Which religion or belief is the dumbest

the culture of deference

For me scientology and creationists have to be up there as the dumbest and most gullible.

muslim jew and christian are pretty much the same, indoctrination usually has to start at a young age.

But is there really any difference in believing in any of them?
Should you be allowed / encouraged to hold these contradictory beliefs?

Genghiz Cohen

Believing that all life SPONTANEOUSLY FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER EVOLVED FROM NOTHING!!!!!

Gregor Samsa

the culture of deference wrote: »

Which religion or belief is the dumbest?

Anything but mine.

the culture of deference wrote: »

Should you be allowed / encouraged to hold these contradictory beliefs?

Scratch my facetious answer. The dumbest belief is one that thinks that others shouldn't be allowed to believe something.

ShooterSF

I dunno I have only a reasonable level of understanding of one religion and there have been thousands I'd say (at least). My south park knowledge of mormonism would rank it pretty high.
Then again what's "dumber" mormon style crazy belief or Jehovah's much more life threatening refusal of transfusions?
Question needs better definition IMO.

liamw

1. Any belief system that incorporates an omnipotent being that just happens to have human characteristics and cares about petty things in our personal lives.

2. Belief in life after death.

robindch

ShooterSF wrote: »

Then again what's "dumber" mormon style crazy belief or Jehovah's much more life threatening refusal of transfusions?

Grab a copy of this ans ask that question again:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_the_Banner_of_Heaven

Dave!

the culture of deference wrote: »

For me scientology and creationists have to be up there as the dumbest and most gullible.

muslim jew and christian are pretty much the same, indoctrination usually has to start at a young age.

But is there really any difference in believing in any of them?
Should you be allowed / encouraged to hold these contradictory beliefs?

You should of course be allowed to hold them, and everyone else should be allowed to ridicule them for the silliness that they are.

sincere113

Church of the flying spaghetti monster....

http://www.venganza.org/

Sean Moncrieff did a piece on this on his radio show a couple of years ago.

rainbow kirby

Iglesia Maradoniana

Dave!

sincere113 wrote: »

Church of the flying spaghetti monster....

http://www.venganza.org/

Sean Moncrieff did a piece on this on his radio show a couple of years ago.

Littlehorny

As far i can see most religions think its ok to hate everyone else who isnt of the same religion, how dumb and ignorant is that? I don't want be part of something that thinks its ok to hate my fellow man or woman!

smokingman

Any one where you're told to be subservient to something invisible.

ShooterSF

robindch wrote: »

Grab a copy of this ans ask that question again:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Under_the_Banner_of_Heaven

Some crazy stuff there too. Can't say I take issue with the idea of polygamy though...

I guess the crazier religions will be found in smaller sects than mainstream (or a small variant of the mainstream)

antiskeptic

the culture of deference wrote: »

muslim jew and christian are pretty much the same, indoctrination usually has to start at a young age.

The belief that only the people to have rejected what they were taught as children are smart and objective .. is pretty dumb.

Mr. Presentable

Of the major religions I'd say Mormon. Scientology isn't a religion - it's a cult.

OpenYourEyes

Mr. Presentable wrote: »

Of the major religions I'd say Mormon. Scientology isn't a religion - it's a cult.

Isn't a cult just a small religion though?
And a religion just a big cult?

im invisible

smokingman wrote: »

Any one where you're told to be subservient to something invisible.

Hey there!

I am the lord your dog...

That Anakin will bring balance to the force. I wasnt convinced by him at all.

ShooterSF

Mr. Presentable wrote: »

Of the major religions I'd say Mormon. Scientology isn't a religion - it's a cult.

Religion is to cult as spud is to potato.


(Hides from King Mob)

ddef

Genghiz Cohen wrote: »

Believing that all life SPONTANEOUSLY FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER EVOLVED FROM NOTHING!!!!!

This could be used for the Big Bang theory too.

mikhail

The OP seems to be trolling.

