Religion or Death?

[applecorped]

In this thread: http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=127950,

I was surprised at how many people would rather die than have to live their life subscribing to a particular religion.

What is about religion/s that would make someone rather be dead than have to practice and/or follow certain beliefs, rituals, etc.? Would life be that unbearable having to deal with that?


(p.s. I'm not religious at all. I do not believe in god/s. I would rather live though.)

[Lanzy]

I voted death.

I always vote the most silly response to silly questions as that is what they deserve.

[Tin Foil Timothy]

In this thread: http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=127950,

I was surprised at how many people would rather die than have to live their life subscribing to a particular religion.

What is about religion/s that would make someone rather be dead than have to practice and/or follow certain beliefs, rituals, etc.? Would life be that unbearable having to deal with that?


(p.s. I'm not religious at all. I do not believe in god/s. I would rather live though.)

Some would argue that subscribing to an ideology that is so abhorrent to you isn't living

[JWideman]

Let's see... a life where any expression of doubt is suppressed as being demonic influence, where any unique opinion is met with scorn, where one must either lie to oneself or lie to others every breathing moment... I'd rather die than go back to that.

[Marquis de Carabas]

Cake please.

[quarky]

Having to go to church is like dying inside a little, each time.
Its not so much the religion; its the church thing.

[Hokulele]

Pah, as I said in the other thread, they would have to catch me before they can kill me.

On a more serious note, almost all of the religions you listed can cause serious problems if you are one of the female persuasion. Why would I want to endorse a belief system that insists I am inherently inferior?

[Tressa]

I'd fake a religious belief and start an underground atheist movement. I'll leave martyrdom to the religious.

[shadron]

Having to go to church is like dying inside a little, each time.
Its not so much the religion; its the church thing.

Ehh. I must have been asleep for those parts. Mostly, religion for me was rote memorization and boring stultification.

[Shalamar]

Cake please.

The cake is a lie.

[Mashuna]

Cake please.

No-one expects the Church of England inquisition!

[six7s]

Why would I want to endorse a belief system that insists I am inherently inferior?Indeed, why?

Especially when you and/or anyone else can - repeatedly - use the scientific method to show it's not inherent at all...


Rather, its learned behaviour
















:p

[six7s]

No-one expects the Church of England inquisition!Nominated (http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?p=4189178)

[six7s]

Ehh. I must have been asleep for those parts. Mostly, religion for me was rote memorization and boring stultification.And?

Isn't rote 'learning' a subset of boring? :confused:

Also... isn't boring a subset of death?

[shadron]

You're right, but it was still rote memorization and boring stultification.

[Jorghnassen]

I got three words for those considering death over religion: catholic school girls.

[quarky]

good point.

Too bad it was a mortal sin to kiss them.

[Darth Rotor]

In this thread: http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=127950,

I was surprised at how many people would rather die than have to live their life subscribing to a particular religion.

Note how the scenario was presented.

If you are not religious already and you were in a position wherein you had to choose a mainstream religion under penalty of death, what would you pick?
This entity already has my life in its hands, and can on a whim, put me to death today for not choosing the right religion. Tomorrow, it can put me to death for wearing the wrong colored shoes, for not singing on pitch, for failing to yield right of way, and so on.

My exercise of choice is to confront that tyranny with

"If that's how you are going to be about it, I am a walking dead man. Cut to the chase, kill me now, you don't get to eff with me any more."

It is their pleasure in ****** with me that I am going to deny them by choosing death. You fight with the tools at hand.

DR

[Darth Rotor]

good point.

Too bad it was a mortal sin to kiss them.
But if they are kissing you, is it OK? :p

[applecorped]

Note how the scenario was presented.


This entity already has my life in its hands, and can on a whim, put me to death today for not choosing the right religion. Tomorrow, it can put me to death for wearing the wrong colored shoes, for not singing on pitch, for failing to yield right of way, and so on.

My exercise of choice is to confront that tyranny with

"If that's how you are going to be about it, I am a walking dead man. Cut to the chase, kill me now, you don't get to eff with me any more."

It is their pleasure in ****** with me that I am going to deny them by choosing death. You fight with the tools at hand.

DR

Nice answer.

Couldn't you just lie though and then either run away or kill this entity at a later date?

[fuelair]

But if they are kissing you, is it OK? :p
I seem to recall it depends on where.:D

[Foster Zygote]

Death. No! I meant cake! I'll take the cake, please.

[Hokulele]

Nice answer.

Couldn't you just lie though and then either run away or kill this entity at a later date?


Well, running away was basically my answer. Unless the entire planet went crazy, I am sure there would be very nice places to live without the threat of someone killing you for no good reason.

[ImaginalDisc]

I'll have the chicken, please.

[James Fox]

I’ll take religion with lots and lots of sinning followed by really good make up sex.

[wolfgirl]

I don't know...I think it's easy to say you'd die rather than choose, but it might not be so easy if the actual choice were presented to you, really and truly, right here and now. I'm pretty sure I'd choose a religion to pretend to prescribe to and see how much I could get away with not following it.

[six7s]

Well, running away was basically my answer. Unless the entire planet went crazy, I am sure there would be very nice places to live without the threat of someone killing you for no good reason.There are good reasons to kill people? :confused:

[applecorped]

There are good reasons to kill people? :confused:

David Hasselhoff fans come to mind;)

[six7s]

There are good reasons to kill people? :confused:David Hasselhoff fans come to mind;)The war with Germany is over!

[Hokulele]

There are good reasons to kill people? :confused:


I suppose it depends on how hungry you are.

[quarky]

But if they are kissing you, is it OK? :p

I've gotten weak with my Catholic studies, frankly, and even back then, it was awkward to discuss the fine points of sin with clergy or family.

But I think it came down to tongue. If umarried Catholic tongues touched, both parties were essentially doomed to eternal suffering.

In their defense, eating meat on friday was just as bad...even if it was an accident, like it was for me, when I spent the night at my Jewish friend's house, and had dinner with his family...

Once you've commited a mortal sin, like me, the heat's off. I don't think hell gets worse if you sin more.

sweet deal, in a way.

[fuelair]

There are good reasons to kill people? :confused:
Depends - I tend to conflate good with necessary in these situations.:)

[fuelair]

I suppose it depends on how hungry you are.
I was thinking more to protect wife, friend(s), any child - but hungry might qualify in a really wierd setting.:)

[Andronicus]

This thread reminds me of a conversation I had with my father after Mass one Sunday as a teenager. The sermon had been on the early Christian martyrs, and their willingness to be killed for the sake of their religious convictions.

FATHER: So son, if you were a Christian in the first century, would you have renounced Christianity or been fed to the lions?

YOUNG ANDRONICUS: By Jove, I’d make the choice that would let me take care of my aging father.

FATHER: Okay, here is your allowance.

[Soapy Sam]

DEATH to all unbelievers.

[quarky]

Imagine eternal life!

Hah! Couldn't do it, could you?