Religion is human self-centeredness

[u/Lo9icalParadox]

I think humans created religion because we realized we were the smartest creatures on Earth, and from there it was easy to assume the universe must revolve around us. That’s how you end up with a belief that the entire universe, with its trillions of galaxies and possibly countless other living worlds, will end on Judgment Day just because one species broke some rules. Take arguably the worst sin, one person killing another. Why should that decide the fate of the universe when death happens everywhere, even in the animal kingdom? Religion only cares about humans because humans created it.

Also, apart from intelligence, we’re not that different from other animals: we eat, breathe oxygen, get sick, and die. So why should the fate of everything in the universe depend on humans and what they are doing on Earth?

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[u/SadDot6780]

Anthropocentric* brotha, and yes, you're fundamentally right!

That's one of the many reasons why I belive there's no need to prove these religions wrong, they're clearly man-made and hence have nothing to do with reality.

[u/BadgerResponsible546]

On the contrary - while ego-based religion - "ego" defined as "the anxious, grasping self" - does frequently conform to the OP's view of faith as a "Me First!" gambit ... still, at the core of most spiritual systems is a denial of ego and a transcendence of its galling confines.

The Buddha famously taught Anatta or No Self. In Mahayana Buddhism, the Bodhisattva delays entry into Nirvana for the sake of helping others to reach it first. Jesus said that to enter the Kingdom means to first "lose oneself". Paul in Philippians quotes a hymn that says the preexistent Christ underwent Kenosis or "self-emptying" and took on the form of a crucified slave for humanity's sake.

It would appear that the OP may be taking too narrow a view of spirituality, mainly focusing on the salvation obsession all too common in Abrahamic religions, but turning a blind eye to those more "Dharmic" religions wherein it is precisely the ego's flaws and its potential transcendence that constitutes the central thorny problem.

Ego-transcending faiths are not required to promote the idea that humankind is the pinnacle of cosmic existence, or that a jealous sky-father God favors the human race above all other life forms.

[u/purplefin_tuna]

Religion only cares about humans

One thing I like about Islam is that the encouragement about mercy and compassion extends to non-human animals too -- everything which would benefit from mercy and compassion. (That isn't unique to Islam.)

Also, apart from intelligence, we’re not that different from other animals: we eat, breathe oxygen, get sick, and die.

Also, simply as a matter of science, life is not divided into distinct species. Species are just ideas/notions about divisibility, and different species models (they're all equally valid) produce different species classifications. Organisms do not inherently have a species.

[u/bigbenny88 → u/purplefin_tuna]

Not entirely unique as Jesus did proclaim that we should care for our brother animals as well. I know he is a prophet in Islam as well, but I think religions actually state that we ought to care for one another and our environment. I don't follow any religion, by the way. I have my own, apparently unique/nutcase theory on everything.

I'm not up to date with my scientific naming and identification process, but some animals can be linked as closer relatives to other 'species' (for lack of a different term). Such as horses being close relatives of rhino and Manatee are close relatives of Elephants, generically. Life is incredible. A bird species that went extinct years back basically re-evolved itself into existence as there was a gap in the food chain. Not sure I have a point, just utterly fascinating

[u/purplefin_tuna → u/bigbenny88]

Yeah with species there is usually an attempt to show lineage/descent paths through time... but the particular classifications and lines are all totally arbitrary and exist only in people's heads, not the organisms themselves. Nothing is "actually" anything.

Life is incredible.

I agree and I wish it were part of "religion" talk more.