I find the craziest idea to be one I held as a kid: that my religion was definitely true because of my parents, the Bible, religion class in school, mass every Sunday...

Thing is, were I born in Saudi Arabia of Muslim parents, I could have held pretty much the same faith in a completely different religion because of my parents, the Koran, religion class in school, mass (do they call it that?) every Saturday...

And similarly insert any religion and appropriate region and ritual in there. So the questions I put to religious people when I have a sit down conversation about this is, "Why is your religion the right one? Why do you believe if not for those reasons?" I've never gotten anything like a satisfactory answer.

magicbastarder

those crazy ass nutjobs in the south pacific for whom prince phillip is god.

Burgo

magicbastarder wrote: »

those crazy ass nutjobs in the south pacific for whom prince phillip is god.

In fairness I think they're on to something.

Captain Chaos

ddef wrote: »

This could be used for the Big Bang theory too.

No it can't because something had to be there for the Big Bang to occur in the first place. It is an event that happened because of certain group of elements in a certain time frame interacted in a certain way. It was not nothing and then everything.

magicbastarder

Captain Chaos wrote: »

No it can't because something had to be there for the Big Bang to occur in the first place.

you appear to possess knowledge which would be of great interest to the physics and cosmology community. you should pass on that knowledge.

Captain Chaos

magicbastarder wrote: »

you appear to possess knowledge which would be of great interest to the physics and cosmology community. you should pass on that knowledge.

It's called research on material by the group of people whom which you speak of. It is generally agreed that the "Big Bang" did not just pop into existance as it happened, something had to be there before.

ShooterSF

mikhail wrote: »

The OP seems to be trolling.

Actually OP picked two minimally controversial choices. Had he picked a mainstream belief followed on this site, maybe. His posting style is just eh less diplomatic imo.

I think the prince phillip one holds the lead for me and I expect if this thread doesn't go off on a tangent we'll get to read about some more small size obscure and whacky religions.

magicbastarder

for people who don't know about the prince phillip movement:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Philip_Movement

Turtwig

Surely that would have be that Objectivism shyte. The more I look I at it the stupider it appears. Why oh why did I even have to become of its existence. (Thanks Nodin btw, for the terrific link)

magicbastarder

Captain Chaos wrote: »

It's called research on material by the group of people whom which you speak of. It is generally agreed that the "Big Bang" did not just pop into existance as it happened, something had to be there before.

from what i understood, any discussion of what was there before the big bang is highly speculative.

View

Captain Chaos wrote: »

It is generally agreed that the "Big Bang" did not just pop into existance as it happened, something had to be there before.

By whom?

goose2005

Captain Chaos wrote: »

It's called research on material by the group of people whom which you speak of. It is generally agreed that the "Big Bang" did not just pop into existance as it happened, something had to be there before.

What do you mean by "there"? Did physical location exist? And what does "before" mean in a universe without time?

Knasher

Cargo cults absolutely should be on this list. Basically it was a group of religious beliefs that popped up after WW2 in the pacific where people went around building replica runways and control towers in order to get planes to land there stocked with supplies gifted from their ancestors. It was inspired by the native people seeing the US army airlifting in supplies into their bases and then mimicking them when the war ended.

sensibleken

Rastafarianism

The whole rasta thing of claiming Haille Selaise was jesus always reminds me of the life of Brian.

Selaise: "Im not the messiah"
Rastas: " only the trues messiah would deny his divinity"
Selaise: "alright alright i am the messiah!"
Rasta: "He is the messiah!!!!"

I do get very irritated by people talking to me about it because I have dreads.

aside from that, transubstantiation. I laughed at that when i was 7

raxor

Knasher wrote: »

Cargo cults absolutely should be on this list. Basically it was a group of religious beliefs that popped up after WW2 in the pacific where people went around building replica runways and control towers in order to get planes to land there stocked with supplies gifted from their ancestors. It was inspired by the native people seeing the US army airlifting in supplies into their bases and then mimicking them when the war ended.

