35 People Share Things They Are Really Suspicious Of But Can’t Actually Prove

Even early on it was used for power. The crusades were touted as a religious war, but the true motive was wealth, templars eventually became so wealthy even kings went to them for loans.

No, it was used to control from the very start. If we didn't understand certain things, who was doing the explaining?

Religion was used by ancient rulers to control the masses. They used their belief in god to explain things, yes, but it was to control the people to do what they say and not do what the ruler didn't want done. Period. Read up on Constantine.

This is true but unfortunately, like everything, people have hijacked ideas and used it to gain power.

It was always about control. Controlling women, especially.

LOL you believe that? It was created by the powerful to control the masses.

Definitely about control. 'it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of god'

Actually the church took pagan rituals and adopted them to suit their needs...to control the masses.

That’s a bit like saying Bach and Mozart composed for money. True but that’s somehow not giving it justice. Faith is more than explaining phenomena: it’s a spiritual home.

Once religion became organized it became about control.

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You could never convince a chimp that there is a god. But humans will happily believe. So there must be an evolutionary reason for it. One theory is when working in small groups of 50~ people, you can know everyone. But when you get above 100 it becomes difficult to know who is trustworthy and who will stab you in the back. Believing that there is a god watching, judging and expecting it's followers to behave a certain way or they will be smited or whatever. You'd know where you stand with any follower of that god and be better able to trust them. There is a reason chimp bands never grow bigger than ~50 but humans work together on mass all the time, e.g. big companies, countries, malls whatnot.

Religion is the biggest money-making scam in the history of humanity.

But...... how does one explain things we don't understand with more things we don't understand??

Even early on, it was a way for old men to control the fertility of young women.

Nope it's always been used for power.

Like ''Be kind to one another''.

No, that's spirituality. Religion is a ploy.

No... since ever: the shaman (which was very often the head of the tribe, or at least working closely with the head of the tribe) would tell the tribe how this or that ( war, hunt, sacrifice,...) was necessary because he "spoke to the gods/spirits/whatever". Rather than telling people "there is a sickness amongst pigs, it will make you sick if you eat pork meat" it is much more convincing to say "God told me we shouldn't be eating pork because it is an unclean animal". Later it became "don't have sex outside marriage...it is a sin" "but if you have committed too many sins we can pray for you if you give us donations" (ka-ching!)

No, those are beliefs. Religion is the controlling authority of those beliefs..

the first cave dude that found a way to control fire, figured he had a hold on the gods... power! and what do we know abut power? It equals control!

Thank you.

Yesterday’s religion as well. And probably from the actual beginning too.

It's one in the same. Look at Cargo Cults as an example within modern history. If you don't know the term, look them up. Then think about it, like a lot, because the implications are very relevant. Everyone tries to come up with explanations. The difference between a religion and a random superstition or tradition, is that a religion morphed into a control mechanism. Washing your hands before a meal is a religious ceremony. It's also basic table manners. In one case it's a religious control mechanism. In another, it's your mother instilling control. Then add time and politics, and suddenly people have a vested interest in maintaining that control for personal gain.

It still is.

I won’t take credit for this, because I read it somewhere. Everyone: Yay, we all get along with each other! Some wind-up merchant: * snigger * Heard of this thing called ‘Religion’?

CharliAnn Olney

CharliAnn Olney

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Hmmmm, that explains the Great God, Lord Fauci.

Today's religion is religion. You're right. That's where it came from. The difference is that the old and new religion you see are the same thing.

Mostly it was the oral history of a civilization.

Not only, religion is very useful for creating society. There are five problems or questions every society has to address to be called society. 1) who are we?, 2) who is in charge?, 3) how do we trade (measures, weights, honoring contracts,...), 4) what is taboo? and 5) punishments, what is fair, who says so and who can deal the punishment. Religion is very useful tool for that. We are that religion, this guy is in charge because god said so, this market is sacred and god revealed that this is the right lenght of something, god forbids and god orders and if you will not listen, we will stone you to death. Simple, quick and easy to understand. All those other things like "what is rain", "where do we do after death" and "what is the origin of life" are just reinforcements.

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Yes, this whole over-arching control nonsense is the stuff of idiots who flunked history in about 3rd grade and beyond.

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Was religion created specifically to control the masses? Well no one who was there when religion first arose wrote down why they invented it so every hypothesis is mere speculation. I imagine, since religion as an institution has transcended time and cultures, that there is an innate human need for religion. That it fills some sort of biological need for the survival of the species. We, as a species, have advanced precisely as we have because of some precepts undergirding all religions - belief, faith, trust, certainty, risk taking, justification for one's actions, a sense of one's self at the center of the universe, a sense of one's clan being chosen among others, a sense that the sufferings of this life will be rewarded on the next, etc. Religion arose as a feature because of natural selection - those inclined to religiosity were more likely to form cohesive communities and take risks. Religion is a biological imperative.

We'd need to learn and understand the development of religions before we can determine if power was their original purpose. In which case, the first question is how do you draw a line between a religion and a belief? Historically that is. As in at which point does/did beliefs become a religion?

But not from the start. That's what we're looking at. there's no reason to think that religion was initially started this way.

It can. Some religions practice shunning, which can be hugely distressing to doubters and dissenters.

Exactly! How can it NOT be proven.

What a shame.

Siddhartha, the son of the brahman. The most memorable book I read in high school, circa 1988.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antikythera_mechanism

Excellent example.

Loki, is that you again?

Ok are you free Tuesday afternoon

They'll think we loved plastic.

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Again, we don’t know. I had 3 dreams in a row and a gut feeling my crush would like me. Turns out he was gay so yeaaaaaaaaaaaa.

That is always my question when I hear similar stories or even when a movie has this plot! I was always wondering

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/dead-peasant-insurance/ because the insurance companies are in the business to make money, not help people. I also remember a dear abby type letter from a woman(LW) who said her mother's sister(aunt) took out an insurance policy on LW's son when he bought a motorcycle and told her later when LW heard about it thru the family grapevine, asked aunt who said it was "for his inevevitable funeral." The son did die on the bike. LW wanted to know if she should ask aunt for the money, now that the guy was buried, the funeral over and aunt never offered.

As long as someone has a 'vested interest' in a person they can take out a life insurance policy on them. Vested interest is basically anyone who would be financially impacted if you were to die, at least that's how i understand it. Spouse, ex spouse, family member, employer. You'd be very surprised to learn that a lot of employers take out life insurance on their employees. I'm no expert on this, so don't quote me.

Not only individuals but corporations! And much more frequently. You ARE a commodity.

I think in this situation it is because they were still married.

Same way someone who has your name and social security number can apply for credit cards for you.

Ooh that's evil, I like that!

Dreams are your subconscious telling you what your conscious either can't or won't acknowledge. When you're asleep, you let your guard down and the lies and reassurances you tell yourself (I'm just being paranoid) are weakened, and the real knowledge comes out.

20 conglomerates own nearly 70% of every female-branded clothing (and accessory) line. Just wiki any name brand to see which megacorp it is a subsidiary of and you’ll see. Coach is owned by Tapestry, Inc., for example. Forever 21 is owned by the same conglomerate that owns Aéropostale Brooks Brothers Nine West Prince Reebok Tapout Thomasville Vision Street Wear