lifestyle change.

But the other thing people hate about it is most religions declare themselves as the way (to whatever we hope to get to at the culmination of this life). Most of us don't want to be limited in this way and we rebel against it.

If the world hates you, realize that it hated me before it hated you.
John 15:18

Excellent and well-written topic, Donald.

In my opinion, the reason religion causes so much friction is because of personal vies. We live in a society that prizes personal choice above all other things - to the point that MY personal choice is more important that YOUR personal choice OUR needs - even the needs of the majority. We have fractaled ourselves through the flags f diversity and political correctness to the point that the individual is all that matters - to each individual. In that, the concepts that most religions share - a higher power, placing the needs of others above oneself, etc. - have been diluted or lost.

And this is true of anyone who practices any discipline with a fervor. Have you never heard of someone who watches certain television shows "religiously"? Of someone who works our "religiously"?

As far as science replacing God, the truth is that science regularly shows us how intense and necessary God is. Despite the belief of modernists & post-modernists, science has never disproved God. God cannot be proved nor disproved; hence the need for faith.

The antagonism comes in when people start to believe that THEY have the power to save. Only the working of the Holy Spirit can save someone, but we as a culture ar so driven and motivated that we allow this attitude of self to bleed into our views of God. That allows us to make such misstatements as "all gods are the same"; "my personal god is the only real god - for me"; and "science has replaced God." I dislike it when people are so pushy that they try to convince me that their god is the only god - even those who believe themselves to be Christians. But condemning all because of that showed by deep-seated hatred for myself and others and came out as a misdirected and misguided attack on others who threatened me. In the end, it was the Holy Spirit who led me to where I am.

Not that I disagree in guiding others to Christ. It is my sincere prayer that people see His face in mine; that those who contact me will feel that I have allowed the love of Jesus to flow through me and that He has contacted them through me. But as was with me, I choose to leave the spiritual toolkit there for their disposal and pray that they will choose to use it. If not, it is no reflection of wither Jesus or me - it is a personal choice made by someone whose choice was different from mine - for now. But I also pray that if that ever changes that God allow me to be there for that person so that when the Spirit moves I will be able t share in the joy of their salvation. Not take credit for it - it was never mine to take credit for. But to share in the communal sense of love that the Holy Spirit offers.

Very well said. Great article.

Wonderful article and gives one food for thought!

Well, I, for one, fully intend to continue preaching, and preaching and preaching.
If I saw you standing in front of a semi about to get run down in the street, I would scream until you got out of the way or got hit. I would, at least, have the common decency to try to save you from pain and death.
Why do so many people hate religion? Truth? Because their deeds are evil.
So they point out the evil deeds of every false religious person they've ever met to make themselves feel better. They don't want to think about the true definition of religion, which is, "To visit the widows and the fatherless and keep yourselves unspotted from the world."
It's like why the misbehaving child hates the well-behaved child. Because the well-behaved child shows up just how bad the misbehaving child is.

I think this is one of the areas Satan most enjoys confusing people. And why not? He is against our Lord.
The father of lies loves to perpetuate the myths and ideologies of the past and mix them up with christian beliefs. His lies lead men to pursue power in the name of religious ideals that are earthly in nature and have nothing to do the Kingdom of God.
I like what the Apostle Paul says regarding theology and religious debate.
"I decided to know nothing but Jesus Christ, the one who was crucified."
1 Cor. 2:2

I think it's the control factor...
most people don't like to be controlled,
and people don't like to be told what to do
or how to think.

i think a reason is that in all of us we know that there is a Creator and I believe religion can cause our conscience to question our thoughts and actions...we hunger for more...religion convicts us of that fact..

I believe in God, and I believe that Jesus is my savior. However, that has little to do with how I feel about religion. 'Organized religion' is created by human beings, and all to often has so little to do with faith in an almight and benevolent God. As a result, I tend to distrust it, just as I try to have a healthy amount of skepticism for all things human made.

Belief in God, and belief in religion, to me, are two entirely different things.

Thank you for a very thought-provoking article, Donald. I especially like the passage from James 1.27:

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Unfortunately, in my view, it is all too often these days that organized religion does not adhere to this principal.

If the man/person of Jesus ever existed at all, it was the messege that was important, not the man himself, which followers have a tendancy to do. Deify the messenger, as oppose to living the messge/teachings.

