Is the Christian Religion bad for society?

Question

This article reports the results of a study examining the relationship between a nation’s religiosity and its “moral health.” The received wisdom would lead one to predict a positive correlation between national religiosity and national moral health — as one goes up the other goes up. In fact, that appears not to be the case, and the example of the United States is most striking;

Americans are among the most religious people in the Western world, and yet we have among the highest rates of homicide, abortion, and teen pregnancies. To the extent that these measures are related to something that might be called “national moral health,” the intuitive thesis that links religiosity to morality would seem to be gainsaid.

http://www.skeptic.com/the_magazine/featured_articles/v12n03_are_religious_societies_healthier.php

Is anyone here reading what I wrote? Or the link?

This Y-answerer left links to some great videos that may further illistrate what I'm talking about.

Click here:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AqeN.9OiCnPrXhTpS0Fxm6Lsy6IX?qid=20060713134136AAOwp5S

Answer 1

At its core, among its most fundamental precepts, Christianity has a few priniples that can be interpreted as highly amoral and misanthropic:

1) Belief is more important than works: what you believe, not what you do, will get you into heaven or hell.
2) Salvation is individual: God judges each individual seperately.
3) God's law is supreme over man's law.
4) True believers have always been persecuted, and we must expect that to continue.

Until recently, Europe was also highly religious, but I think that by and large these four precepts were never given especial consideration. The forms and daily interpretations of Christianity that took root in the USA seemed to consider these ideas much more. Most of the early Americans were people ostracised from mainstream European society - their martyr complexes were already well-developed, and over time they internalised the idea that society was untrustworthy and the individual was paramount. I know of no other country quite so individualistic as the USA - and that individualism is often connected to a specific hostility against other people, against society at large, and against 'the system'.

When you have people who trust God but don't trust other people, you have the makings of both paranoia and anomie - two very American things. Even when Europe was religious, it put the community at the forefront. People behaved thinking 'what will other people think?' before thinking 'what will God think?'. This is still true today - and basing your moral decisions on other humans is much more reliable, because you can _see_ how other people react. In the United States, 'what will other people think?' is much less important (for many) than 'what will God think?', with the result that they're basing their moral decisions on someone whose reactions are not visible and thus not knowable - and effectively basing their moral decisions on their own personal interpretations of the Bible.

It's no recipe for social stability...

Answer 2

It's interesting you've linked Christianity to our countries moral dilemma. If you consider the fact that the "Religious right" are the ones in direct opposition to abortion while the women's rights, ACLU and secular humanists fully support this genocide. Christians support abstinence while the others condoms, birth control, morning after pills, etc.. Christianity offers hope, the others offer the slogan " live it up while you can because there's nothing left when you die!"
Your facts about the state of our country are misguided, 50 years ago the country was much more "religious" than it ever is now, matter of fact the trend now is a seperation of those who profess christianity and those who actually live christianity.
This article is simply another underhanded tactic to shift the blame from those who have desired to pull all faith from our schools, who have diluted all sacred christian holidays into a generic substandard, who have promoted free s#x, alcohol consumption, and a self absorbed humanistic approach to a people who simply live by faith according to a standard established by God. What's new?

Answer 3

I read the article. I didn't go to the link provided in the article. I might later, but I need to be logging off soon.

I would want to know the criteria used to determine "religious," among other things.

This was part of the conclusion:

"This study is complicated enough that I do not think that we can draw definitive negative conclusions about religion. But we can at least conclude, contrary to popular belief in this country, that it is not a given that religious societies are better, healthier, or more moral. "

I won't argue with that. Particularly if what is used to determine better, healthier, or more moral is external to the religion itself.

Answer 4

Religiosity that centers around the notion of Deity has never had any real moral courage, has it? On the other hand, people like it. So what can you do? Even if some are smart enough to figure out the lie behind organized religion, the rest aren't, and they'll want it. So what can you do?

Answer 5

you know it was Mao Tse Dung who said, "religion is the root of all evil".
that was back in 1958..and he's still right.

religion is a man-made belief in a system we do not comprehend. it is something invented by man back in the day.

don't take it too seriously.

i would be more concerned about day to day life and events that shape the world such as this recent Middle East fighting and North Korea mess we are in..along with Iraq, Iran and other crazy things.

it's a bit too much.

Answer 6

christianity itself isnt a bad thing, it's those who take it and misuse it to fit their twisted views that make it what it is today. for example, look at the westboro church of topeka kansas. it is run by fred phelps, a former civil rights attorney, turned preacher. this is the guy who picketed outside of matthew shepards funeral. he is the reason that they had to pass a law that stated that picketers must stay away from military funerals. he and his followers hold up signs like "GOD HATES FAGS" and "THNAK GOD FOR 9/11!!", and runs websites like www.godhatesfags.com
is this very christlike, no? is this what the bible preaches? no? is this showing the world what christians are? yes it is. and believe me, it is making christains look so very bad.
it would also not be a bad thing if people like our own G.W. BUSH would remember that while it may say "IN GOD WE TRUST" on our money, it doesn't say "THE CHURCH RUNS THIS COUNTRY". that is the very reason why the separation of church and state was written into the constitution!!

Answer 7

It's not the religions that makes for a bad society. It's the people that's the problem. Someday, there'll be a religion where worshippers will not be allowed to follow its canons or commendments because it's within the very rules itself! Then, we'll see what's really wrong.

Answer 8

I guarantee you that if you compare the united states of the 1950's (that was more religious at that time) with the Soviet Union that was atheistic the levels of Homicide and abortion would be far higher in the Soviet Union.

Answer 9

christianity does nothing to stop abortions or homocides,

the intent of the belief in jesus the christ is spiritual salvation, and this means the soul will join with the creator in heaven,

no religion can stop the sins of mankind

i disagree that the christian religion is bad for society, since in my view any religion wont be good or bad, for the here and now

Answer 10

Religion is a blight onto society.. Each religious denominations talks about peace and love and yet they wage wars in the name of god; they killed people in the name of god, they hindered the rights of others in the name of god...

When society wakes up and realizes that religion is really having a negative impact then we will see a decrease in abortion, murder, ect...