Would they really? How do you know this

Maybe he’s omnipotent? 😉

Maybe… 😉

I don’t like organised religion

See in my view you can’t unpick the organised bit from religion.

If it isn’t organised than surely its a spiritual belief rather than a religion?

To be honest I have absolutely nothing against anyone’s sincerely held spiritual beliefs they are free to them so long as they keep them to themselves and don’t request special privileges (like tax exemption).

You’re right though I don’t have access to the opinions of millions of women. Perhaps I have misjudged Saudi Arabia’s record on women’s rights (as one example)

Or moving way from Islam, how about anti-abortion laws in the US justified on biblical grounds?

Do I need to mentioned the Catholic Churches official view on contraception.

This is before we delve into the plethora of conflicts around the globe kept going by religious sectarianism.

And I don’t accept the argument that we would all start becoming shits to each other if we abandoned religion.

We don’t adopt our morals from religion.
I don’t need to be rewarded in heaven to be nice to other people.

Joey da Rat is going back on da street, husslin wid da pimps n tricks, some other guy in a long black dress gonna be da new boss walla……

And I don’t accept the argument that we would all start becoming shits to each other if we abandoned religion.

Me neither – I think nothing would change for either better or worse…,

You’re right though I don’t have access to the opinions of millions of women. Perhaps I have misjudged Saudi Arabia’s record on women’s rights (as one example)
Or moving way from Islam, how about anti-abortion laws in the US justified on biblical grounds?
Do I need to mentioned the Catholic Churches official view on contraception.

I don’t disagree these are negative things. However you were suggesting that people you see as oppressed (as they may be) would universally thank you for removing religion. Your above statement doesn’t support that notion at all.

would universally thank you for removing religion

You’d me murdered for even suggesting it more like.

The Emperors Not Wearing any clothes….

Its not about religion, everyone does something for something.

David Beckham’s reward is easy to see, people who volunteer or take on responsibility without remuneration also seek reward, could be power or forgiveness or access to the young.

Economics init.

You old cynic …….

Reminds me of a debate I partook of once, the premise being that we are all motivated by selfishness. All went well until one individual launched into a tirade about how he ran a youth club and didn’t do it for any reward. The punch line being I do it because I enjoy it ….. it ended not long after as the rest of us were hopelessly rolling in the aisles

This is far from being the end of religion, but it’s likely to be the end of celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church before too long.

The ideal of religion (of almost any flavour) is a very good thing. My grandfather was a scientist, an engineer, a sort-of-politician / ambassador for Scottish business and as close to a selfless protestant as you’d ever find.

As a kid, I was in awe of him, although he was unfailingly kind and generous. He tried his best to help me understand his faith and spent a good part of his life juggling his scientific knowledge with his religious beliefs – wrote a few papers and books about it over the years.

He failed with me as I haven’t set foot in a church to worship for decades, but I do feel as though we as a society have lost a cohesion made possible only by a common acceptance – even if it was just a cap doff towards a set of rules by which to live. I envy those who have faith (and I sometimes covet my neighbour’s ass).

But I know I’ll never be close to the ideal along with 90% of the human race, which is why religion is consistently filled with failure, hypocrisy and other human traits…

oldnpastit – Member
This is far from being the end of religion, but it’s likely to be the end of celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church before too long.

+1 and that would be a good thing to come out of a very bad set/series of experiences.

but I do feel as though we as a society have lost a cohesion made possible only by a common acceptance – even if it was just a cap doff towards a set of rules by which to live. I envy those who have faith

Have you read Religion for Atheists by de Botton? Seems like you may share some common ground

From Amazon

The boring debate (what forums have they visited?) between fundamentalist believers and non-believers is finally moved on by Alain de Botton’s inspiring new book, which boldly argues that the supernatural claims of religion are of course entirely false – and yet that religions still have important things to teach the secular world. Rather than mocking religions, agnostics and atheists should instead steal from them – because they’re packed with good ideas on how we live and arrange our societies. Blending deep respect with total impiety, de Botton (a non-believer) proposes that we should look to religions for insights into how to build a sense of community, make our relationships last, get more out of art, overcome feelings of envy and inadequacy, and much more. For too long non-believers have faced a stark choice between either swallowing peculiar doctrines or doing away with consoling and beautiful rituals and ideas. At last Alain de Botton has fashioned a far more interesting and truly helpful alternative.