Does Religion Prey On The Weak?

Question

Cane across this video. She explains how religion is a bandaid and only targets people who are perceived as sinful as a form of manipulation. It is 12 minutes but feel free to listen past the 6:00 minute mark if you don’t have the time. I would like your thoughts ☺️ Let us have an open, honest, and productive conversation. No hate please 💕

devilman666 · Accepted Answer

No. Organised religion preys on the weak. There is a distinction to make there. Following your own personal feelings and thoughts on what kind of God exists is fine in my opinion, as long as it doesn't lead to violence. Organised religion on the other hand is just that, an organization where someone or a group of people stand at the top and benefit from everyone following below them. Organized religions try to convert lifelong followers and often (historically, not by today's standards) will do things like murdering people who convert out of the religion. They don't just prey on the weak, they prey on everyone, manipulating government officials and people alike to gain power that they can use to manipulate even more. Church leaders get governmental power due to how much population they control and thus how much of the vote they control. The worst part? Seemingly, a maximum of one of the various religions can be true, therefore the rest are most likely false and just ways to control people and gain power.

OlderAndWiser · Accepted Answer

There are people who have attempted to hijack Christianity for their own nefarious purposes. However, most Christians will readily acknowledge that we are ALL sinners and some people are not identified as "weak" simply because they have sinned. We have all sinned.

My church does not pressure people to donate money but we do encourage people to participate with their time and energy. And, on Sunday mornings, we don't prey on the weak but we pray for the weak, the sick, and the broken souls of our community who wish to be included in prayer.

Billie_ · Accepted Answer

Yeah she’s right. Religious people often can’t prove or even tell you why they’re religious, but generally it is because of suffering in their life.

It’s like how in WWII the Jews still stuck to their religion during the holocaust. It’s mad they could still believe in their “God” when all this torture was happening, but they did because it’s something positive to look to.

ragequeen · Accepted Answer

Religion is for those who cannot give their own life meaning. Religion provides people with answers to existencial questions. So yes, religion preys on the weak. In fact, Friedrich Nietzsche emphasizes on this particular subject in his ideology about religion.

lightbulb27 · Answer

Well, selling anything requires a giver and a receiver. I like her, she's challenging it and there is some truth to balance there. She views it as praying on victims as opposed to giving them something of benefit, recovery of their emotional being, in exchange for time, $, their life. Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” ... as an example that confirms that is the intention, help the lost.

Sometimes bothers me to see little kids commit to Christ. But then again, I see them doing it because they see positive examples around them... course they don't know what they are really doing, so I'm not sure that should be so accepted, but wouldn't deny a kid with passion. But wait a minute... what control does a kid have over everything else the corrupt world forces into their mind? Abuse, bullying, invation of a new sibling, TV commercials, movies, all kinds of perversions, ... the powerful deflecting emotions of shame, guilt, envy, greed, selfishness... emotional engraving starts young and run deep in humanity and is the cause of a lot of problems. Those wounds are what guides "the ship". Shouldn't there be something that re-directs course back to an intended healthier path for that person?

my parents were catholic, but they didn't push it on any kids... I really respect that. Country was founded on freedom of religion, that should be practiced by all. I made choice to be Christian recovering from a low point when I saw the value in it, that was free will. Why would I leave, its free will and I see the value in it. I also see how it has changed peoples lives for the better and they work towards being better.

I've given message to everyone. It is harder for someone to see the value exchange when it is all working for them, especially intellects. People change when they have to.

6:22 - she hits on her wound spot... that the people didn't care about her, they cared that she become a Christian. That is so sad and maybe she was right. We are supposed to care about the person, that is genuine love.

Here's the logic: God IS love (assume defintion). We were made in that image of love and what really want to be and receive. The flawed world easily misdirects us by damaging our emotions... shame, guilt, anger, separation, etc.. which detracts us from the state we want to be in. Thus, Jesus/God concept/belief re-directs us that to which we at our deepest desire. Some an hear it and respond, some can't sort it out.

curiousnorway · Answer

Yes, as a relative strictly religion person I think it does.

