Brainwashing

Everyone thinks they are right, but no one has proof convincing enough to convert the others.

It also can bring out the best in people.

Christianity tends to bring out the best in people. Muslims, well they are brainwashed from an early age hence suicide bombers. I can honestly say I have not heard of any Christian suicide bombers. Remember the Muslim believes in Allah, they quote it every time they behead someone.(God is great)what kind of god is that. A little while ago cartoons of Mohammed/allah made the papers and Muslims around the world whent beserk! 7 people were killed over that cartoon, Christians don't go nuts if someone draws a cartoon of the Pope. Its the Muslim that practices zero tolerance of everything that is non muslim. This Christmas, Muslims complained so hard to Birmingham (UK) City Council that they had to turn the Christmas lights out so as not to offend the Muslim population which is now at 40% in Birmingham, England. No other religion is as bad or intolerant as this.

Religion brings out both the best and the worst in people, it's true. Religion is about our most fundamental relationships and values: with ourselves, with others, with life, and with the Infinite. There are two basic "modes" of being with regard to these fundamental things: we can either cling to our concepts and ideas about them, or we can realize and express them as a practice of living. If we cling to our concepts and ideas about religion, the result is that we treat all alternative ideas as a threat, and our egos are enlisted into an endless and pointless battle to eliminate those alternatives and prove our own views to be correct. This brings out the worst in people. If we let go of our concepts and ideas, and just focus on realizing and expressing those relationships and values in our daily lives, we experience an ever-growing harmony and richness in life, and we sense an ever-expanding willingness to care for others. This brings out the best in us. So it all comes down to one thing: clinging to beliefs vs. realizing relationships and values. The former brings trouble, the latter brings harmony, joy, and growth.

I don't think its religion itself, its the disagreement that comes along with it. Its the inability to reconcile conflicting beliefs and the emotional responses that are triggered when someone tells you your beliefs are wrong. Religion/worldview informs every aspect of our lives...how we conduct ourselves. If someone tells us we are incorrect/narrow-minded/ignorant for the beliefs we hold, it means that we could quite possibly be wrong about everything else. In other words, the stakes are high.

Trying to be right and judge and prove things or disprove things brings out the problems ("worst" in your words). If you know what your personal ethics and values and core beliefs are, and you simply concentrate on living by them with yourself (and with a higher self or power if you believe in that) and then with the rest of the people you come into contact with in your day to day life, there are no problems. You are not forcing anything, preaching, boasting, or anthing that would cause anything negative to result. Live what you feel, based on your heart felt beliefs and core value system, and you should be content, and not only will others have no reason to argue with you about religion (you do nothing to give them any reason to argue), but it is a positive way of living your life by example and just doing and being, versus actively crusading and pounding a Bible, Koran etc. Simply believe what you believe, and express your beliefs through your actions and goodwill towards everyone - no matter what their beliefs. I see no opportunity or reason for anything but good to then come from this.

First off, the response about Muslims being the worst is just silly. Any large religion has a large range of people. I have personally known very tolerant and respectful Muslims and very bigoted ones. The same applies for Christians, Hindus, people of any creed. Their are plenty of Christian murders, rapists, bombers, serial killers, etc. Like any type of social identification religion can bring out the worst in people in the form of bigotry and hatred. Humans love to be part of a social group, love to have something to identify with and feel part of. Religion has an extremely strong draw for these reasons alone. I find that the worst brought out by religion is very similar to the worst brought out by racists. Whenever you allow your group to do your thinking for you and you let yourself believe that your particular group is superior to any other the road to bigotry is wide open. To identify with a religion, race, whatever but still maintain and open mind and be accepting is not always an easy thing to do and many many people fail miserably at it.

In my opinion Relgion is a very private aspect in my life. I also understand that all of us, have our different values, beliefs and morals. To try debate any of these issues is just not worth it. There are no winners or losers, just personal and private beliefs.

The worst is brought about by a rationalized pattern of thought associated with the system of beliefs. It's all relative perceptions, by the way. Your perception of "the worst," i.e. negative, may be a perception of ultimate righteousness for another.

What religions bring out the worst in people is to say that their religion is the best or the only one that is true...

People tend to take religion possessively and feel they must brag it and share it with others, since if they found enlightenment, then why not others. However, people choose their own religion, and so there's a conflict when two people try to impose their own religions on each other. Now they feel they must defend their religion from others by wiping out the existence of possible threats. Violence of sorts comes to mind at this point sorry the wording came out wrong, i find this hard to express. and Robot Chicken is on tv causing me to laugh

The problem isn't with religion it's with certain people. Some people cannot tolerate others thinking differently from them. They believe that their's is the only way. That is the problem. When we learn to love and accept each other regardless of our beliefs the world will truly be a better place.

That it tries to make people conform to and follow certain ways, and invoke threats in the form of "hell" or "bad karma" to make them do it. It's a moralistic tool of mind control.

Probably .... hypocrisy.

If human nature could have a physical shape in what it initially presents as opposed to what it means, then religion would be it. There's much denial and delusion that comes into constructing the meaning of religion in relation to what we don't universally like about ourselves, others around us, and our state of existence as we know it. While nothing can be proven, it can't be argued that we all die or don't like negative aspects of ourselves such as treachery or cruelty, which in turn make up some of the most vital tools for human survival on a scientific viewpoint. Many of these are transformed into elements like honour and courage, which in turn merely serve to justify one's action, and that's perfect for religion. People don't like to have whatever they've come to harness as peace, guidance and security threatened or questioned, as this in itself is motivation to live, physically and mentally. So it brings out defense, which can be horrible. Take a lion's piece of meat away and see what happens to you. It will run away if it can, be if you threaten its life source it will attack. Bug and insult me at work all you want, I'm in no shape to fight and usually much too insecure to defend myself. But break into my house and I swear I'll find some way to turn myself into a female version of Michael Myers. I know I'm annoying with that probably, but it's my most sincere opinion.