You're inferring a dichotomy where there is none.
He isn't saying religion or treat people right.
They are not mutually exclusive and the OP doesnt say they are.i
If there is no God then it doesn't matter which religion you follow, or for that matter whether you follow one at all; assuming we ignore effects whose explanation is acceptable to a rationalist. Then there is the possibility that God either does not care what religion people follow, in which case it still doesn't matter. So it only matters if it matters to God, and if it does matter to God there's no real way of knowing which particular religion is right, if any of them are. So I wouldn't worry about it.
Originally posted by wolfgang59 You're inferring a dichotomy where there is none.
He isn't saying religion or treat people right.
They are not mutually exclusive and the OP doesnt say they are.i
Originally posted by BigDoggProblem It is not a dichotomy at all. Nothing in my post rules out following a religion while also treating myself, others, animals and planet well.
You do know what 'dichotomy' means, right?!
You are saying is doesn't matter what religion you follow. Opposed to this you are saying does matter what you do.
Whether or not it is technically a dichotomy is a side topic. What I am saying is that both matter. I.e the statement does not hold true.
Originally posted by divegeester You are saying is doesn't matter what religion you follow. Opposed to this you are saying does matter what you do.
Whether or not it is technically a dichotomy is a side topic. What I am saying is that both matter. I.e the statement does not hold true.
OK, I'll take that as an admission that you chose the word 'dichotomy' poorly. Moving on...
Apart from treatment of others etc. as I described, why is the choice of religion important? Is there some other benefit to it besides all that obtain when people treat one another well? Or is it just that there are many crappy religions out there that leech off your time/energy/goodness etc. and should be avoided?
Originally posted by BigDoggProblem OK, I'll take that as an admission that you chose the word 'dichotomy' poorly. Moving on...
Apart from treatment of others etc. as I described, why is the choice of religion important? Is there some other benefit to it besides all that obtain when people treat one another well? Or is it just that there are many crappy religions out there that leech off your time/energy/goodness etc. and should be avoided?
I accept that my use of the word dichotomy was not appropriate to support my response to your OP.
Originally posted by BigDoggProblem OK, I'll take that as an admission that you chose the word 'dichotomy' poorly. Moving on...
Apart from treatment of others etc. as I described, why is the choice of religion important? Is there some other benefit to it besides all that obtain when people treat one another well? Or is it just that there are many crappy religions out there that leech off your time/energy/goodness etc. and should be avoided?
The choice of religion is only important if you accept there is a god, and then only if that God is specific about his/her/its identity.