To be honest, i'd argue that Cargo Cults aren't half as crazy as any of the established religions. Think about it, one day someone builds an airstrip etc. and then people physically land in a plane or whatever and your tribe end up with actual physical food and technology and stuff. It's not a great leap of faith to imagine that if you imitate the circumstances around the previous situation that you might be lucky enough to get someone to land again and receive more goods.

Equally, i can completely understand paganism and sun worship and all that malarky, as the sun and water have real tangible benefits to life and growing crops and whatever else.

Now, parting tides, talking to yourself inside your head and imagining that someone in the clouds is actually listening, bread becoming the actual body of christ? For me most of the major religions are on the same level of nuttiness....scientology and creationism hardly need to be mentioned.

Knight who says Meh

Mr. Presentable wrote: »

Of the major religions I'd say Mormon. Scientology isn't a religion - it's a cult.

Whats the difference?

robindch

Knight who says Meh wrote: »

Whats the difference?

CerebralCortex

robindch wrote: »

That sums up my thoughts nicely.

The Internet Explorer

This song is somewhat appropriate and also relatively funny.

Click on appropriate and funny link to listen to funny and appropriate song

Jagle

Knight who says Meh wrote: »

Whats the difference?

for one, Mormons or the church of latter day saints is a recognised religion here in ireland, Scientology isnt, its a business

Turtwig

Jagle wrote: »

for one, Mormons or the church of latter day saints is a recognised religion here in ireland, Scientology isnt, its a business

Only because we don't yet have enough Scientologists to cross that critical threshold.:pac:

Jagle

Malty_T wrote: »

Only because we don't yet have enough Scientologists to cross that critical threshold.:pac:

you mean force our government for change, indeed cant wait for that day to come...


wasters in charge will probably say yes, for years people will be taken advantage of, have money withdrawn from their accounts, become bankrupt, be murdered because of the churchs beliefs, then in 50 years time, there will be a tribunal, costing millions, and in the end the people will be found guilty of being gullible..

i can see it now

Dades

Jagle wrote: »

Malty_T wrote: »

Only because we don't yet have enough Scientologists to cross that critical threshold.:pac:

you mean force our government for change, indeed cant wait for that day to come...


wasters in charge will probably say yes, for years people will be taken advantage of, have money withdrawn from their accounts, become bankrupt, be murdered because of the churchs beliefs, then in 50 years time, there will be a tribunal, costing millions, and in the end the people will be found guilty of being gullible..

Sounds to me like you need a personality test.

Turtwig

Dades wrote: »

Sounds to me like you need a personality test.

Me!:eek:
NOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dades

And bring your chequebook.

Turtwig

Dades wrote: »

And bring your chequebook.

Jagle

Dades wrote: »

Sounds to me like you need a personality test.

i do, where can i get one haha

Littlehorny

if that is your rational then what created god?

Turtwig

Littlehorny wrote: »

if that is your rational then what created god?

This.<>

(Any excuse to post this pic.)

Undergod

Jagle wrote: »

for one, Mormons or the church of latter day saints is a recognised religion here in ireland, Scientology isnt, its a business

Is this an actual thing in Ireland, and how does it work? Is it to do with number? I think the idea of having recognised religions is a dodgy one for a secular state to have.

Jagle

Undergod wrote: »

Is this an actual thing in Ireland, and how does it work? Is it to do with number? I think the idea of having recognised religions is a dodgy one for a secular state to have.

its a thing in all countries, in america scientology is a recognised religion, not here, or the uk or france, and to the best of my knowledge germany.

and no its not a thing about numbers at all. they look at the beliefs of the church, how the church operates, and decided there is something dodgy about scientology and so say no. the benefits are obivous to being a church/religion all the tax breaks and what not

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology#Scientology_status_by_country

lists the status, as you can see almost all countries have to decide for themselves if it is a religion