<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Chutney:</div><div class="quote_post">Power is the root of all evil. Seriously, I know people like to point to all of the violence that has resulted from religious differences, but that has come from either the exploitation of religious devotion or the misplacement of priorities. Religion, like anything else, has been a tool for the selfish.</div>
It is that tool which you speak of that's brought the most terror in the history of this world. The selfishness and pure exploitation in order to reach higher levels of whatever it is exactly that religion is preaching about today is what's wrong with it in fact. That religious power has killed the innocent and does so today, and if nothing worse has wiped clean the authority we have over ourselves. Because of it, we bow down to each others reasoning bodies and disillusion ourselves from ourselves. We forget to think for ourselves, the purity that is the human mind, once shun away from the blockade of religion and other oppressive forces.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Chutney:</div><div class="quote_post">I personally see a difference between the basic doctrine of my religion and my own sense of spirituality. In that sense, religion should be a personal experience. I tend to emphasize the equality that Sikhism treats other faiths and religions with, while downplaying the link that it has developed with culture and nationality. I can definitely see why you have a problem with people trying to force their own perspective onto others.</div>
I respect the religious way, in its pure form. In its devout form that it was formed to be. With that I mean, the outlook of one Christ, or of Buddha but with their principles of reason, not some abridged literature and ten-step plan for eternal life. What I have a huge problem with is the organization of religion, the mass pruning of our minds and forming them into some robotic state into which we are to adhere to a book of laws about our own spirituality. So, in a way I concur with your reasoning on religion and the way you follow it aside from any material structure as how to "follow" it.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Chutney:</div><div class="quote_post">But I have to question you about following and forming a life by rules set out by mankind. I mean, doesn't everyone conform to rules set out by society, before we even understand them? I'll provide an example that's nasty, but it proves a point nonetheless. Incest is a taboo in modern society. Do we ever question it? Obviously it occurred in the past. And while we think it leads to genetic defects, its not a documented fact yet. Now, I'm not supporting incest: I think it's disgusting. But doesn't my own reaction speak volumes? Clearly we conform to certain customs/rules set out by mankind without even realizing it. Not saying that this proves that religion is superior, but it does show that hating religion because it espouses certain beliefs and rules is naive. Freud talks a lot about this.</div>
Thus, we must liberate ourselves from that type of thinking. Society no doubt is a great feature that we as humans adhere to because without the laws and regulations of such a structure, chaos on a much larger scale than it is showcased now would prevail. In that same context, I always thought an anarchist way of running your life was pure rubbish. It holds no ground, it has no unity with the rest of the world, which is the central building block of our lives. So, in that sense I don't want you to confuse me for such a person. So, we must "Think for our[selves], and question authority." With that meaning, even if we are brought up under some ludacrious authority we must resist it if it is not beneficial to us.
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Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are going in this ocean of chaos, it has been the authorities — the political, the religious, the educational authorities — who attempted to comfort us by giving us order, rules, regulations, informing — forming in our minds — their view of reality. To think for yourself you must question authority and learn how to put yourself in a state of vulnerable open-mindedness, chaotic, confused vulnerability to inform yourself.</font>
I don't think I should have used the word "hate" to say what I believe. There's a fine line in which we are to inform ourselves about our playing field that is the world, and in which we take action to better ourselves in it and others around us respectively. We must understand what is at fault in today's world, whether it be on smaller scale or something as grand as a religious one. However, we shouldn't step out into some void and feel enlightened because we've welcomed some kind of change unto ourselves and become disconnected from our fellow bretheren.