Religion: Good or bad?

[Dinosaur]

Religion seems to me to have had a net negative effect on human life.

For 5000 years it condoned slavery. The society of Friends (Quakers) were the first (circa 1860) to speak out against it.

BTW: Slavery came to an end whenever a culture switched from basically agricultural to industrial & technological. The reason for this is easy to understand.

In a primitive agricultural economy, the man with the whip can tell if the man digging a ditch or using a plow is working diligently rather than dogging it.

In a technological culture, the man with the whip cannot tell if the engineer is thinking rather than day dreaming.

The above is not a quote: I like the quote format.

In almost every war or lessor conflict, both sides have prayed for their side & believed that some god or gods favored their POV.

I consider the local priest, minister, or rabbi to be sincere. Starting one step up, religious leaders are basically politicians protecting their turf & in the game for money, power, and/or prestige.

The drives to collect money makes me wonder why god needs money. Preachers like Swaggart collect millions every month. I wonder how it is spent. I am sure that a lot goes to pay for TV/radio time & I doubt that TV preachers live simply rather than luxuriously.

 

[Hapsburg]

Religion is a social institution that varies from culture to culture, society to society in its content and form. You can't make crass, broad generalizations like "good" or "bad" about something so complex and varied.

 

[kx000]

I have no idea what religion does. Does it kill people or save them?

 

[Cris]

Religion is a social institution that varies from culture to culture, society to society in its content and form. You can't make crass, broad generalizations like "good" or "bad" about something so complex and varied.

Yes I think we can. Without exception all religions are man made imaginative constructs that promote incredible speculative explanations about life and our universe and how we should conduct our lives, without regard to any form of factual support. They are offered as truth whereas they are lies, unfortunately large numbers of gullible people cannot tell the difference. To deliberately deceive is immensely irresponsible, but worse, they encourage false hopes and detract from more aggressive scientific pursuits for real truths.

To deceive on such a massive scale is fundamentally bad for the human race.

 

[Light Travelling]

As the whole world has been affected by one religion or another over thousands of years, one cannot make that judgement unless there were a 'control' world that was never exposed to any religion. Then we could see whether the control world turned out any better or worse.

My guess is the world without religion would end up with much the same results but for different reasons.

 

[spidergoat]

In the beginning, religion was probably a clever way for weak people to take advantage of the superstitious and ignorant. If you are bad to me, you will not get sky cake (look for Patton Oswalt's hilarious routine on the subject). I was impressed recently by a story from a pair of Mormons who would go door-to-door in the ghettos and not be harassed at all by intimidating characters, who would sometimes even provide them escorts around the neighborhood. Even the criminals in this area would leave them alone for fear of divine punishment.

But I think it's largely outlived it's usefulness. Sure, in some places where there is no other formal institution of learning, it's still valuable, but we can replace it's functions with secular alternatives. Generally, religion is a way to package a set of values and practices and protect them by surrounding them with certain mystical or cosmic wrappings. It can be a life raft in a sea of chaos. But the downside is that it resists change, and for this reason can just as easily become an anchor. Some religions realize this and include caveats for leaving it when it's usefulness is over, but that's rare and it doesn't always work to prevent the kind of mental and moral totalitarianism that accompanies a social institution which aims to tell people how they should live, and makes heroes of it's messengers.

 

[Hapsburg]

Without exception all religions are man made imaginative constructs that promote incredible speculative explanations about life and our universe and how we should conduct our lives, without regard to any form of factual support.

You can say the same about political ideologies, or philosophical schools of thought.

To deliberately deceive is immensely irresponsible...

What makes you think it's deliberate? The people who crafted them, lead them, and practise them clearly believe that what they are saying is true (for themselves, at least; you far overestimate how many religions believe themselves to be the 'only' truth).

 

[honesttexan]

NO!!! religion has made a VERY NAGATIVE effect on the human race. It is the only profession allowed to use GOD's name in VAIN, for GAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[honesttexan]

Hapsburk, I agree with you. There is only one truth, GOD!!!!! And, way too many, false concepts. Such as; religion vs. GOD, education vs. INTELLIGENCE, politics vs. CITIZAN'S CONCERNS, the medical profession vs. REAL HEALTH CONCERNS, and impressing others vs. HONESTY.

