Is faith/belief a crutch?

I've withdrawn this as a proposed new topic for now for the following;I didn't realize if I edited it to "delete all" everything would go away (evidently even previus posts). Here's the deal, I've posted this on other forums before, and it's EXTREMELY emotional in it's subject matter, although heated debate is fruitful, this one grows too much fruit. It's out of character for me to avoid conflict (as we all are well aware of)...this damn thing is a very, very hot "potatoe" (from the "New Quail" dictionary).My intent with it was and is to have "believers" re-think why they believe what they believe...and it does that to extremes I could never imagine. It's very upsetting for some to think about. It's gotten' firey emotions out of even agnostics (non-commital bastards (worse than the Sweedish)).If you guys REALLY want to debate this topic, be my guest, but be forwarned, what you may learn about yourselves and each other when it comes to your faith and beliefs being vivisectioned is not very pretty.I think you guys should discuss discussing this first.

Faith is most definitely a crutch, in my opinion. People have an inherit need to feel that there is some omnipresent "parent figure" watching over them. Every culture and every religion has one. I think it makes people feel safe and secure, in a sometimes chaotic society.Accountability is sometimes stripped away in place of the easier (and softer) explanation of divine intervention taking place. If a godly man does something terribly wrong, it was Satan that made me do it. If something tragic happens to a bus full of Sunday school kids, it was Gods will... Faith makes the above easier to cope with...Now, is faith being a crutch bad? I don't think so. If believing in a man up in the clouds look over me will keep me safe and content, where is the harm? If believing your dead wife is now in a "better place", makes dealing with the loss easier, where is the problem?Now will "believers" re-think why they believe what they believe? I am not sure... Most of them will not admit it if they do, and many may be too far "in" to turn back now.

Closing this before it attempts to turn into a discussion forum.Rocket, I wish you had left the original proposal up. I think it would have been an interesting discussion.

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AdminAsgara
Queen of the Universe