Poll: Would the world be a better place without religion?

[hamster mk 4]

Humanity would not be where it is without religion of some sort. It could be argued that the world would be a better place without humanity, but that is another topic entirely.

I chose "No" the our world would not be a better without religion. If the average person did not belive there was something greater than themselves civilization would fall apart. What the "something greater" is varies from culture to culture. Some times it is God, sometimes it is the state, and sometimes it is a person.

The realy bad stuff happens when a person believes that they are that "something greater". Let me use Emperor Nero, King Louis 16th, David Koresh, and any other leader who fancies himself a god as examples(Warhammer 40k God Emperor not withstanding).

 

[Simski]

Humanity would not be where it is without religion of some sort. It could be argued that the world would be a better place without humanity, but that is another topic entirely.

I chose "No" the our world would not be a better without religion. If the average person did not belive there was something greater than themselves civilization would fall apart. What the "something greater" is varies from culture to culture. Some times it is God, sometimes it is the state, and sometimes it is a person.

The realy bad stuff happens when a person believes that they are that "something greater". Let me use Emperor Nero, King Louis 16th, David Koresh, and any other leader who fancies himself a god (Warhammer 40k God Emperor not withstanding).

Really bast stuff can happen when a person is under the influence of a god as well.

I agree that Religion has played a vital part in our history and the way we've evolved.
However if you ask me, we're above such foolish things as imaginary friends in this day and age.
We don't need it to continue, we already have law and order that do work rather well in society.
The only good thing about religion back in the day was that it gave people a reason to follow the rules, however most of those rules are outdated, and people should have enough sense to follow the rules of today if they wish to be a party of a working society.

Atleast if you're gonna have gods, I vote to bring the greek gods back.
Unlike the gods we have today, those guys knew how to party.

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

Humanity would not be where it is without religion of some sort.

Tell me about it.

 

[UPS Express]

I think that the world wouldn't be better without religion, because it gives people the hope that they need to cling to to make it through some of the worst times of their lives. And as for the fact of religion being the basis of most of the wars, most of the people have the faith in the fact that even if they do die, they will be rewarded in the next life.

 

[fulano]

I'm sure I'll regret bringing this up but I hate the term "militant atheist." Since when have athiests ever killed anyone over something as petty as beleifs? And I am aware that many athiests use the term themselves. But it's a stupid term.
The problem with religion is that people can interpret the messages it brings to suit their own needs. More often than not these needs are violet or greedy. At least atheists are honest about their evil doings.

Err...Stalin? Mao?

Actually NO. Stalin or Mao didn't really do state sponsored killings based on ATHEISM.

They did it based on political agendas, and those crimes were not directed at theists either, that's like saying that the Babi Yar massacre was exclusively directed at the jewish population of Kiev when in reality it was a mass atrocity against everyone in there.

 

[That_D00D]

Religion was created by the first humans who didn't know what the hell was going on around them. They needed some kind of explanation for all those natural phenomenons. Gods were created, with every culture having their own. It is only a matter of time before Science becomes our religion, if I can call it that way. And to answer the actual question...humans can't live without a minimum of knowledge, I don't think we would've survived.

 

[hamster mk 4]

Religion was created by the first humans who didn't know what the hell was going on around them. They needed some kind of explanation for all those natural phenomenons. Gods were created, with every culture having their own. It is only a matter of time before Science becomes our religion, if I can call it that way. And to answer the actual question...humans can't live without a minimum of knowledge, I don't think we would've survived.

Science can take the place of religion for explaining stuff. However Relgion fills another nitch in the human Psyche, the need to be part of something bigger. There are other things that can fill that nitch, nationalism for example. The quest for knowledge though hypothisis and exprtiment (ie Science) does not do a good job of filling that nitch.

 

[mooncalf]

No. I believe in many discoveries of science, but i've never recognised a quark or had a conversation with a proton. I am not a member of any mono- or poly-theistic religion.

You may feel that this can be boiled down to "yes or no" and as such I've tried to go with my gut for your satisfaction, but I don't know what you'll get out of the answer, since there is a third option and it isn't "maybe", it's "mu."

 

[Syber_Sid]

Organised religion, certaintly. But I believe everyone is entitled to their own beliefs.

 

[GothmogII]

I was going to post this in the 'Your Religion' thread...but that seems to have vanished. Anyway.

http://www.jainworld.com/education/stories25.asp

From, Jainism:

"Once upon a time, there lived six blind men in a village. One day the villagers told them, "Hey, there is an elephant in the village today."

They had no idea what an elephant is. They decided, "Even though we would not be able to see it, let us go and feel it anyway." All of them went where the elephant was. Everyone of them touched the elephant.

"Hey, the elephant is a pillar," said the first man who touched his leg.

"Oh, no! it is like a rope," said the second man who touched the tail.

"Oh, no! it is like a thick branch of a tree," said the third man who touched the trunk of the elephant.

"It is like a big hand fan" said the fourth man who touched the ear of the elephant.

"It is like a huge wall," said the fifth man who touched the belly of the elephant.

"It is like a solid pipe," Said the sixth man who touched the tusk of the elephant.

