Festival of sacrifice.

[Dave70]

Is 'ideologies' the word youre looking for here? How do you have a society or for that matter a political system without ideologies?

Ideologies are fine so long as they remain dynamic and open to correction, revision and improvement, as in the spirit of good science. Dogmatism is where you run into strife, and unavoidable when a society's core beliefs are founded on un alterable texts and final revelations and / or megalomaniacal political types. I cant help but think of the US second amendment here. Perhaps in 1791 you may have had valid argument for every man and his dog to possess an armory, but you'd be on thin ice trying to justify civilian ownership of assault rifles in 2014. But it persists. Is it making society a happier, safer place? If the answer is no, well?
In summery, people are credulous ******* idiots with a heard mentality.

 

[pcmfisher]

Ideologies are fine so long as they remain dynamic and open to correction, revision and improvement, as in the spirit of good science. Dogmatism is where you run into strife, and unavoidable when a society's core beliefs are founded on un alterable texts and final revelations and / or megalomaniacal political types. I cant help but think of the US second amendment here. Perhaps in 1791 you may have had valid argument for every man and his dog to possess an armory, but you'd be on thin ice trying to justify civilian ownership of assault rifles in 2014. But it persists. Is it making society a happier, safer place? If the answer is no, well?
In summery, people are credulous ******* idiots with a heard mentality.

Yes, it should be renamed the second commandment. But wait, that would be changing it.

 

[contrarian]

Having lived in a predominantly Muslim country for 2 years I think there are some massive generalisations about religious people going on here. While in Australia freedom of religion exists and for many people it is a personal choice to be religious regardless of their parents and families this is not how religion is perceived in many parts of the world. I was in Bangladesh and your religion is something you are born into not something you put on like a pair of pants.

Like in all religions there are some extremely devoutly religious individuals, some than are fundamentalist and dogmatic and others that, like most people in the world, want to live a peaceful life, have the opportunity to work and support their families and provide them with a slightly better life in terms of opportunity than what they had for themselves. To assume that everyone who identifies with a religion falls into one cohesive group of beleivers in unicorns and pixie dust is a massive over simplification of the situation.

To single out a religious festival to label millions of people as cruel and barbaric is a bit of a stretch. I am finding the build up to Christmas this year absolutely abhorrent. A frenzy of people spending money they don't have on absolute junk, destined for landfill and produced in developing countries under conditions that are inhumane.

This has turned into a bit of rant but I guess my point is that there's a lot of things going on in the world that are ****** up, money and power are central to all of them and religion is side show.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Well said, all ill add is thank **** we have beer to forget about all the nonsense/fuckedupery.

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Notice how I thanked ****, not god *wink wink*

 

[Dave70]

To single out a religious festival to label millions of people as cruel and barbaric is a bit of a stretch.

Who's labeling millions of people as cruel and barbaric?

I visited Spain once - In Spain they slaughter bulls for entertainment - therefore, every Spaniard is cruel and barbaric. Silly isn't it?
However, its impossible not to notice that A, the practice is expressly a Spanish tradition, and B, that a farmer who breeds Miura bulls may want to think twice before loading them on a ship bound for Basque country.
If he has the beasts humane treatment at heart that is.

 

[contrarian]

Wasn't referring specifically to your post, just the general sentiment of the thread an a significant number of posts making sweeping generalizations about religious groups that cover millions of people.