Which religion has contributed the most good to Humanity?

[StarOfEight]

Buddhist monasteries in medieval Japan were just as corrupt and full of shit as their Christian European counterparts.

 

[DoctorNO]

I agree that the false (non-Biblical) Christianity you've described is a wonderful vision.

Easy for you to say but each & every one of those items are the common denominators in almost every christian sect. That makes them the elements of true Christianity whether you like it or not.

And each one except for religious liberty is biblical. Wanna bet?

However, I would ask you to think twice about attributing what happens at a certain time to the people who were around by default of convenience.

I don’t understand. Please elaborate. Thanks.

The Golden Rule

The Golden Rule is problematic, even when it's followed. Do unto others licenses invasive behavior. There's a great "Adam and Eve" moment in At Play in the Fields of the Lord, when a missionary starts putting brassieres on tribal girls in South America. The missionaries introduced original sin because--do unto others--they would hate to live without it themselves.

People don’t call it the Golden Rule for nothing. Doing unto others doesn’t necessarily require actual invasiveness. Sometimes the best thing to do is to leave people alone. Which is why Hillel’s version is not so different: “What I will NOT DO is NOT advise you NOT to say the F word in front of 3 year olds”.

And the concept of original sin was introduced as a theological explanation to make sense of the bible, not for convenience.

Separation of Church & State

The wall of separation came about despite the best efforts of many Christians. As an American, I know that my Christian neighbors have a hard time with the separation of church and state. It is only in the last few decades that "freedom of religion" and "separation of church and state" have come to mean anything other than, "The government shall not f@ck with Christians."

That is true but the bible verse “give to ceasar what is to ceasar and give to god what is to god” was what convinced these Christians that separation of church & state was the right path to go. Is there any other religion that gives a more effective advise than that?

Proverbs

Poor Richard's Almanac is worth more, practically, than the Bible's proverbial advice.

We are talking about religion here. Richard’s Almanac is not a religious book and that Richard guy had probably been raised proverbs reading Christian for all you know. And the guy was probably born more than a thousand years after Proverbs & Ecclesiastes was written down.

Promotion of love as the greatest of human virtues

If only it was as simple as that; otherwise, I do agree.

Thanks. Some things are really easier said than done.

Multiculturalism & Religious Liberty

I find it odd that you would proclaim as positive in one religion that which you would denounce in another.

Are you referring to Islam? Islam has limited religious tolerance (for abrahamic religions alone). Religious liberty is way above religious tolerance. But I do not deny that for hundreds of years the limited religious tolerance in Islam was one of the best qualities of Islam. It is unfortunate that Islam could not evolve beyond that level.

And more than anything, it was economy, and not Christian values, that brought those diverse Christians together.

I agree. But no matter the cause it still developed into Christianic values. But I do think that Hinduism surpasses Christianity on this issue.

Encourages harmonious family relationships that almost border on gender equality

You're kidding, right?

Leave your family for Christ? Women shut up and cover your heads?

That’s why I said “almost”. 99% of Christians interpret the former as a metaphor, not to be followed literally. The latter merely involves the woman’s position within church gatherings. My point is founded on Paul’s advise that husbands should love their wives as they love their own body. I have yet to see a religious advise that equates or surpasses that.

What you're celebrating, over the long run, is the decline of Christianity.

Christianity is a changing religion. Whether or not it is declining does not change any of my points.

As to the question itself

It's hard to say. Christianity is an easy case to make if we restrict ourselves to empirical definitions. But in any objective sense, I would say Buddhism, by its habit of trying to stay the hell out of people's way.

I almost voted for Buddhism too but as good as that religion is, it still didn’t make as much influence. If only a great empire made that as the state religion. Yeah Christianity made much because it was globalized.

 

[DoctorNO]

Shame what you classify as the 'Golden Rule' is rarely applied on a day to day basis. I think it's more a social wish today, rather one based in religious doctrine.

The Golden Rule in the bible was just a reminder. Otherwise the golden rule is inherent to humans.