Religion is a tool used to manipulate people to gain power, wealth and to get a political idea through. The Catholic church for instance makes a lot of money on having a lot of members, donors and in the past they also taxed people. You could even pay a priest to forgive your sins for God, so you didn't need to go through the purgatory or Hell. Almost all religions; example Islam and Christianity have a history of religious leaders trying to manipulate people to do certain things and to avoid others things. If they don't do things the leaders wants them to do, they would threaten them with harsh punishment and being sent to Hell in the name of their own god. In addition they would promise people; especially the poor, disabled and mentally weak that if they're good and obedient people, they would go to Heaven.

Even if leaders don't try to force religion on people to control the masses - religion is still used as a tool to make people more satisfied with their lives. It gives them "answers" on unanswered questions, gives their lives a meaning and makes them calmer. The thing with religion is that it works like a placebo. When you're willingly to believe in something there aren't any scientific evidence for, it's because you wants to believe in something to feel better about yourself.

Only mentally strong and sharp minded people are able to cope with existential nihilism, pure atheism and the "no after lives" beliefs. People who've difficulty finding a meaning with their lives and thinks a nothing after death is meaningless needs religion. I do openly admits I'm one of them. I've been an atheist before and I've tried one of the most extreme forms of nihilism. I converted because I didn't want to experience the consequences the nihilism could give me.

Do I know there's no scientific evidence that supports religion? Yes, I do. Do I still believe? Yes, I do. I've my own "logic" and my own reason to guess. Do it mean it's true? It may or may not be true, but I still believe it's very true.

(The irony here is that there's no irony in the comment that's again irony.)

unomilkis1 · Answer

I think the video is explaining in too much of extremities. There few things she makes points as a given mainly that when you become religious you must be on weak point of life. This isn't true because it would mean that everyone who became religious were only targeted broken damage etc, but this would be weeding out the fact that there are people who is perfectly fine, they just become religious purely out of belief and faith.

She's explained how religious people have tendency to rely on God rather than real life tools. This is also quite.. out there. Its unrealistic to say that when religious people are in need, say of money, they don't prey to God that money rains from the sky, they get a job. Though I can see where she's coming from, this point has to be one of the most extreme of all extremes of religious zealot.

She is disregarding everything that may be in between. She talks of how religion is there to make people feel BETTER, but I'm doubting that she actually has put her self in the shoe of a religious person. To keep true to all the things that religion preaches, (if you're an honest follower) you'd also live up to religious dogmatic which preaches principle, discipline, and the way you live, and it discourages indulgence in many ranges. These are things a non-religious person no way in hell ever going to follow it because it's not an easy lifestyle to always resist the humanistic temptation.

Not to mention, she's speaking against Christianity it seems out of many more religions, so it's not objectively applicable.

It should be pointed out that though I'm making an argument for religion, I'm not religious my self, I am agnostic. I deny to say what is what without actually knowing whether it is true or not, and this is really the case for everyone. Religious vs Agnostic vs Atheist, truth is no one knows and no one will truly ever know till they dead af

sedrftvgyhujik · Answer

Very strongly religious people often do take advantage of the week to try and convert them as most of the largest religions teach them to spread there religion.
Examples being religion in schools and in the past and in other country's priests and nuns trying to convert patents.
Also missionary work mother Teresa primary goal was to "save"/convert the poor and spent most of the funds on converting rather than treating people as well as having sterile conditions for patients to the extent of not disinfecting needles.
Other religious organizations have spent there money better and done a lot more than her to help the sick and I'm not saying there all bad/evil but the fact that she was the one given saint hood despite likely having done more damage than good but having converted a lot of people says a lot about the priority's of the catholic church.

