Religion: is it for the good of mankind or not?

[US Crash Fire]

the point of asking us our opinions are just like asking our religious views. i am christian (lutheran). i dont force my views on anyone else. i dont knock on your door at 6 AM. and i dont vote on laws that violate the RIGHTS of other religions. on the other hand i do not want my religion to be discrimitated against because some people who claim to be christian use the religion as a shield for their hate. so my religion is my opinion. its whats right for me. dont hate me because of the acts of others who claim to be christian.

 

[Ciran]

It's worn out it's use. We live in an age of logic and reason, where we can explain the world around us with logical answers. Gone are the days when we needed to invent gods to explain things like 'Lightning and thunder'.

I find this opinion very confusing. We can't explain everything around us with logical answers. There's a lot out there that logic can't explain. Maybe it will one day, maybe it won't, but any belief, in anything, requires some amount of faith, since nothing has all the answers yet.

 

[Inverse Skies]

Yes it is, it gives people a set of moral values by which to lead their lives and gives comfort and hope to millions with the idea they will be going to a better place when they die. Those are the true values of religion and those things are irreplaceable. Of course, religion is like anything else in that it can be exploited/subject to undue predjudice or hate because of a lack of understanding, but in essence religion is a fantastic thing for humanity to have and the fact that so many different cultures have all come up with the same universal concept has to speak something for the power of religion and its use in humanities culture.

 

[Mrsoupcup]

My opinion huh?

I don't think so. It'll die out like everything else.

How many threads is this now?

Religions may die but humanit will always belive in somthing, and if not we will all become followers of Evil Lord Xienuxe.

 

[ShadowPen]

If you do your research, you will find a number of astonishing things.

1. Religions have killed many people
2. Religions have saved many people
3. Science has killed many people
4. Science has saved many people

So, its time to put the eternal argument to bed.

Neither religion or science are good or bad. They have the potential to be good, and the potential to be bad. In the right hands, good, in the wrong hands, bad. Anyone who makes a claim to counter this obviously is off their rocker.

On a side note, Charles Darwin himself wrote that the development of religion was a part of human evolution. Just an interesting thought.

 

[Christemo]

my opinion is that the christians has wasted billions on churches with golden crosses, antique windows, etc etc. religion is just made by some people who wanted power (*cough cough cough* the Pope *cough cough*)

 

[Christemo]

If you do your research, you will find a number of astonishing things.

1. Religions have killed many people
2. Religions have saved many people
3. Science has killed many people
4. Science has saved many people

So, its time to put the eternal argument to bed.

Neither religion or science are good or bad. They have the potential to be good, and the potential to be bad. In the right hands, good, in the wrong hands, bad. Anyone who makes a claim to counter this obviously is off their rocker.

On a side note, Charles Darwin himself wrote that the development of religion was a part of human evolution. Just an interesting thought.

religion has killed millions, science may have too, but religion killed people because they used herbs that were healthy to cure the sick.
Religion has saved only the leaders of their own religion
science have saved millions, hundreds of millions.

 

[ShadowPen]

religion has killed millions, science may have too, but religion killed people because they used herbs that were healthy to cure the sick.
Religion has saved only the leaders of their own religion
science have saved millions, hundreds of millions.

1. Saving people doesn't have to mean physically saving. There are millions of people who have been saved in a metaphorical sense.
2. In determining which herbs and drugs will save lives, other people and animals had to test them. Also, science brought us nukes, so that works as well.

Its easier to think when you don't have a bias.

 

[Ace Jackson]

Religion doesn't kill people, people who use religion to kill people kill people.

 

[Twilight_guy]

Religion promoted values, like not killing people and developing world peace. Jerks use religion to promoted their own selfish goals and other jerks use religion as an excuse for violence. Religion is a positive influence on humanity, and Jerks are a negative influence on humanity. Therefore, millions of humans have been slain not in the name of religion but in the name of religious leaders and manipulators. Think about it (then flame me anyway.)

 

[Signa]

No one can say Religion is right or wrong. It's too easy to argue each point. You can say it's right because it instills morals into a person and encourages them to do good things. But you can also be bad, as you said, because it causes wars and even arguments between friends. It's too broad of a question to have a definite answer.

Name one good thing that a religious person can do that an Atheist cannot.

Now name one bad thing that a religious person can do that an Atheist cannot.

I don't think that is a fair question at all. In the current cultural climate, religious values are still regarded highly. A person who is not religious still will conform to those social norms just because that is what everyone expects of everyone. If you took religion out of our ancestry, where would our culture be? I would HOPE that it would be in the same place, but if it never became a social norm to NOT kill people for pissing you off, then what would atheists be doing? Probably killing people that piss them off.