You're kidding right? There is no separation of Church and State DoctorNO. It doesn't exist. It's a mythical creature that is there to comfort us. How can you state that Christianity is good because of the separation of church and state? They fought like hell to lose their political clout in the past. But unfortunately some aspects of the Church remains, hence why there never was a true separation of Church and State. Here are a few examples:

• A prayer recited before each new sitting of the US Supreme Court

• The lords Prayer recited before each new sitting of Parliament in Australia

• Having to swear on the bible and made to repeat an oath including the words 'so help me God' when giving evidence in Court.

• When the Australian Prime Minister is sworn in, they do so on a Bible. The same goes for the US President and it also applies in the majority of States around the world.

• The US Pledge of Allegiance contains the words 'one nation under God'.

Bells I don’t think you understand the meaning of this. It means that the state would not patronize any specific religion. Each of the examples you mention does not patronize anything. The God mentioned on coins does not refer to any specific god. The prayers are not addressed to any specific god. The swearing on bibles was based on the swearer’s faith. If it’s a muslim it would be the quran. If it’s a mormon it would be the book of mormons. If its an atheist then its just a swear.

What proverbs? What wise sayings encouraging good relations between people? You mean like the wise sayings that priests say when they refuse to give communion to a gay parishioner? Or the words the priests says when he 'kindly' asks a gay parishioner to leave the church after daring to stand in line for the holy communion?

Try reading the book of Proverbs & Ecclesiastes in the bible. Try reading the sayings of Jesus.

LOL! Refer to above. And yes, I too heard the promotion of love the last few times I ever went to church. They were spoken as the collection plate was carried around. Yes, I'm sure that all those Christian soldiers in Iraq are promoting love as a human virtue. I'm sure that in all the wars of the past and present, those religious pious people were promoting love as they were killing each other. Hell, a lot of Germans were Christians in WWII, I'm sure they were really spreading the words of love there.

Ethical STANDARDS are just guides, not shackles. You see the evils committed by Christians but do you see what the good Christians are doing or have done about it? Christians killed jews in WWII but it was also Christians who fought against them and liberated the jews.

Hmm yes. Encouraging harmonious family relationships? Would this be included in the Catholic Church's stance on divorce? And the gender equality? Would this also apply to all the women who are refused to enter the priesthood because of the fact that they are women?

I said “almost”. The priesthood is a job and malehood is one of its prerequisites. The same as femalehood is the prerequisite for becoming a nun.

Yes. Liberty and gender and racial equality while dominating nations. Hmm lets see now, I guess you mean all this after the emancipation of slaves in the West? You remember learning about that don't you? How the religious elite owned slaves shipped over from Africa, to build their nations so that they became the Christian dominated nations that you are boasting so much about. Now there was a case of liberty and racial equality.

Christianity is a changing religion. Liberty still came from the Christians.

All religions are guilty for what I've said above. But for you DoctorNO to boast so much about Christianity when it is so full of flaws astounds me. What you're so proud of in Christianity is still keeping many of the people down, so to speak. There is no equality in Christianity. You go on about how unequal Islam is, but you fail to look at Christianity as a comparison. They too deem women to be second (ie, look at the women priest issues facing Christianity), they wont even acknowledge the equality of homosexuals. Christianity has nothing to be proud of. Actually, I can't really think of one religion who should be boasting about being better than any other, because all are guilty of the same things under different banners.

I don’t think that religions are equal. I think some are better and some are worst. I voted for Christianity and I gave my reasons. What did you vote for? “I don’t know”?

 

[Bells]

I didn't vote. There wasn't an option for 'none of the above'.

 

[spuriousmonkey]

I didn't vote either for the same reason.

 

[DoctorNO]

Feminism is a non Christian movement that got women rights only really after the 1960's. this is nothing to do with Christinaty as countires are now secular and Christinaty didnt relally have any relations with Feminsim anyway.

You mentioned feminism, not I.

Christian West grants women the right to own property in 1800's onwards
Islamic Era grants this right to women 1400 years ago

My great great great grandmother in the mid 1700s was a Christian and she inherited much property from her father.

Christians Women are allowed the vote after 1800's
Islamic era, women have a strong say in politics, many women challanged and won arguemenyts against Caliphs

LOL! That is because voting was only invented in the 1800s. Today the muslims in Saudi Arabia cant even vote. Hehehe. But even before 1800 some of the greatest state leaders were christian women, Queens & Emperesses of great power and fame.