The things they decide are sinful are also manipulative such as being against masturbation and sex out side marriage something that in there religion is done in a church or in a lot of Islamic religions women being covered banning porn and allowing multiple wife's so controlling sex to control people.

ironically its a result of natural selection that the biggest religions tend to be ones that teach people to convert other people.

RolandCuthbert · Answer

Hey Ellie, I would ask the same question about politics, astrology, superstition, social media, media images, etc., etc.

Do they prey on the weak too?

And when it is incumbent upon the "weak" to stop being weak and develop themselves and find out what they believe and why? As opposed to being simply told what to believe or what to have "faith" in?

BesrkirAstrid · Answer

Nigh religion doesn't not pry on the weak i shall explain my point of view
Religion as a word suggest a belief in a higher power and can help self improvement and growth, most will use Christianity and Catholic path for example they do in fact prey on the those seeking divine help and thus you will say that it is religion when in fact that is their religion, Christians and Catholics are weak because they always speak of fire and brimstone and spend all their time repenting my augment is the weak prey on the weak.

NearlyNapping · Answer

No more than anything else. Just walking down the street giving off "weak" signals will be a magnet to all kinds of people.

You want preying on the weak? Walk onto a car lot and those sharks will be all over it.

Advertising and marketing is all about taking advantage of the weak.

Most people have weaknesses and insecurities. Its just being human. People have all kind of ways to deal with it. I don't find taking solace in religion any worse than taking solace in anything else.

I love hopping in bed, pulling up some warm blankets, and reading a good book before I go to bed. Are books, movies, computer games, sports, sex, or parties the "opiate of the masses" any more than religion? Not really.

Spawnface · Answer

I only skipped to segments but the video does a much better job asking the question, no offense. there's much more context and the insinuation seems to be much different than the post here.

I think her sloganeering really waters down her message there too. In its context I think what she says is agreeable, but it just kind of puts a superficiality being summed up as a bandaid. Although its not too significant because its what she means that counts.

So my answer is; Sure, people would rather comfort you through insensical dogmatic cliches than to actually care for your specific needs. Religion acts as a bandaid in that it provides miminum comfort and remedy to the any soecific crisis. Like, if you got shot in the leg, no one wants to hear thst God has a plan for you at the time.

worldscolide · Answer

I would say so

To believe in religion is to abdicate your belief in the existence of the world around you and the nature of the things in it, to instead embrace any random impulse that strikes your fancy - to imagine something is real simply because you wish it were. A thing is what it is, it is itself. There can be no contradictions.

Faith is a device of self-delusion, a sleight of hand done with words and emotions founded on any irrational notion that can be dreamed up. Faith is the attempt to coerce truth to surrender to whim. In simple terms, it is trying to breathe life into a lie by trying to outshine reality with the beauty of wishes. Faith is the refuge of fools, the ignorant, and the deluded, not of thinking, rational men.

TripleAce · Answer

Of course
It’s designed to unite people give hope where there is no hope

I mean look at most of the hardcore religious people. They have no idea how to live without direction. They don’t even know the difference between wrong and right without religion

They need it to keep them in check

Jackpot1977 · Answer

Since I got away from organized religion it feels so good to live in uncertainty to not know if there is a heaven or hell and focus on this life. Organized religion not only brainwashes you it wastes your time I had to go to church all those years I had to go to CCD as a kid when I should have been having fun wasting my nights instead. But I do believe if someone reads the bible and truly believes in it and tries to be a good person they can make a really good Christian but when the church, priests and nuns are involved and it all consumes your life then you find out you can't even trust the priests it is very bad.

monkeynutts · Answer

I think the problem with being initiated into an institutional religious system, is its ability to alienate others who are not members, this could have effects on society and politics, I'm personally interested in excellence, not an individuals ability to recite dogma or scripture, faith based institutions need to be active in the community and useful. I'm also interested in how effective these organizations are at adhering to the original principles of the actual faith, and also cultural intricacies that affect a faiths practice in a community.

LogicBomber · Answer

Religion isn’t a bandaid, it’s a control mechanism for weak minded people.
It injects an “answer” for things people are afraid of and don’t understand.

