[net.religion] A subject for debate--- again

pete (02/25/83)

This posting seemed to get lost, when our UUCP files got zapped.
If you've already seen it -- my apologies -- I am reposting it.

A subject for debate in this newsgroup.

What purpose(s)  does religion serve.
What purpose(s) should it serve?

Please answer any way you see fit:
	Personally
	Intelletually
	culturally
	satirically
	etc
	etc.

	Let us have a new debate in this group

		The troublemaker

gh (02/25/83)

The purpose of religion is to provide a set of answers to difficult questions
for the benefit of people who are too stupid to be able to accept the fact
that said questions are difficult and often unanswerable.

In his novels "Cat's Cradle" and "The Sirens of Titan", Kurt Vonnegut shows
religion can achieve its purpose without the major social disadvantages that
current major religions have.

	Graeme Hirst

dew (02/25/83)

My wife and teen-age daughter will be going to Mayo Clinic soon.
Can anyone advise on motels nearby?  They will have a car.

					Thanks

					dew ihlts

djhawley (02/27/83)

Religion is the social, cultural, intellectual, etc. stuff that is
Man's ( (((and women's))) ) attempt to deal with God's revelation.
Some of religion is actually related to what God said (and says).

I agree that religion can be stupid dogma embraced by the closed minded,
BUT, even though I don't know percentages, modern evangelical
christianity is not stupid or closed-minded, and neither is its dogma.
It seems more reasonable to try to deal with all of experience, and
the supernatural is part of what we experience.
( deal with != do it ).


Sorry this is disjointed ( I got the urge to flame <- last time I promise)

z (03/02/83)

I think it's a bit too limiting to include "God" in any definition of
religion, as some major religions (such as Buddhism) are distinctly
nontheistic.