The Most Joyless Religion

[nailit]

Spent an evening with a few friends tonight....a few drinks, (quiet a few actually) pleasant company etc. Dont know why but somehow conversation invariably turns to philosophy, religion, meaning of life etc as the evening progresses.
However, we ended up trying to imagine what would be the most unpleasant/joyless religion to subscribe to.
With the help of a few vodka and cokes we discussed the a - z of various faiths.
Everything from the Aetherius society to Zoroastrianism.
It doesnt matter what conclusion WE all came to.
Just curious if ABers would come to the same conclusion?
What would you consider to be the most joyless, life denying, unpleasant religion to belong to?

[benhilton]

....Interesting.....How many of those offering suggestions for " The Most Joyless Religion " were having a jolly good Christmas roughly one month ago ?....

[naomi24]

I offered a suggestion - but my suggestion wasn't Christianity.

[mikey4444]

Be....my enjoyment of the holiday period at the end of December has nothing to do with religion, except that it results in Bank Holidays. People have been enjoying a good shindig at that time of year for a very long time, long before Christianity was invented. Saturnalia for instance.

[naomi24]

Mikey, //People have been enjoying a good shindig at that time of year for a very long time, long before Christianity was invented. //

That's not why we enjoy a 'good shindig' in December now though, is it. Let's be honest.

[mikey4444]

For me and all the other atheists....yes it is. I shall also be having a lovely long weekend at the end of March, with another 2 Bank Holidays and I won't be going anywhere near a church, so I am grateful for whoever invented Christianity and Easter in the first place.

[Togo]

I am pretty sure that some of those Welsh Chapels were pretty austere and socially rigid establishments, but the Mormons must be a pretty joyless indoctrination. They would be 'happy' to be voted most joyless.

[naomi24]

Mikey, You’re contradicting yourself. First you say Christmas is not the reason we all have a 'good shindig' in December, and then you say you are grateful to the person who invented Christianity. Mmmm. Which is it?

Togo, Mormons aren’t contenders. They're not joyless by any means.

[sandyRoe]

Does polygyny really make for happiness?

[Zacs-Master]

Ang on. I'll ask my wives.

[naomi24]

No longer applicable in the Mormon church and hasn't been for over 100 years.

[venator]

I agree with you, Naomi. Conservative Islam bans so much, you can be stoned to death or flogged, and apparently the inside of the burkha gets quite smelly...

[naomi24]

Indeed ..... Phew.... :o)

[EDDIE51]

How about being one of an order of monks or nuns who have to take a vow of poverty? They have nothing, literally nothing apart from prayer 5 times a day. They don't even own the 'clothes' they wear.

[naomi24]

Good one, Eddie .... although looking on the bright side the monks can decide to walk away without fear of being executed as apostates.

[EDDIE51]

Could you do this every day of your life?
http://www.abbey.ampleforth.org.uk/the-community/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-monk

[naomi24]

Me? No. I couldn't. However, those who do it every day of their lives aren't compelled to. They can walk away without fearing for their lives.