It does target the weak though.
The religious missionaries travel to places where people are destitute and use their suffering as a scapegoat to push religion.

softrosie · Answer

Religion's purpose is to explain the biggest questions of life, like where we go when we die, where we came from, is there a meaning to life... "religion" only preys on people as much as any other philosophy does. When we go into the hierarchies that happen in most organised religions though, that's where the exploitation happens, because humans + power = disaster.

Jjpayne · Answer

No, it helps the weak to become strong. and the strong to know their weakness. It is about morals and how they help us to become better versions of ourselves. Sure Religion I am sure tries to make money but the overall message is to empower people not make them weak

normalice · Answer

it preys on weakness, which is a trait found in everyone - not exclusively the weak. Of course, the sort of weakness it usually preys on is existential angst, which makes it seem like those who fall for it must all be weak, since it's easy to identify a theme.

Kemil_Zhoki · Answer

Real religion uplifts the weak, recognizing we are all in the same boat. A lot of alleged "teachers" on the other hand, prey on the weak. So do other parts of society. Whether it is for cheap labor (Republicans) or buying votes (Democrats) both major parties also prey on the weak.

BlondeGirl_ · Answer

I think so. I mean think about reeaally poor people who dont have any people around them who can help. Id want to believe there was some guy somewhere in the sky who looks over me too. But i dont believe there is one tho.

taleswapper · Answer

Religion doesn't prey; it's an institutionalized set of beliefs. It has no will or need for sustenance.
Some persons cloak their predations in religious terms, with varying degrees of success. but it is people, not religions themselves, which prey on others.

errorgoodnameunfound · Answer

LOVE this! SO true! I sound like an absolute ass when I promote things like this, but seriously, it's for people's own good! Whether they listen or not I can only help so much.

LoveJesusLoveGod · Answer

Realizing we are not our own God take a lot more strength than thinking we are as strong as it gets. Ask God to show you the truth and seek the truth about Him and Jesus and I pray you will and can see His loving truth. May He bless you with His truth, peace, love and joy in His Son Jesus Christ!

Redstang88 · Answer

I’ve always seen it as a crutch for those to weak or naive to deal with the realities of life. It’s an easy answer for those that can’t deal with the fact that life is tough and sometimes shit just happens

Not as much the case for those born and raised religious, but any of the “born again” types I’ve known were fairly low IQ and had some crippling emotional traumas at some point in their past.

TsubasaCorrupted · Answer

It certainly can, especially those who find fear at the thought of eternal Oblivion, where our actions, beliefs and feelings ultimately mean nothing after we die, or those who cannot or will not be educated on how the world actually works and seek to find the easy answer, god did it. It can also be used as a method of social control, as seen with the Borgia pope.

Does it always? Of course not, but that is more the exception than the rule.

OneSlip · Answer

Since what I wanted to write here would really long and probably not read by many people, I'm just gonna quote Rust from True detective.

"Transference of fear and self-loathing to an authoritarian vessel. It's catharsis. He absorbs their dread with his narrative. Because of this he's effective at proportion to the amount of certainty he can project. Religion is a language virus the rewrites pathways in the brain. Dulls critical thinking."

OfDeath · Answer

There are many theories about religion. There are various types of religions. Not all are seeking new converts, some are just traditional to certain people's. Religion is a broad church no pun intended.

So the answer is SOME religions pray on the weak but not all.

Dionigi · Answer

This makes me think about how can I prepare my children to not fall prey of religion if they ever reach a weak moment in their lives. And I have no solution for this problem.  Also watch

MrKinktastic · Answer

I do agree with that position. Religion does prey upon the vulnerable. She articulates it rather well.

Raven_76 · Answer

As a whole, we (humanity) need to either accept that there is much more to this World/Life and there is something (higher power). Or we neee to just accept we are garbage animals who shouldn’t exist. We need to make a decision. But judging how most of the human population act, I think they’re content with being animals.

bamesjond0069 · Answer

Yes and no. Yes, you can influence kids because they are kids. The thing is its their kids. You should have your own and do whatever you want with them. Should religious people not raise their kids and give them to you instead?