Christian West, The first woman doctors, teachers and other high paid and respectable jobs rarerly from 1800 onwards (they still werent equal pay though!)
Islamic era sees this as women working in jobs such as doctors and teachers as an essential part of Islamic society so it has female workers all over the empire.

You are just guessing.

Christian West, Womens education is not important
Islamic Era, It is an OBLIGATION of every woman to get an education to the highest degree

Then how come the Islamic history has nothing to show for it? Name some goods thing that came out of female education in Islam. Name some famous educated women in Islam. Can you? I don’t think so.

We are talking about REALITY here. Not of wishful fantasies & theories.

 

[DoctorNO]

I didn't vote. There wasn't an option for 'none of the above'.

If only I could add another option. Hey just vote for "I dont know", guys so you could see the results.

 

[Bells]

I've seen the results and Buddhism is in front.

 

[spuriousmonkey]

I can see the results also without voting.

 

[Bells]

Gasp.. so can I.

What devilry is this?

Oh wait... it's just the 'show poll results' link.

 

[spuriousmonkey]

It doesn't matter bells, god sees everything.

 

[firdroirich]

I reckon religion is a 'way' - that is it's function. How can a path contribute to the traveller unless he choose to walk it? Having done so, would you then say the path has done good, no the person has chosen - the path fulfilled it's purpose in aiding his choice. The most good has been contributed by 'good' people.

 

[Proud_Muslim]

'Mother Theresa'.

Of course there are christians that are just beautiful people. And of course there are christians that practice 'christianity'. Hence the joke is on you. You just earned the disrespect of many people.

Now go and bitch about how tolerant and beautiful islam is.

Now, go and bitch about HITLER and how tolerant and beautiful christian he was !!

 

[DoctorNO]

Can people not Justify why they voted for Hinduism, Buddhism & Islam?

 

[Bells]

Now, go and bitch about HITLER and how tolerant and beautiful christian he was !!

Are you serious? You make a comment about how you think the holocoaust was a holohoax and then you actually have the nerve to make that kind of comment out of sarcasm? Why don't YOU go and tell everyone about how tolerant and beautiful Christian Hitler was PM. After all, it is you who appears to disbelieve that he actually slaughtered millions of people.

This is hypocrisy of a dimension I've rarely seen.

 

[DoctorNO]

What? The Holocaust never happened? Then Hitler was just the more humane version of the muslim Saddam Hussein.

Anyone remembers the Muslim Idi Amin?

 

[Proud_Muslim]

Are you serious? You make a comment about how you think the holocoaust was a holohoax and then you actually have the nerve to make that kind of comment out of sarcasm? Why don't YOU go and tell everyone about how tolerant and beautiful Christian Hitler was PM. After all, it is you who appears to disbelieve that he actually slaughtered millions of people.

This is hypocrisy of a dimension I've rarely seen.

My comments about the HOLOHOAX was about the JEWISH HOLOHOAX ( and yes, it seems it was holohoax ) I dont dispute that some jews were killed but not as much they would like the world to believe.

Hitler was an evil man not because he killed jews only, he killed more non jews than jews.

why you dont admit he was christian ?? who is the HYPOCRITE HERE ?

 

[Proud_Muslim]

What? The Holocaust never happened? Then Hitler was just the more humane version of the muslim Saddam Hussein.

Anyone remembers the Muslim Idi Amin?

Or anyone remembers the CHRISTIAN Franco in Spain ??

 

[Bells]

My comments about the HOLOHOAX was about the JEWISH HOLOHOAX ( and yes, it seems it was holohoax ) I dont dispute that some jews were killed but not as much they would like the world to believe.

Hitler was an evil man not because he killed jews only, he killed more non jews than jews.

why you dont admit he was christian ?? who is the HYPOCRITE HERE ?

My God, you are unbelievable. Do you salute the swastika in your spare moments? And I never denied that Hitler was a Christian. He was as much a Christian as Bin Laden was a Muslim.

 

[DoctorNO]

My God, you are unbelievable.

Aha PM has at least succeeded in making Bells believe in God agian.