It does make sense that you personally don't need religion to have good morals, but I think society does. As everyone has said, people like killing people, and religion has given people over the centuries a goal to reach for a better world. So often, they lose sight of that goal. Just because it is the year 2000 doesn't mean that people suddenly got smarter, stronger, faster. Humanity needed to develop over time, and now that religion is starting to look obsolete, it's really easy to say "who needs religion to be good?"

I feel like I had more of a complete thought when writing my post and I lost it. Hm. I'll add more if anything comes to mind.

 

[RYjet911]

1. Religions have killed many people
2. Religions have saved many people
3. Science has killed many people
4. Science has saved many people

But religion doesn't give us hospitals, medicine, safer technology...

Although on the reverse note, I guess it also doesn't give us bombs and guns, so it all balances out.

 

[ShadowPen]

1. Religions have killed many people
2. Religions have saved many people
3. Science has killed many people
4. Science has saved many people

But religion doesn't give us hospitals, medicine, safer technology...

Although on the reverse note, I guess it also doesn't give us bombs and guns, so it all balances out.

Hence the 'religion/science doesn't kill people, people who abuse religion/science kill people.'

 

[GloatingSwine]

No. No it isn't. Religion has been used to justify or exacerbate most of the conflicts on earth, as well as constant ongoing abuse, torture, mutilation, and hatred.

No other human construct has caused as much pain for as little good as faith, organised or disorganised.

 

[EzraPound]

I have very strong opinions about religion. Im not a religious person, never was, never will be but I believe that one day religion will get us all killed. Already countless people have been slain because of their so called religion. What are your opinions?

Let me clarify this for you:

- People were upset pagans killed needlessly, so they invented monotheism.
- People were upset monotheists killed needlessly, so they invented rational inquiry.
- People were upset rational inquirists killed needlessly, so they invented capitalism.
- People were upset capitalists killed needlessly, so they invented liberalism.
- People were upset liberals killed needlessly, so they invented Marxism.
- Marxists killed needlessly.

No other human construct has caused as much pain for as little good as faith, organised or disorganised.

...Because it dominated world affairs for longer.

 

[mangus]

It is unsettling as hell trying to imagine not existing. I almost wish I believed in an afterlife.

also, <a href=http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4076>Be Skeptical.

 

[GloatingSwine]

Let me clarify this for you:

Meaningless bullshit. You will have to do a lot better than this pitiful attempt at a universal tu quoque.

 

[Schnippshly]

Whether you're talking about religion or oil or whatever, there will be wars.
But, I think religions seem to just bring mankind down with segregation and insane rules that people think they're allowed to impress upon other people, just because their own religion is against it (or so they assume).
I'm not going to tell people to not be religious, but I'm certainly not going to be. I don't like religion but I'm not against religious people.
Religion is going to be around forever, as long as people exist, unless something AMAZING happens.

 

[Tellaris]

- People were upset liberals killed needlessly, so they invented Marxism.
- Marxists killed needlessly.

Marxism as it is was an ideal type that was never fully realized. The original idea of Marxism in every incarnation was modified by some one else in power. Its more accurate to refer to Russia's Communism as "Leninism" and Cuba as "Castroism", as they are modifications of the original works of Marx.

Religion had its place in Society, as it still does today. In the past, it acted as, what was mentioned before, a moral compass. It also served to maintain a measure of stability during the Medieval age. (Divine Right of Kings). Still, as iterated before, it also provides hope for countless others... A thought of "No matter how bad things get, there is always something better at the end of the line." It has its uses socially. Yeah, some bad stuff was done in the name of Religion (Crusades, Jihad), but its too easy to focus on the negative. Religion has had positive benefits for humanity as a whole, as well as detriments. (one could argue these wars are an effective means of population control. Will the world ever get overpopulated? We'd kill half the world off before that happens, I'd think)

Creationism and Evolution has been chucked around on here, as is inevitable in any religious discussion. They are both seen as opposites, and they can easily be considered as such. But is Creationism right? Or is Evolution? I'd like to point out the prefix "THEORY of Evolution"
Now lets look at the definition, specifically the last two listed...
6. contemplation or speculation.
7. guess or conjecture.
Think of "THEORY" every time you see the word "Evolution". It is really science's best guess to explain what is happening, using observations. Does that mean its right? No. For example, people used to look at the sky and think Earth was the center of the universe. Is it really?
Now look at Creationism. It should have that "THEORY" prefix as well. Why? Look at the definition above. The existence of evidence to it or against it is debatable. The same goes for evolution. People treat it as fact, its not. Its merely Science's best guess.
The point? Both have their merits. Both Science and Religion have had, do, and will continue to have benefits for our civilization... as well as drawbacks.
There can be no darkness, without light.