Why do religious threads always cause such heated arguments?

jimmy10101

Join Date 03/2003

Why do religious threads always cause such heated arguments?

The nature of humans

Greetings,
after reading some of the religion related threads on this board I am starting to wonder why religion always provokes such heated debate?

Without going into the philosophical arguments as to whether god exists / does not exist I just find it interesting that humans apparently have the need to defend their religious view (which presumably in most cases comes from their parental upbringing), in the face of many other contradictory ones.

Then again, I suppose people get just as confrontational about other things e.g. people brought up to support the same UK football team as their parents, ending up in fights with supporters of a rival team.

Due to the wonders of internet forums I've also seen some mass arguments with people stating why their games console is the best one. (These last ones are without fail barely understandable as they descend into "leetspeak" and name calling most of the time)

It would be a dull world if there was no debate between people who disagreed, but why does it so often degenerate into insults and violence?

I'm rambling here, I really don't know what my point is.

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This thread is loaded with irony.

All it took were two short sentences from eirikr2, and things started getting stupid. Bleh.

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Generally the internet (especially at a gaming orientated site, think of the demographics!) isn't a good place for discussion of anything with any proper scope of depth to it. But since its here.

Probably one reason is that it ends up in some way questioning one's beliefs, and thats all thats needed to snowball the issue and in turn set off an array of other emotions from insecurity to rage and hatred.

But im certain there is no single answer and that its a very complex subject rooted in thousands of years of history which the majority wont be able to grasp fully.

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Stanley:

Scientists tell us universes may indeed exit that have more than 3 spacial dimensions. It is utterly impossible for the human mind to comprehend or visualize more than 3 spacial dimensions.

OUR universe presumably has 11-13 spatial dimensions, DEFINITELY more than 3. As for comprehension, we can and must utilize the tool of mathematics.

And considering we are the technological super power of the world and have been for some time, not bad for a bunch of uneducated God believing idiots.

ahem: dear americans, i have news for you: your academic system and all areas of research in the US are utterly dependent on foreigners. in the sciences, the quota of americans is about 50%. without chinese, indian, japanese, european, etc. grad students, US technological superpower would never have existed, and will go to shit in no time. in fact, religious indoctrination may well threaten the technological lead of the US. Nobody can afford creationism in american classrooms, for example.

My awesome and pleasant memories will die when my last neuron dies... Also, my last painful memory will die when my last neuron distintigrates.

This is true. However, isn't it surprising for how many people an excessive lifestyle will soon become "empty" and so they turn to philantrophy to give their lives meaning?

Knife Fighter:

herefore by default you cannot have a logical/rational discussion with a "true believer” for their belief system is not based on the rational

methinks, this needs to be underscored.

Smidlee:

Even scientist sees those who disagree with their view as idiots.

perhaps scientist are especially prone to this, because they usually have experimental data to back themselves up. it also requires a fair amount of expert knowledge to be scientist, which further widens the gap to the general audience.

Generally the internet (especially at a gaming orientated site, think of the demographics!) isn't a good place for discussion of anything with any proper scope of depth to it. But since its here.

actually, i have a fairly high opinion of the galciv board and its contributors. i think the demographic of a TBS is also different from that of a FPS, or a sports game, for example.

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OUR universe presumably has 11-13 spatial dimensions, DEFINITELY more than 3. As for comprehension, we can and must utilize the tool of mathematics.

Wow, definetely more than 3 spacial dimensions according to mathematics? And since we can't imagine or measure things except from our 3 spacial dimension universe that we live in, it isn't at all possible that things exist beyond our understanding? That maybe consciousness and life doesn't end with death in this world? Perhaps, the realm of consciousness outside of our bodies is in these higher spacial dimensions?

Regardless, it takes some intellignece to "set this up" if you know what I mean. We were the first to have atomic weapons, cars, planes, etc., etc. Yes, we used German scientists to help us do it, but hey with our good thinking we got atomic weapons, put a man on the moon, etc. Again, not bad when apparently 90& of us are foolish idiots who are blinded by faith.

My awesome and pleasant memories will die when my last neuron dies... Also, my last painful memory will die when my last neuron distintigrates.

This is true. However, isn't it surprising for how many people an excessive lifestyle will soon become "empty" and so they turn to philantrophy to give their lives meaning?

No, this may be true. Quit speaking like this is 100% proven. NDE's at least offer the possiblity for this life to continue after death. If you study all of the evidence with NDEs, there is a possiblity that life continues. And yes, I acknowledge the possiblity that it is just something stupid going on in the brain for apparently no reason except to give fase hope.

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90& of us are foolish idiots who are blinded by faith.

fortunately, belief in the existence of a supernatural entity is graded

Again, not bad

not bad at all. just not owed to religion.

Perhaps, the realm of consciousness outside of our bodies is in these higher spacial dimensions?

who knows? it is a fun speculation.

No, this may be true. Quit speaking like this is 100% proven.

i am surprised you are taking offense. nothing in this world is 100% proven.
as i said before, other than personal reports, which are unfortunately insufficient as a scientific proof, we have no indications of an afterlife. like i said before, this does not absolutely rule out the possibility of an afterlife, either.

i am starting to wonder, where does your enthusiasm for the afterlife come from? and wouldn't it be interesting to interview bellack on that matter?

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Stanley:

Smidlee:

Even scientist sees those who disagree with their view as idiots.

I was reminded of a reporter who interviewed severe groups of scientist which was had different views on the exact same data. The reporter made the comment this was one of the first thing he learn when interviewing these scientist. Each one saw themselves as the expert and the other as idiots.
Of course this is true any field where someone see themselves as experts. When you got two or more experts on anything you often have strife.

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who knows? it is a fun speculation.

No, this may be true. Quit speaking like this is 100% proven.

i am surprised you are taking offense. nothing in this world is 100% proven.
as i said before, other than personal reports, which are unfortunately insufficient as a scientific proof, we have no indications of an afterlife. like i said before, this does not absolutely rule out the possibility of an afterlife, either.

i am starting to wonder, where does your enthusiasm for the afterlife come from? and wouldn't it be interesting to interview bellack on that matter?

Anti Body, I agree with what you posted here. I also realize the rigours of scientific proof and that no one can come close to proving the afterlife scientifically. I would say now that I am like 30% aeitheist and 70% beleive in an afterlife, but not sure about God anymore. At any rate, it is pointless to argue over this stuff. I have come to this conclusion after spending much time on the religous forums here (yeah no duh right).

The truth is what it is. We are all going to die. That is just a question of when and how, not if. We will all either wake up in an afterlife or go to nothingness upon death. We will all find out, so as someone wise posted earlier, why argue over something we will not find an answer to before our deaths? We will find out the answer far sooner through our own natural death than we could ever hope to find out if we lived for a thousand years.

I think I am going to give up talking about this stuff and just go on playing gal civ 2 and what not. I think I would rather spend my time fighting for better planet invasion animation in Twighlight of the Arnor. Maybe Ballack can tell us more about his experiences.

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i thought i'd share a resource for anyone who might be interested in using it:

www.religioustolerance.org

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