I use to feel the same way about chcurches or organized religions.
But God loves to surprize us. I found one that actually feeds me. Spiritually.
I have grown by leaps and bounds since becoming a member.
You belong somewhere, believe it or not.
Only Christ was strong enough to go it alone.
And he went all the way so we wouldn't have to.
The bad churches and false doctrines get all the press.
Churches like the one I joined are champions of community and do so with little fanfare.
I was wrong in what I use to believe and I'm glad that God proved me wrong.
Because he forgave me at the same time and rewarded me with all the friends I have now. We praise him together and for eternity.
So if you haven't found the place for you, pray for one. Because those who seek will find!

Donald good article and good thoughts. I think that you can find a lot of answers about religious beliefs and the behavior of those who evangelize in the definition of MEME. Viral ideas have plagued mankind for all of our speaking history. Try googling MEME and think about it

A great article, Donald. It is the judgmental attitude of those who evangelize against other religions that bothers me. Everyone is free to believe what they want. I don't personally care if someone is Jewish, Muslim, or atheist. By their acts they shall be known. I have seen some of the most selfish and hateful people who profess to be Christians. And they criticize and demonize those who are not Christian. To me, Christianity is more about being a follower of Jesus and trying to live the sort of life that he taught, which is about forgiveness, compassion and loving others.

Maybe it's not that people hate religion so much, but what is done with it.

Maybe because many 'religious' feel the need to push their beliefs on other people, and hold their beliefs above all others. And I disagree with your labelling atheism as a religion. Atheism is the absence of belief in a god, not simply the absence of any belief. No belief in god, no religion. If you want to expand the definition of the word 'religion' to include any sort of belief, then it becomes absolutely meaningless. You can call my 'belief' in the Red Sox a 'religion'. I think that is a deliberate parody of the term, and should only be taken in a satirical context.

Good post. I think those who have such animosity or hatred of those of Faith feel that way because it's hard NOT to be confrontational when the very core of your being is badmouthed! I know a couple of specific gatherites who claim they are not knocking anyone's religion and believe everyone has a right to believe as he/she sees fit, but yet every post about religion belittles them beyond belief! Hey, I'm a Christian. I know what I believe, and why I believe it. However, I don't shove it down people's throats nor expect others to believe like I do. But, why do they try to shove their lack of faith down my throat and call me names, etc for it??? Because they do not have love in their heart. They have anger, bitterness and deep-rooted hate. So, I try to nicely respond and then put them on my prayer list.

You can call my 'belief' in the Red Sox a 'religion'. (Sheryl O)

Part 4 of the definition applies; and applies to Atheism. If you are devoted and pursue it, by definition it can become your religion.

I don't know what prompted the recent activity but thank you for the comments. My assumption is it may be the recent national day of prayer.

Frankly, I don't know why others feel so threatened by public religionist/faith display and even some historical context and attribution to Christianity and Biblical influences to our government. The founding fathers and society of the 1700's North America as a whole were more "religious" and "fundamental" in their belief of Judeo-Christianity and the Bible than our society is now. I guess it is because our nation's religion now is "Political Correctness"?

But perhaps I may save that for another article some day.

Thank you again for all that wrote.

Back in the day of our founding fathers, people were less religous than they are now, and also went to church less often than we do, as a society, now.

Many of the founding fathers were deists and were not fundamentalist Christians. There is a big difference.

Reason is the balance between superstition and reality. Therefore, believe in what you want but let the light of truth lead you to what you know and what you know is never enough and only faith remains, in a place called hope, a wish on a cusp yet to be realized.

Copyright May 6, 2008

I have a feeling that many who are all for restricting our 2nd ammendment rights to bear arms/pro-gun control may one day be glad they have guns or access to them, since we will probably be facing day be facing a tyranny not of a secular nature, but a thocratic/religous tyranny.

We'll probably have to fight to survive persecution by the people who believe that God is talking to them, and acting through them

We are going to find ourselves having to stop those people who believe in talking snakes, and invisible spirit beings from carrying out their beloved prophecy of Armaggden. Bless their hearts, they seem to be on a long term murder-suicide mission.

Because 1. religions lead people to restrictions. There are some taboos and people want to be as free as the wind.
2. religions "urge" their followers to be God obidient or pious and this againts materialistic things.
3. religions demand their followers to keep up with rituals and sacrifactions
4. All, some, a few religions cannot give satisfying answer as they need.
5. Puzzled by a concept of a or all religion (s)
6. Fed up with the conflicts created among religions followers.
7. Disbelief in any illogical events experienced by the Prophets.
8. Doubt that among religions, there's the truest one.
9. Ignorant, ill-informed, narrow-minded attitute
10. There always be the one like me to convince them that God exists and then you should embrace a religion based on what you believe and study.
11. May be this writing to be continued.

Ops! Am I the only Muslim here? Does this sound interfering? Sorry, English is not my mother tongue, I refer to religions here, not religion. Is it different?