Is being Religious a part of being Successful

I agree - everyone's version of what "successful" is can be very different. Which means a question like what the OP posted is a piece-of-string question.

Your version of success might be to dedicate your life to your faith...
Or it might be to get rich whatever it takes
Or it could be to be famous (or infamous)

Or simply to be happy.

Each of these outcomes requires very different inputs.

 

Religion is the cause of most hate & war

I know a great number of people with no specific religious beliefs who demonstrate what some may be called "faith principles" to those who are religious.

I like the ten commandments here : Ten things we know to be true – Company – Google

 

That's true

Hence I said mega wealthy rather than successful, because clearly that's what the poster was talking about.

 

Over 150 years ago Charles Darwin expressed the idea that all creatures including humans with nuture would develop a sense of empathy, a need for companionship, social interaction and acceptance. Those people who don't are considered sociopaths or psychopaths.

I could be wrong but I doubt you could find a society where murder or stealing is a moral act. Murder as opposed to killing outsiders, those from a different village, tribe, race, religion or country.
Certainly those raised in closed intolerant societies where freedom of expression and thought prevails often persecute minorities. Often women, homosexuals and those of a different religion.

''The following proposition seems to me in a high degree probable—namely, that any animal whatever, endowed with well-marked social instincts, the parental and filial affections being here included, would inevitably acquire a moral sense or conscience, as soon as its intellectual powers had become as well, or nearly as well developed, as in man. For, firstly, the social instincts lead an animal to take pleasure in the society of its fellows, to feel a certain amount of sympathy with them, and to perform various services for them.''
Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man

Our morality is certainly situational. If we consider our own views on numerous subjects with those of anyone from the 19th century or even some of the most moral historical figures we would most likely find their views backward and intolerant. Consider women's rights, the rights of homosexuals, the rights of those with physical and mental handicaps, racism, capital punishment, slavery, minority rights and even animal rights.

What's changed? All we have is science and open conversation.

 

Two of the best things on the planet!

 

Ironically, many Churches had bucket loads of property, I am sure many still do.

 

This insane idea usually propagated by people of religion :

you must blindly follow rules dictated by others without thinking about them (ie be religious) to be able to have any kind of self discipline or morals because you are basically a piece of garbage without someone else's rules to follow and will do bad stuff all the time otherwise.

I don't know about you, but I have a brain. I don't believe in some invisible man living in the sky and I don't blindly follow rules that others decide are right (such as the belief that gay people are an abomination).
When a woman hits on me, I chose to say no for the sake of not hurting the person that cares about me. I don't need a rule for that or a belief in some magical man in the sky.
When I get my income, I put some of it towards charity, not because some bunch of ********ters tells me to (who then keep the money to pay for expensive glass windows in their church), but because there are people less fortunate and a small expense to me provides a big life benefit to others.
I don't steal because I don't want to cause suffering to people who do not deserve it.

If you have a working brain, you don't need religion.
And honestly - if you don't have a working brain, religious is more harmful than not. You will end up helping the church to tell Africans that they will go to hell if they use condoms thereby causing millions of people to get HIV and die leaving behind their suffering families.

 

Watched a very interesting video on youtube last night that touched on the role of religion around success/wealth. While I'd argue there's a horse-carriage debate to be had, it is worthwhile watching.
Basically suggests religion, if being a 'rich country' is a guide to success, is pretty much the opposite to what you should be doing (unless your the US of A).

 

Said this so well! Live and let live, find your inspiration and don't force another to follow yours or think you are any superior or less than someone else!

 

I think if you are looking to be successful you will seek inspiration from all around you, if you follow a religion it will inspire you, if you don't, that will inspire you as well! It's you, and what you choose to draw strength from!

 

I feel this is one of the most often cited strawman arguments against religion. Most religious people are very deep, contemplative thinkers, and can struggle with trying to understand what their faith means. They don't have faith blindly, they choose it.

They also don't do things out of fear of God, but out of love.

Arguments such as yours, lack real empathy that you claim to have and fail to attempt to truly put yourself into the shoes of a religious person, before trying to understand their motivations.

 

I liked the lessons at the end.. It's true I'm far more successful here than I was in Pakistan where I come from because Australia has the right set up to help an average person maximise their potential and ability to grow and do well.

 

It's not possible to defend my belief in Christ in a few words. But I must say that even the most sophisticated of athiests believe what the historical records claim, that Jesus appeared in the flesh after his crucifixion/death. The historical records claim Jesus appeared to his disciples and 'above 500 brethren at once', after his death. Some of the most informed and intelligent athiests have written books on the subject; one claiming Jesus had a twin who appeared just after his death, another that these hundreds of witnesses were hallucinating. It's likely that few on this site have much knowlege on the subject; I do suggest aside from the scriptures, the best place to source information would be from the christian/athiest debates with William Lane Craig (youtube).

 

I highly doubt this. Source?

 

Just google 'The hallucination theory'.

 

More deaths wars and harm has been done to people in the name of religion than skin colour. Beliefs are not always good beliefs

 

If someone said I had to stop practicing my religion completely otherwise I would lose every asset I owned and would have to start again - I would start looking for a place to rent tomorrow and start over.

Once you give up your intrinsic identity, who cares about 'success'.

 

I have never met a wealthy priest.

 

But have you met a successful one?