Thieving Magpie

Well, I don't know about that.. it seems to me that the actual definitions of 'cults' and 'religions' is very much debateable. 'Cult' remember, is usually used, or at least seen in a negative context. Many people just refer to cults as 'bad religions.' But what makes a religion bad? Some people call Christianity a cult.. others don't.. it's a bloddy mess is what it is.

-RRH-

What I go by, is how vicious the group is in its conversian methods. In this sense, certain groups within Christianity are cults, but as a whole it isn't.

And as for creating a false religion for the purpose of social stability, I doubt you could make it work in practice. If you try to force one set of religious beliefs on everyone, many people will vehemently resist you. Most of the behaviours that would enable a religion to defend itself, (heavy proselytizing, dismissal of other's viewpoints, us-vs-them mentality) would only increase strife within the community. Even if your religion managed to emerge victorious, having eliminated all other religions from the earth, it still could not relax its guard, for fear of atheism cropping up. The only way to prevent atheism from reappearing would be to hinder critical thought, which would cause more harm to your society than good.

Thieving Magpie

Indeed, unless of course the religion truly was perfect...

beyelzu

it might be possible to force atheism on a society however. if after many generations you finally managed to stamp out religions you wouldnt have to worry about atheism rearing its ugly head.

Thieving Magpie

That's rather presumptuous, don't you think?

If a religion were, in fact, perfect there would be little fear of atheism. Whereas, if atheism were perfect, we would not have to worry about religion 'rearing it's ugly head.'

Hmmm...

But wait a minute - if atheism were perfect, it would be unnecessary to force it upon a society. And if a religion were perfect, it would take root and grow on it's own, until complete conversion was reached, without it having to be 'forced' on anyone at all...

So which is better, or more perfect? Religion, or atheism?

I think atheism is a religion. And I certainly don't think atheism is a perfect religion. I am, actually, more anti-Atheist than I am anti-Christian, come to mention it. But that is a matter for a later time, and another thread.

Cipher Girl

I meant that a person's deity wanting what they want is a symptom of the deity being a construct of the person and not the other way around.

Thieving Magpie

What if the deity made people so that they would want what the deity wants?

Cipher Girl

Is the deity schizophrenic? Why then would the deity create people on two sides of and issue (or battle lines) each beleiving that they are doing what the deity wants? Or is the deity simply incredibly mean and evil?

Thieving Magpie

What if people are naturally evil, and do not always know what they want, but need it to be 'revealed' to them?

One might argue that just because two opposing sides may each claim superiority, it doesn't mean that they are both wrong.

Shake

"They think they're so smart. They don't know that we know they know we know! Joey, you can't say anything."

Joey: "Couldn't if I wanted to." [/Friends]