Is religion a load of balls?

[Dubai Blue]

Personally, I'm not in the slightest bit religious.

But earlier today I went to a memorial service for a good mate of mine who tragically died in a car crash in Oman last week (RIP Donal). I've spent the last 6 hours at a wake at the Irish Village so apologies if this comes across as a drunken rant.

The service was held in a Catholic Church in Dubai and the first words out of the Priest's mouth were "Please Father forgive the sins committed by our Brother Donal". He then went on to repeat those lines at least 6 times throughout the service.

I was fucking horrified. I was there to celebrate the life of one of my best friends, not to lay rest to a serial killer.

I was relieved to speak to Donal's father-in-law (a steadfast Irish Catholic) at the wake and hear that he was on the verge of getting up and confronting the Priest about his focus on "sins", and only refrained from doing so because of the distress it would cause. In his words, "The only sin Donal ever committed was being a Liverpool fan!" I pleaded ignorance about the ways of the Catholic Church and he told me that a service wouldn't have even touched on things like that in Ireland/UK.

It got me thinking. The Priest was Indian and the vast majority of Catholics over here are Filipinos. My dad was brought up by strict Irish Catholic parents in Moss Side and he has never respected the religion as an adult because it was only ever used as a way to make him fearful of the consequences of not believing. They literally put the fear of God into him.

As I said to Donal's father-in-law, religion is meant to sooth and comfort in times of distress, but this outdated version of Catholicism just breeds fear, and it seems to be alive and kicking in the Third World.

Thoughts?

 

[squirtyflower]

Have a read of 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkins, it may well focus your mind on what religion is doing to our societies.

 

[stony]

Religion has always been a way of keeping the uneducated in check.

 

[Anonymous]

Have a read of 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkins, it may well focus your mind on what religion is doing to our societies.

What a fantastic book! It changed my life (no exaggeration) by giving me the confidence to say 'bollox' to the organised religion that I'd been brought up with.

 

[Anonymous]

Very much so!

 

[BingoBango]

Years back when I was living in the Highlands, I went to a Presbyterian funeral service. It was one of the most dispiriting experiences of my life - the preacher was only bothered with telling the congregation that we were all sinners, would burn in hellfire and so on.

Barely a word of comfort, barely a note of celebration of life. I still don't understand it.

 

[squirtyflower]

Have a read of 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkins, it may well focus your mind on what religion is doing to our societies.

What a fantastic book! It changed my life (no exaggeration) by giving me the confidence to say 'bollox' to the organised religion that I'd been brought up with.

That's why I mentioned it. It took me from being a sit on the fence agnostic to a full on atheist. Then lost my job when the company got took over by a bunch of religious zealots who believe the Earth is only 7000 years old. ffs.

 

[Anonymous]

Years back when I was living in the Highlands, I went to a Presbyterian funeral service. It was one of the most dispiriting experiences of my life - the preacher was only bothered with telling the congregation that we were all sinners, would burn in hellfire and so on.

Barely a word of comfort, barely a note of celebration of life. I still don't understand it.

I'll be having a humanist funeral. No religious connotations at all.

 

[Dubai Blue]

Years back when I was living in the Highlands, I went to a Presbyterian funeral service. It was one of the most dispiriting experiences of my life - the preacher was only bothered with telling the congregation that we were all sinners, would burn in hellfire and so on.

Barely a word of comfort, barely a note of celebration of life. I still don't understand it.

Sounds like the exact same service that I was at today. Apparently we are all sinners who are gonna burn in hell.

I've been to a few CofE funerals and they've been a proper celebration of life and I've come out of them almost feeling upbeat.

I made the initial mistake today of slagging off Catholicism as a whole for what I witnessed, but upon speaking to practicing (Western) Catholics I realised that this is just the fucked up fanatical shit that they are peddling to the world's poor and needy.

It fucking stinks.

 

[BingoBango]

Years back when I was living in the Highlands, I went to a Presbyterian funeral service. It was one of the most dispiriting experiences of my life - the preacher was only bothered with telling the congregation that we were all sinners, would burn in hellfire and so on.

Barely a word of comfort, barely a note of celebration of life. I still don't understand it.

I'll be having a humanist funeral. No religious connotations at all.

Me too. I was 17 when I went to the funeral, and I think that's what finally turned me against religion.

On the other hand, I went to the service of the sister of a workmate a couple of years ago, and that was a humanist affair. it was fantastic (or as fantastic as funeral services can be). This time it was people celebrating the life of a great person without of the judgemental bullshit.

That's the way for me.