A World without religion

[Superior Mind]

War would exist without religion. Humans are horrible creatures who like to kill each other over mundane details, if it wasn't religion it'd be something else. Quite a Hobbesian view there but humanity hasn't exactly proven itself to be the bastion of tolerance and good humour.

 

[Pendragon9]

(I know someone made this ref already, but why not)

We'd be killing eachother over what to call ourselves.

The Allied Atheist Alliance is best because it has 3 A's!

 

[camokkid]

Meg would look totally smokin' hawt

 

[Cakes]

Nothing would change. All the nasty shit attributed to religion would just happen anyway, since humans are inherently huge douchebags.

 

[scotth266]

It would be the same world as always.

 

[Sonicron]

What would the world look like without religion...? Severely overpopulated, I'd say.

Ah, but do the Abrahamic religions not teach about "spreading your seed"?

Every major religion does that to an extent, only the wording differs. And to what end? Some of that seed is undoubtably going to end up as cannonfodder on some deity's killing field anyway.

 

[Cakes]

Without it its possible we could get less done becuase of the existential void we would have to face. It could lower prductivity. Relgion is what keeps many people moving forward and motivated to do good.

So, you say that if people came to the conclusion that there wasn't another life waiting for them, they'd do less in this one?

What the fuck?

 

[strangemoose]

no muslims sending missiles at the jews would be a little nice

 

[DrDeath3191]

America wouldn't have been settled quite to the level it was, and science and art would be behind what it is by a few years.

 

[TheLefty]

the credit should go to John Lennon.

I just listened to Imagine this morning and thought about doing this exact same topic.

On topic, I think it wouldn't have made as drastic a change as Family Guy suggested (I can't believe I just tried to apply family guy to the real world)but it would be better. One less think to fight about, one less thing to kill people over, one less thing to get into an awkward conversation with your dad about being Agnostic while he's Methodist. Oh and gay people might have a happier life. Is it me or are only religious people homophobic? Just my observation from the news.

 

[Noone From Nowhere]

People came up with religion in the first place. They can come up with other excuses to limit other people's freedoms and maintain in-group-outgroup dynamics.

Like what? Oh, how about Flame Wars, System Wars and claiming that some other fandom or sub fandom is wicked because the 'raped their childhoods' or some such rubbish.

Religion is fandom writ large. Shills and fanboys/girls are the new prophets (as in non-profit testamonial generators who, incidentally, make their chosen IP more profitable!).

 

[Najos]

Pretty sure the world was kind of shitty before religion existed anyway. Not sure why it'd really be better without it. Different, maybe, but not better.

 

[initialdelay]

I'd like to think it would have been better. But knowing humanity that's a little optimistic.

The Allied Atheist Alliance is best because it has 3 A's!

Never! The United Atheist Alliance is best! Science-damned sea otters

 

[dmase]

What would the world look like without religion...? Severely overpopulated, I'd say.

Ah, but do the Abrahamic religions not teach about "spreading your seed"?

Genocides that happened 3/4 of which probably wouldn't have happened.
Hitler not nearly as powerful.
Great architectural, artisitc, and scientific achievements to glorify god probably wouldn't be built.
Great architechural, artisitc, and scientific achievments would probably have happened sooner or come about.( it works both ways if i'm looking at history the right way.
Wars of the ages would be decreased.
Less charity in the world and morals possibly.
and.... fps's uncensored in Germany and playboy for any age in America.

that seems.... fair with a neutral swing in all but i could be wrong.

Hitler's rise to power had next to nothing to do with religion, it was about ideology and getting back at those damned French for the treaty of Versailles and the Ruhr valley humiliation.

German's were pissed in General but Hitler more or less was powered by religous zealoutism. A state needs an enemy that is the devil, jewish people helps motivate them in to taking jewish property which helped finiance the war and partial reason to tell the people why they needed to invade other countries to wipe out an unclean race based on there religon more than anything. They also wanted to spread the thought of a supreme race which made every german want to be aryan, aryan being based off race but more than anything i think it was connected to religon. Every ruler uses god as a reason, just look at every modern decleration of war most say that a higher power we'll kick the other guy's ass. I think that the German people would have given up like in WWI, before a real invastion of Germany, if not for religon driving them on. (just an opinion)

 

[Chunko]

all you guys (you know who you are) would have to struggle to find something else to complain about unfairly

 

[Cakes]

Oh and gay people might have a happier life. Is it me or are only religious people homophobic? Just my observation from the news.

No, only religious douchebags are homophobic. The key word there is douchebag, not religious.

 

[Valate_v1legacy]

Umm... You don't want to know. Atomic bombs in 403 would be rather nasty with the vastly inferior population size.

 

[Chipperz]

Nothing would change. All the nasty shit attributed to religion would just happen anyway, since humans are inherently huge douchebags.

This. There is no giant evil force that makes everyone kill each other because of their religion.

There is a giant evil force that makes everyone kill each other because humans are inherently bastards.

 

[quiet_samurai]

The most of the bigest wars in the past 2000 would not have happened. We would probably more technologically advanced as well.

 

[khaimera]

Without it its possible we could get less done becuase of the existential void we would have to face. It could lower prductivity. Relgion is what keeps many people moving forward and motivated to do good.

So, you say that if people came to the conclusion that there wasn't another life waiting for them, they'd do less in this one?

What the fuck?

I think that some would people would do less for two reasons.

First, I think that without a faith in something, many but not all, would become depressed and hopeless. Sure life may be meaningless, but that hope that there's something bigger and better awaiting is a big motivator to just get out of bed and live.

Second, I think many people are selfish and only do good things for the eternal reward they think they will receive becuase of it. How many people use morality based on religion as a guide for what to do and not do.

Death + no afterlife could be a motivator to live one's life to teh fullest, but in my experince it doesn't. Death denial is too strong.