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[DrPoo]

Even I wouldn't say "religion" causes all wars. A lot of them certainly. but all?. Faith perhaps, but faith isn't reserved exclusively for supernatural beliefs.

Honestly the reason I don't think that viewpoint is correct is because I feel it fails to understand the position religion takes in the lives of others and turns religion into almost a living entity in it of itself with an influence of its own.

Religion is more often the source of justification for what were more important causes.

In the same way I don't consider Religion the cause of the KKK, I consider Racism to be and religion to be the excuse/context they use for that racism.

A virus is not alive by itself, it is merely a bundle of genetic information wrapped in a shell of protein. Yet give it access to the cellular machinery of an appropriate host, and it displays all the qualities of a living thing. It consumes energy, alters its environment(host), competes with other infections, evolves to overcome its natural predators in the form of antibodies and white blood cells, reproduces to spread through its environment and from host to host. Even if it harms or kills a host, it can still spread through the larger population. And while a typical virus is something a population can withstand, it just takes one wrong mutation to bring a population to its knees.

A religion is not alive by itself, it is merely a bundle of memetic information wrapped in a shell of ritual. Yet give it access to the mental machinery of an appropriate host, and it displays all the qualities of a living thing. It consumes energy, alters its environment(host), competes with other religions, evolves to overcome its natural predators in the form of logic and reason, reproduces to spread through its environment and from host to host. Even if it harms or kills a host, it can still spread through the larger population. And while a typical religion is something a population can withstand, it just takes one wrong mutation to bring a population to its knees.

Religions are effectively memetic viruses, parasites of the human mind.

Very well said.

Does that mean implanting a religion against religion can cure said person from getting infected by religions?
It happens with internet memes. Meme hating has essentialy turned into a meme, you are cool and smart if you do it.
And you reject other memes by being a meme hater.

Could designing a religion that says "spread this religion to everyone else, dont believe in anything else, reject and hate religion and dont let anyone kill and use religion as its excuse" will essentially be(sorry for using the term) a vaccine against religious extremism?

[MaximumZero]

It's also not very neutral.

Nadaka never hid his non-religious stance. Why should this be neutral? There is very little room for neutral in the debate.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

The only real neutrality in this kind of thing is apathy. Neutrality is also not automatically a reasonable or desirable state.

[Neonivek]

A virus is not alive by itself, it is merely a bundle of genetic information wrapped in a shell of protein

And yet it acts on its own.

Something religion cannot.

[Skyrunner]

A sudden explosion of discussion. O_o

[10ebbor10]

Could designing a religion that says "spread this religion to everyone else, dont believe in anything else, reject and hate religion and dont let anyone kill and use religion as its excuse" will essentially be(sorry for using the term) a vaccine against religious extremism?

Nah, it'll be the cause of it. I bolded the conflicting parts.
Hate leads to violence leads to death.
Point is, religions are not immutable, they are changed as much by their practisors, if not more, than their practisors are by them.

As for those kinds of religions, there've been quite a few. Mostly focussing on points 1 and 3.

A virus is not alive by itself, it is merely a bundle of genetic information wrapped in a shell of protein

And yet it acts on its own.

Something religion cannot.

If you count floating around acting, then yes.

It's also not very neutral.

Nadaka never hid his non-religious stance. Why should this be neutral? There is very little room for neutral in the debate.

Connotation smuggling is evil. He doesn't need to be neutral, but metaphors need to be.

[Neonivek]

Could designing a religion that says "spread this religion to everyone else, dont believe in anything else, reject and hate religion and dont let anyone kill and use religion as its excuse" will essentially be(sorry for using the term) a vaccine against religious extremism?

No, it doesn't matter how you set up a religion.

It could be the greatest religion ever created with progressive beliefs out the wazoo...

It won't stop people from twisting its words and using it in completely unrelated ways.

If the religion said that "Hurting people based on their religious beliefs is wrong" I can assure you, somehow there will be a religious war based on just that anyway.

[10ebbor10]

Strangely enough, many people keep believing that the problems lies with the religion, not the people.

[kingfisher1112]

Could designing a religion that says "spread this religion to everyone else, dont believe in anything else, reject and hate religion and dont let anyone kill and use religion as its excuse" will essentially be(sorry for using the term) a vaccine against religious extremism?

No, it doesn't matter how you set up a religion.

It could be the greatest religion ever created with progressive beliefs out the wazoo...

It won't stop people from twisting its words and using it in completely unrelated ways.

If the religion said that "Hurting people based on their religious beliefs is wrong" I can assure you, somehow there will be a religious war based on just that anyway.

Define ' Progressive Beliefs'

[Neonivek]

Define ' Progressive Beliefs'

Secular beliefs I will define it as. The kind of beliefs that people who are not religious find to be progressive.

Though it really doesn't matter. Put anything in there... make it a "Perfect religion".

It doesn't matter because people will always pervert it.

Heck people pervert having no beliefs and use it as a weapon against others too.

[kingfisher1112]

Define ' Progressive Beliefs'

Secular beliefs I will define it as. The kind of beliefs that people who are not religious find to be progressive.

Though it really doesn't matter. Put anything in there... make it a "Perfect religion".

It doesn't matter because people will always pervert it.

Heck people pervert having no beliefs and use it as a weapon against others too.

No no no, you keep using Progressive, what do you mean by that adjective?

[Neonivek]

The problem is I cannot really define it because it is an essentially meaningless word.

But a "Progressive belief" is for example "Women are equal" and "Racism is bad".

Those kinds of beliefs. Beliefs that you would agree that everyone should understand and follow.

[kingfisher1112]

The problem is I cannot really define it because it is an essentially meaningless word.

But a "Progressive belief" is for example "Women are equal" and "Racism is bad".

Those kinds of beliefs. Beliefs that you would agree that everyone should understand and follow.

So basically ' My political beliefs are the only ones moving forward?'

[Rose]

So basically your beliefs then.

[Loud Whispers]

He doesn't need to be neutral, but metaphors need to be.

I'm just going to chip in to defend language and say that language need only be grammatically correct, even then with exceptions.
'Neutral' words are a rather subjective concept.