do you think....

Originally posted by sonhouse
It's very revealing the way people handle the concept of heaven. They don't allow animals in heaven, only humans. Now that in itself is revealing of the motives of the people who started the concept.
This suggests that people think themselves the height of creation and therefore animals to be so far down the scale as to not be worthy of a spiritual side th r a better life if you will only support me and my church. That is so much more believable.

Hear hear,
I think that the original post kind of hit the nail on the head. The goal or at least one of the primary goals of almost all religions is to improve our lot on earth by giving us a guidebook to living a good life, the 'reward' often being a nice celestial retirement home, of which there seems to be many to choose from.
Compare the past century (and yes, I mean also include both world wars, lets take the warts and all) was the past hundred years not better for man than many of the previous centuries? Yes more people died in a few years then in the written history of mankind, but the lessons we have learnt from this century I feel have progressed us. There is still conflict, drugs, social inequality etc, but this century has seen a lot of improvement over previous ones. "Earth 2.0.0.7" is surely going to become a bit better in version "2.0.9.9".
Compare social equality today to any other period in history?
Medicine?
Education?
Environmental awareness?
Human rights?
Technology?
The list certainly goes on.
It's happening very very slowly, but I think we're getting there. What's best is that it doesn't matter whether you have a god or not, everyone gets there eventually. Maybe I'll be dead, but if I play my part in getting us there, hopefully I'll be remembered, and there in spirit. Same goes for us all.

Originally posted by agryson
Hear hear,
I think that the original post kind of hit the nail on the head. The goal or at least one of the primary goals of almost all religions is to improve our lot on earth by giving us a guidebook to living a good life, the 'reward' often being a nice celestial retirement home, of which there seems to be many to choose from.
Compare the past century ( ...[text shortened]... g us there, hopefully I'll be remembered, and there in spirit. Same goes for us all.

i like that 🙂