why Religions?

[AtheistDeity]

"I think you answered your own question. If someone needs to, or feels the need to follow some precepts, that is precisely why they do so. " Sorry, I meant if they didn't feel those things.

"Even in a very general sense, I'm not sure this captures Christianity as it is usually practiced. Repentance plays a major role in most Christian strains, as does the notion of original sin which dictates that we are all (except Jesus) sinners. If we are all sinners (original sin), and some sinners make it to Heaven (redemption via the repentance of sin), then to sin does not condemn the sinner to Hell. "

My point was that it is typically important for theists, like Christians to live their lives as instructed by their deity- not seeking redemption for their sin could as well be considered living sinfully, and would not typically allow them to get into heaven.

"Basically, yes. But again, sensitivity to the variety of beliefs is essential. Even if we limit the conversation to Christianity, the plethora of beliefs, even mutually exclusive beliefs, make generalizations extremely difficult. Generalizations are especially difficult when we talk about the requirements for entering Heaven and the requirements for condemnation to Hell. Right off the bat, some Christians take the Scripture literally, believing that Heaven and Hell exist in an objective sense and are the destinations of souls after bodily death. Other Christians will say the Scripture is figurative and that man experiences Heaven and Hell on earth; that Heaven is the psychological state corresponding to right action (refraining from sin, being kind to others) and right belief (having faith in love) and that Hell is the psychological state of negative emotion (the act of sinning being the manifestation of negative emotions like greed or envy). "

I have already said I wasn't trying to sum up the personal beliefs of all theists. (that includes Christians). I was only using those who DO believe what I was describing as an example.

"How is it that theists place greater importance upon following belief system than atheists? Even in a very general sense, this does not seem to be true; atheists are no less moral than theists and vice versa."
I was only refurring to the Theist's belief system. (as in a theistic belief system).
Most people find living as a model of their beliefs to be important. Theists, and Atheists- I was only saying that a theistic way of believing is not typically something an Atheist would follow.

[Didymos Thomas]

Well, sure, belief in God is more important to the theist than to the atheist, and following the precepts of any given theistic faith tradition is more important to the theist of said tradition than to an atheist.

I have already said I wasn't trying to sum up the personal beliefs of all theists. (that includes Christians). I was only using those who DO believe what I was describing as an example.

I'm not familiar with any Christian theist who thinks that to sin condemns the sinner to Hell. Again, most have some belief in redemption and most also think that all humans (except for Jesus) are sinners.

[AtheistDeity]

"My point was that it is typically important for theists, like Christians to live their lives as instructed by their deity- not seeking redemption for their sin could as well be considered living sinfully, and would not typically allow them to get into heaven."
I already told you what I meant by that.

[Ennui]

Greetings,religions are made initially as the ancient people worshiped God and have faith in Him,but when we are in this hectic metropolis,religions are gradually forgotten.This is an alternative elucidation that can be incorporated.

[awoelt]

Originally Posted by Wizzy

Hi Benjamin and fellow european

I'm what people call an atheist, which means as you seem to do, I don't belive in any higher supernatural fairytale god or the easterbunny.

The main reason why religion work is simple, fear. Fear of death, fear of hell, fear of gods wrath, fear of what comes after death, fear to be on your own in a evil world and most of all fear of "what if they're right?". Also simple things like to refuse to realize that we aren't here to serve a higher cause or not beeing able to accept how mankind came to from other creatures as evolution have enourmous evidence to prove makes religion go around.

And for why children often stay in the same religion as their parents are simple propaganda (people are gonna hate me now) and brainwashing as they are told from the day that they are born how their religion see the world and how it was created, makes them say grace and pray for new things, then reward them with the thing they prayed for while the parents don't understand that they have been manipulated into manipulating. And if somebody claimed that everything you had ever known, that your picture of the world that makes so much sense with flawed logic and no proof apart from some book, which they see as proof, not as the fantasy novel it is. So simply: parents trick their children into beliving in something just because they belive in it.

This is ofcourse just my conclusions and theorys...
Hope I helped

*Edit
Don't know if I should have answerd in the young people forum, Justin, if I shouldn't have, tell me would you?

It is good to believe in god no matter what. One, it will help in life. I can not name one thing in my religon that will not help you in life, with or without god. Even prayer helps believe it or not. second of all, religon makes you feel alot better. It is good to know there is someone up there. Is it a crime to have that feeling? I do not understand what is wrong with believing in god.