They began to argue about the elephant and everyone of them insisted that he was right. It looked like they were getting agitated. A wise man was passing by and he saw this. He stopped and asked them, "What is the matter?" They said, "We cannot agree to what the elephant is like." Each one of them told what he thought the elephant was like. The wise man calmly explained to them, "All of you are right. The reason every one of you is telling it differently because each one of you touched the different part of the elephant. So, actually the elephant has all those features what you all said."

"Oh!" everyone said. There was no more fight. They felt happy that they were all right.

The moral of the story is that there may be some truth to what someone says. Sometimes we can see that truth and sometimes not because they may have different perspective which we may not agree too. So, rather than arguing like the blind men, we should say, "Maybe you have your reasons." This way we don't get in arguments. In Jainism, it is explained that truth can be stated in seven different ways. So, you can see how broad our religion is. It teaches us to be tolerant towards others for their viewpoints. This allows us to live in harmony with the people of different thinking. This is known as the Syadvada, Anekantvad, or the theory of Manifold Predictions.

I've refrained from posting into religion threads because I really didn't know how to put it, but the above story sums up my thoughts on the matter pretty much.

 

[TheDean]

Yes-- religion is the World's biggest problem.
People simply waste their lives as slaves to religion. This should not be alowed to continue.

 

[Unknower]

I'm sure I'll regret bringing this up but I hate the term "militant atheist." Since when have athiests ever killed anyone over something as petty as beleifs? And I am aware that many athiests use the term themselves. But it's a stupid term.
The problem with religion is that people can interpret the messages it brings to suit their own needs. More often than not these needs are violet or greedy. At least atheists are honest about their evil doings.

Err...Stalin? Mao?

Actually NO. Stalin or Mao didn't really do state sponsored killings based on ATHEISM.

They did it based on political agendas, and those crimes were not directed at theists either, that's like saying that the Babi Yar massacre was exclusively directed at the jewish population of Kiev when in reality it was a mass atrocity against everyone in there.

Oh, I don't know, maybe they had a political agenda "RELIGION IS EVILS! OMG LOL send to Siberia."

 

[mark_n_b]

Religion isn't the problem. Extremism is. Dogma is. Religion has a positive effect.

There is a lot of wisdom in that.

I don't understand this trend towards atheism. I'm actually much more inclined to believe that it is simply a matter of people being disillusioned with the organized religious world which is judgemental, hypocritcial, isolating, and hateful in a lot of circumstances and further being embarrassed to admit to their soulful beliefs about life and the universe.

It is a deeply personal thing and I can easily see not wanting to get into a lot of the aggression of religious conversation.

I am a believer, and I will leave it at that (what does he believe, I don't know) just because I'm not sure I could be happy in life knowing that it will come to a meaningless end of rot. I don't know how anyone can, which is why I don't get atheism.

 

[Uncompetative]

Are you:

1. well-mannered towards other people because you want to be, or
2. not evil, because you are afraid of collecting sins that will affect your quality of afterlife?

 

[Jamanticus]

Religion isn't the problem. Extremism is. Dogma is. Religion has a positive effect.

There is a lot of wisdom in that.

I don't understand this trend towards atheism. I'm actually much more inclined to believe that it is simply a matter of people being disillusioned with the organized religious world which is judgemental, hypocritcial, isolating, and hateful in a lot of circumstances and further being embarrassed to admit to their soulful beliefs about life and the universe.

It is a deeply personal thing and I can easily see not wanting to get into a lot of the aggression of religious conversation.

I am a believer, and I will leave it at that (what does he believe, I don't know) just because I'm not sure I could be happy in life knowing that it will come to a meaningless end of rot. I don't know how anyone can, which is why I don't get atheism.

...And there's a decent amount of wisdom in that, too....

 

[wolfwood_is_here]

Are you:

1. well-mannered towards other people because you want to be, or
2. not evil, because you are afraid of collecting sins that will affect your quality of afterlife?

I am well mannered because I want to be. My belief is that God loved us as we are, not for what he could get out of us or for how good we are. By properly understanding the unconditional love I believe God shows us, it inspires me to look at people in a very different light. Instead of being selfish, critical or elitist, I can see their value as another human being, regardless of what they believe or where they are at in life.

I want to reflect the love and grace I believe God has shown me, such that my actions and behaviors will speak to how my beliefs affect my life than just saying "I believe ______".

 

[TheDean]

the unconditional love I believe God shows us,[/quote]

Unconditional? If you don't worship me and inflate my ego oyu'll bunr for all eternity. Wow, now that truly is love.

 

[Jamash]

What would Jesus do?

Seriously, what would he do? Without religion he'd just be a carpenter with supernatural powers. He'd probably get bored quickly, start turning water into wine and drinking on the job, leading to very shoddy carpentry all around Nazareth, like wonky ladders & uneven tables.

Eventually he'd lose his job as a carpenter & become a full blown alcoholic, walking on water & staggering around shouting at fishermen, hurling abuse at people on river trips & generally being a bastard.

In a blacked out, drunken stupor he'd probably accidentally (or in drunken rage) raise a shit load of people from the dead, which would cause a premature zombie apocalypse...

So no, the world wound definitely not be a better place without religion.