 

[AlexG]

There is only one truth, GOD!!!!!

Which god is that?

 

[honesttexan]

HA,HA,HA!!! That is ether funny, or STUPID. As I already said; "there is only one, the THRUTH". I prefer calling IT the SOURCE. Most humans know IT as the CREATOR.

 

[AlexG]

So then, you must be talking about Vishnu.

 

[AlexG]

Or perhaps you refer to the Flying Spaghetti god.

 

[honesttexan]

I have no understanding, nor interest on what ever GAME you might be playing. PLEASE, unless you are willing to listen and learn the TRUTH stop communicating with me.

 

[Kittamaru]

I have no understanding, nor interest on what ever GAME you might be playing. PLEASE, unless you are willing to listen and learn the TRUTH stop communicating with me.

honesttexan - actually, he has a very valid, and quite simple, point - which "God" is "the real God?"

In Christianity / Catholicism / Judaism, it is Yaweh.
Islam has Allah.
Hinduism has several (Vishnu, Krishna, Shiva, Devi, etc)
Bahá'í calls "god" Bahá

and the list goes on...

So, yeah... valid question - what "God" are you referring to?

 

[AlexG]

I have no understanding, nor interest on what ever GAME you might be playing. PLEASE, unless you are willing to listen and learn the TRUTH stop communicating with me.

This is a science discussion site, not a pulpit. If your purpose is to spread your version of the gospel, you should take it elsewhere.

 

[akoreamerican]

religion is neither good or bad its like a gun, it depends on who's wielding it

 

[honesttexan]

honesttexan - actually, he has a very valid, and quite simple, point - which "God" is "the real God?"

In Christianity / Catholicism / Judaism, it is Yaweh.
Islam has Allah.
Hinduism has several (Vishnu, Krishna, Shiva, Devi, etc)
Bahá'í calls "god" Bahá

and the list goes on...

So, yeah... valid question - what "God" are you referring to?

WOW. There is only one REAL GOD; the CREATOR, the beginning and the end, the reason every thing exists. I was born, baptized, and raised catholic.
Also, I was sent to catholic schools for my first twenty years of my live. But I really listened and learned the difference between GOD and religions. GOD, did not create other gods; humans simply named them, according to their original historical locations. Thank you, Kittamaru, for your respectful responds.

 

[Kittamaru]

WOW. There is only one REAL GOD; the CREATOR, the beginning and the end, the reason every thing exists. I was born, baptized, and raised catholic.
Also, I was sent to catholic schools for my first twenty years of my live. But I really listened and learned the difference between GOD and religions. GOD, did not create other gods; humans simply named them, according to their original historical locations. Thank you, Kittamaru, for your respectful responds.

How do you know your "God" is the "one real God"? What evidence do you have of this? Have you met him on the physical plane? Have you examined the universe (possibly multiverse) in its entirety to ensure no other "Gods" exist?

The reliance on the Bible for this claim is understandable - however, you are talking about a book, written, translated, and transcribed by mortals in a singular part of the world for generations and iterations... what's to say they are the only ones whom had a deity approach them?

 

[honesttexan]

I really believed you might be INTELLIGENT. But now, you came across as educated; as the politicians and religious leaders whom wrote the false book, called the bible. Only things create by GOD can be physical, and since GOD did NOT create ITSELF, It can not be physical.. Intelligence is bestowed in all living things created by GOD; including air,water, and earth. at conception-NOT at birth. It only serves one purpose. To allow all living things the choice between good or bad. But, since it does not have any monetary value, most humans conceder it worthless. So most people around the world exchange it for an education, which man kind sells them. And it only serves to take away the INTELLIGENCE; so you can only think, say ,and do as you are told to do so!!!!
Do you know how many galaxies might exist in the Universe? There are approximately one hundred million that we might already know of.
I conceder myself an ANGEL of the UNIVERSE sent here to teach the TRUTH; GOD!!!