What are two effects organized religion has had on society?

Question

What examples from society illustrate your views

Answer 1

1) Power: Religious leaders steer their congregations by citing dogmas that must be followed if one is to be "saved".

A survey of popular churches illustrate the particular creeds and dogmas each church promotes and the duties of the congregation to belong to that particular church.


2) Division: If you divide the masses and pit them against each other, then they have less time to question the leaders actions and motives.

This is demonstrated by the moral debates that divide people eg: prayer in school (there are religious people who do not believe in it), abortion, homosexuality, birth control, blood transfusions, etc.

Answer 2

taboos on sexuality
censorship on independent thinking

It's not a view. Its demonstrated through history. I don't feel organized religion NECESSARILY produces those outcomes, but in Western Society, it HAS.

For sexuality taboos examples, study medival europe to the present.
For censorship on independent thought, study Galileo and the witch trials of Salem.

Answer 3

1) Control of people's minds, emotions, and behavior through guilt
and shame - with the promise of the ultimate reward or
punishment [Heaven/Hell] as the inforcement behind this control.

2) The false comfort of making people feeling that they are in the
"Right" about how things work. Including the fostering of
intolerance and a need to "cure" anything not deemed "Right"
whether through conversion or murder.

Answer 4

You'll have to research examples yourself. Conformity and resources wasted on religious buildings and artifacts. Most religions do not approve of accumulated wealth, but that doesn't stop humans from wanting to show how rich they are because of their religion - all things come from God, after all.