Ask Anything on Sidechat | Is religion just one big cope for humans not knowing where we truly came from and being afraid of reality

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Ask Anything 8w

Is religion just one big cope for humans not knowing where we truly came from and being afraid of reality

172

Anonymous 8w

pretty much

Anonymous 8w

I’ve been training at a zen buddhist temple for a few years now, up to you to decide if zen is more religion or philosophy, but for me personally I’ve gotten a lot of peace, fulfillment and meaning out of my engagement with it. What do you call it if it’s cope that works? Lololol

Anonymous 8w

Also a tool to control people

Anonymous 8w

In part, sure. There’s also guidelines for how to live a good life, rules for how not to die, and other practical wisdom. There is also real substance to spirituality beyond just “I’m scared of chaos and God gives me order”

Anonymous 8w

Yes I’ve always thought this. I feel like there are too many out there and everyone thinks theres is the truth when in reality nobody knows where we came from and why we are here and all those big questions. I think religion can give a lot of people comfort and good messages/ways of living but personally I am not involved and still feel I live a pretty moral and happy life. I also think like you said people want answers and can’t stand not knowing or feeling like they don’t have a larger purpose

Anonymous 8w

Yes

Anonymous 8w

i posted something similar to this months ago and it has only proven my point

Anonymous 8w

No, there are, and historically have been, many religions whose message was “if you werent born a king, then its going to suck now, and suck later, and you kinda deserve all of it for not being born liked by the gods. Or maybe you dont deserve it and they just hate you. Lol sucks to be you” Ancient Hellenism, Canaanite religion, traditional Hinduism. One could use the same logic to say “atheism is just a cope with the fear of an eternal suffering by saying there is nothing”

Anonymous 8w

yes! exactly

Anonymous 8w

An important point about religion, and by extension most institutions in society, is that it simplifies things. The world is complex, layer after layer to the subatomic. Our brains seek to reduce effort and simplify the complex, and religion provides frameworks that let us judge people and actions and ideas in an instant based on previous knowledge or group reactions. It feels easy (and in a way it is), safe, and familiar. The brain then invents as needed to preserve such benefits.

Anonymous 8w

I really wouldn’t say so

-1

Anonymous 8w

The substack blog Bentham’s Bulldog has some interesting arguments for the existence of God

-2

Anonymous 8w

Ig in part it can be, but there is a religion that’s real.

-6

Anonymous

#4 8w

Well, which one is it?

Anonymous

#5 8w

Well, something can be cope, helpful, and be untrue at the same time. For example, believing you will succeed could motivate you, even if there isn’t a guaranteed chance you’ll succeed, and it increases your chances. This is to say nothing about any particular religion, but a lot of them assert a story/method which could be historically false or inaccurate. I’m glad you’re getting benefit from your training though, truly! Would you tell us more?

Anonymous

#6 8w

Catholicism

-6

Anonymous

#4 8w

Specifically Catholicism and no other sect of Christianity, just to be clear?

Anonymous

#4 8w

Y’all can’t even be consistent and agree with one another and want the rest of us to think you have some secret truth? Time to leave the imaginary friends in the past.

Anonymous

#6 8w

Yes. Catholicism is the fullness of Christianity.

-3

Anonymous

#8 8w

Oh what the people of other Christian religions think don’t matter. All of them were made by humans. Catholicism wasn’t.

-6

Anonymous

#4 8w

Nope, all made by old men who wanted power and control. Nothing unique about it.

Anonymous

#4 8w

you realize that every believer of every religion that has ever existed feels or felt exactly the same way, right?

Anonymous

#1 8w

Oh yes I do, but Catholicism is objectively the best one. The people that occupy it make it worse.

-6

Anonymous

#4 8w

Your book is the same, twisted collection of fairytales. Different interpretations don’t make it any better.

Anonymous

#8 8w

Nah. I agree. Different interpretations of the actual thing aren’t better.

-2

Anonymous

#5 8w

As someone who’s also a Buddhist and goes to the temple a lot, this was going to be my take. I’ve personally followed it as a philosophy more than a religion, but it’s definitely helped with my own inner peace (but I also study religious studies and love to see people’s takes on it)

Anonymous

#4 8w

Bro what😭

Anonymous

#12 8w

Everyone knows Catholicism is the one true religion.

-6

Anonymous

#4 8w

I genuinely can’t tell if ur trolling or being deadass. Im sure any member of the thousands of other actively practicing religions would have something different to say.

Anonymous

#4 8w

Do you know what objective even means it can’t be objective if so many people have different opinions about a concept with no scientific backing be fr

Anonymous

#4 8w

"everyone knows" bro what are u talking about? there wouldnt BE other religions or atheists if ""everyone knew""

Anonymous

#10 8w

Thank you.

Anonymous

#10 8w

Ok, just bc other people believe in other religions doesn’t mean they know it’s correct. Like Islam for example. We can all agree islam can’t it

-5

Anonymous

#4 8w

you think the billion muslims in the world are all just practicing it to spite you and they all secretly know it's fake? lmao

Anonymous

#4 8w

Do you even hear yourself?

Anonymous

#4 8w

"the religion i was born into is correct. everything else is false and demonic" - every religion ever

Anonymous

#1 8w

If you know anything about Islam, you have to know that it can’t be real. No western worlder is gonna think Islam is okay.

-4

Anonymous

#4 8w

So many people could say the same exact thing about yours though ..

Anonymous

#4 8w

Even then, you’re just making false assumptions and insulting another religious group to be able to make your argument. You haven’t given a real example as to why your religious practice is the “one true religion”

Anonymous

#4 8w

I guarantee I know more about Islam than you do lol

Anonymous

#6 8w

Life is suffering =\= cope

Anonymous

#19 8w

Nothing that isn’t already debunked or unsubstantiated.

Anonymous

#20 8w

The action thing is important though, and not just within the context of right or wrong. I think it reframes one’s perspective on the point of aligning actions within a future context, whether or not what it aligns to is an actual outcome is…to some, debatable, but I do think that has a positive impact on the internal feedback loops most people use in decision making.

Anonymous

#17 8w

For example, at my work, there are lazy dumb people, lazy smart people, hardworking dumb people and hardworking smart people, but the hardworking dumb people are all religious. That’s not a genuine scientific study, and there are lazy dumb people who are religious, but the ones with higher degrees of control over their own lives and trajectories in the world are religious, even if that trajectory and control is somewhat forced in one direction their future has at least the availability of choice

Anonymous

#17 8w

if you hold down = you can use ≠ or ≈

Anonymous

#21 7w