Aren't you preying on the weak by telling your kids its ok to go have tons of random sex and do drugs? That's what most non religious people do and their atheist parents are like yay im so proud of you. Smh.

nightdrot · Answer

For me, unusually, a short answer: You mean cowards like the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr? Would that we had more weaklings like him.

Seriously, I thought stereotyping was a bad thing in this enlightened age.

Jonesy17 · Answer

"Religion is the opium of the people." -- Karl Marx
Yes, religion is a manipulative ploy to control people and consume their hard-earned money. Much like opiate dealers, it matters not what you think... you need your opium and they need your money.

i_love_stars · Answer

Religion was made to prey upon people, or should I say "Organised Religion".

genericname85 · Answer

i wouldn't say on the "weak" but definitely on the stupid xD i mean you could frame stupidty as a weakness...

TellyawhatIthink46 · Answer

There is a difference between Religion (human made) and Spirituality. Jesus Christ is a true relationship and life changing.

jacquesvol · Answer

The poorer the region, the more religious it often is

BeHappy1985 · Answer

I'd say it prays on people who don't know much of science.

AceOtana135 · Answer

Certainly. Which is why religion likes to weed it's way into schools. It's far easier to fool a child than an educated adult.

Iamagoodguy · Answer

Some religions in fact most if they threatenen you by saying if you don’t be part of there religion you get tourchered then that’s bad and they prey on the weak

WhoDatGuy · Answer

If there was a all powerful being would they really want the praise of us mere mortals?

yulbsari · Answer

Depends on the religion. Not all religions teach people to be sheeple and pray to a fictitious supernatural being. Some teach self-reliance, self-discipline, self-control, respect and giving back to the community.

crimsonlizard · Answer

the concept of religion is not bad per se, believing in somtehing bigger than you gives you confidence and security, but right now it's not used in a good way.

JessieMartins · Answer

Maybe, but many believe that a certain religion "saved" them... and thats all that matters

Zorax · Answer

Yes it does, religion prays on naive, gullible, pliable minds, as well as on poor and uneducated people.

TrustOfWorthington · Answer

Unsure... but also too tired to watch the video rn.. but tomorrow I'll look into it

nubianqueen704 · Answer

I believe religion most definitely preys on the weak by promising a heaven and blah blah

JustCallMeLeon · Answer

Lol of course. Everything preys on the weak and religion is above the top crooks doing so. They are a real pro at what the do.

GreatnessBack · Answer

No, devious people prey on the weak and they will use any means to do so. Religion is just one of them.

100lbguy · Answer

Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.

BellumEtPacem · Answer

Some "religious" figures do. It's not like every pastor and preacher is a Joseph Seed. Religion can help give people hope, so I see no reason for people to target religion.

Cookie8888 · Answer

Depends on the religion, and if it is organized or not.

TheSpartan · Answer

I’m guessing her last name is Goldberg.

stormbreaker06 · Answer

no. christianity, media, liberalism, feminism and cults do.

Banished · Answer

It depends on how one defines, "weak." I consider it a strength.

Danxsarah · Answer

I agreed with her on it they been doing this for 100s of years just different ways now

MarketData · Answer

The weak-minded, yeah. Particularly if you want to call Scientology a religion.

DrHonesty · Answer

Religion preys on the stupid

Metallsturm · Answer

It's true, religion does prey on the weak.

DanoMR98 · Answer

It absolutely preys on the weak.

DakotaNorth · Answer

Sure it does. They want to up their numbers.

Lance1965 · Answer

The weak are their main targets.

Does Religion Prey On The Weak?

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Could God send strong people who act weak to test how we treat them?

Does Religion Prey On The Weak?

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Could God send strong people who act weak to test how we treat them?

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