religions

I was just wondering how easy is it to start a new religion?? :confused: because you hear about new ones starting out all the time or new ones branching of from existing ones and they all seem to make a packet out of it. And i was wondering can anyone start a new religion just your average joe...

This is a series of threads about whether religions are *useful*. Is fundamentalist christianty: * good for its believers? * good for their families? * good for the world? Take a utilitarian view please.

This is a series of threads about whether religions are *useful*. Is liberal christianty: * good for its believers? * good for their families? * good for the world? Take a utilitarian view please.

As I was reading today about current events happening in the Middle East, a question occured to me: How many wars in mankind's history have been started by an atheist? I could do the research myself, but I thought it'd make for a lively debate. Also, I need to run off to work. Plus, I'm lazy.

I'm curious about religions that were popular before the Pentateuch was written, particularly in the Middle East. Which gods was god referring to when He said, "You shall have no other gods before me?" And where's the Yahweh smiley icon--it seems to be missing...

Are you of the opinion that any present day religions persecute you, try to harm you, or lobby against your civil rights? If yes to the above, how does this affect you in your day to day life?

Unverified anecdotal reports of near death experiences. From a xian perspective...anyone got any testimonies af non-xians dying WITHOUT the "I'm going to hell" rubbish? I've heard that Bertrand Russell was supposed to have tossed off a snarky remark just before he died, but I can't remember...

I know of the Christian Genesis story and the beliefs and creationist that it has spawned. My question is how do Mohammedans, Hindus, Buddhist, and other religions claim the world began? Do they even make such a claim? Do they also have a "seven day plan"? Do they have hard-line creationist like...

In another thread Mercutio and I had an argument as to how legitimate is to compare the cult of Jedi Knights with the Christians. I want to explore this topic a bit further. It seems logical to me that the mechanism that creates the religious feeling is similar all around the world but still I...

Religion's misguided missiles -- Richard Dawkins http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4257777,00.html On what basis is a religion classified as being "of the Abrahamic kind"? Is it because the founder of a given religion is believed to be a descendant of Abraham? If that is the...

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=religion The only possible applicable definition for either of the two terms is that it is A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion. Which of course, does not support the fact that it is actually a religion in a...

Has any one ever tried to list all the factions, subfactions and subsubfactions of the major religions. Christianity goes to what? Catholicism? Protestants? Aren't their protestant catholics? Where do Baptists fit in are they protestants? Then you can break baptists down into Freewill and...

No particular reason for starting this thread, other than that I found this site, www.adherents.com, rather interesting. In particular I found this interesting:

Recently I had a conversation with very religious christian person about evolution. He believes that the laws of evolution are absurd. To me the laws of evolution appear perfectly logical. So later while driving home, thinking over the conversation, I came to a sudden conclusion that the laws of...