Does religion cause more harm than good? I see it causing major wars and protesting.?

Question

The bible to me has good learning lessons and stories but to live my life by it...no way. I am good person and I don't need God to tell me that. People are killing each other and themselves over their God. Is it really worth it?

Answer 1

It seems to me that there is enough religion in the world to fuel violence and hatred, but not enough to instill peace an tolerance. I don't think that makes religion evil, but some people still use it as an excuse for war, just like back in the day. Look at the Israel and Palestine right now, and even Lebanon who is now involved. Misunderstanding is a common human problem in race, culture, and especially religion. The problem won't go away with the disappearnace of religion, but hopefully those who use religion as a tool of war will one day use it to promote peace.
This is my answer to a similar question that was posted.

Answer 2

People have been killing each other over their chosen God for, well, forever. We just hear about it more and more because we have all this wonderful technology that allows media outlets to show it to us and talk about it more than ever.

Is it worth it? I guess it depends on your beliefs. Most truly religious people I know (Muslims, Christians, Jews), wouldn't be part of it. Their God/Allah, is a peaceful, loving being. The whole point is to do the best you can while here, love, give, and don't judge, and then when you're time is up, you can enter into heaven.

All of these people fighting and killing in the name of their God, well, to be honest, I can only think that they must be disgracing their god, because I've never heard of an evil or angry god. Have you?

Answer 3

Religion is a major cause of conflict on earth today. This is so because the vast majority of religion- including many professed Christian groups- are false.

For example, if you wanted someone to represent you, would you chose several people who had differing opinions about what you like, or would you have one person who closely listened to you and repeated only what you told them to repeat.

Today, religions claim to represent God, but by their actions show they don't even know God. The Bible says concerning God that he is a God "not of disorder, but of peace" (1 Corinthians 14:33). I know of only one religion that is peaceful and refuses to fight in war against their fellow humans, even if it means giving up their own life (Isaiah 2:2-4). In fact, they don't get involved with the politics that cause so much division in religion and the world (John 17:16)

Answer 4

So called religious wars are usually fought by people who have other agendas (oil supply, territory, power, etc). I think there are not many wars that were truly fought because of religion. The world's major religions are all pacifist. Therefore, I disagree with your statement that religion causes wars.

(I am a Catholic so I'll continue the rest of this answer in the context of Christianity. Also, I am going to dispense with gender neutrality because it just means I type more words)

On the other hand, this does not mean that someone who calls himself a Christian is not a Christian if he commits a sin. Being a Christian denotes his relationship with God (this is described by Christians variously as being saved or in a state of grace). God made an offer to every human and anyone who truly repents of his past sins and accepts that offer is in a state of grace (he is saved). Therefore, no other man can say someone else is not a Christian because that would be putting himself in the place of God and saying that he can "read" someone else's heart. It is therefore possible to say, for example, that the proven murderer committed a sin and is a bad man but it is not possible for us to say that the murderer is not a Christian and his soul is eternally lost (unless, of course, the murderer himself admits that he is not a Christian).

As long as we live and can still exercise our will, there is still an opportunity for us to repent and accept God's grace. That opportunity is only lost once we die without accepting His offer because once dead, we cannot exercise our will anymore.

Answer 5

There are a lot of good people in this world but very few exceptional people who have the courage to step out on faith and fight for a God who is real. Allah is a false God that tells people to kill christians and inocense so they can die a glorious death, is wrong. The God of Heaven, the creator of this world is the one true God and if you will read your bible in the book of revelations and the book of Isaiah you will see that we are living in the last times and I don't think you wish to be left behind. I know you know the truth. Its inside you. Seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened to you, ask and you shall recieve. Ask.

Answer 6

the bible and other religious books were translated by man, just remember this. The problem with religion is that is has been for to long a tool to control the people and make excuses for killing and hurting people just because they do not agree. you are right about that, look at what is going on right now. And it has been going on for many years at different intensity levels. Concentrate on your spirituality. This will get you much further than the limitations of any religion.

Answer 7

No, Kim, PEOPLE cause more harm than good. Religion is innocent, or at least it was until man sought to corrupt it.
You're where I was not too many years ago (maybe four or five years). The important thing to remember is that the Bible's teachings are perfect. There really aren't as many contradictions as I used to think.
It's MAN that is flawed, not the religion.

Answer 8

Good question. One which people have been asking for thousands of years. The fact is that religion, per se does not cause these conflicts. It is almost always 'fundamentalists' of ANY religion who are the ones who cause trouble.

It is important to remember that every Holy Text -- ALL of them were written by men. Many, if not all of these men believed that they were inspired by their God to write these Books. People, ever since have interpreted them in the way which they believed would be most beneficial to them.

Just remember that the VAST majority of religious people in the world (like their non-religious neighbors) want to live in peace.

Answer 9

The bible hasn't taught you anything that isn't common sense, so don't fool yourself. Any parent worth his or her weight can teach everything a child needs to know without the aid of tribal b.s.
Yes, religion causes far more evil than good. It separates us from our brothers and sisters in another part of the world. It makes people bigots against races of people that are, by and large, good folks.
Not to mention the fact that it makes you have imaginary friends.

Answer 10

There is no relevance in religion and harm. There is no relevence between religion and war & protest. Religion in its essence, is limitless and open truth. But some people institutionalised the religion. People have an emotional attachment to dogmas.Sectarian religion implies a closed society.Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Budhism are such closed religions that they have become institutionalised. They have effected a division between men and men.They have taken heretics as aliens and have denied them the status of human beings.It is in the light of the evils of institutionalised religion that some people denounce religion itself. All the harms, major wars & protests in the name of religion never occured from the religion of human being but from the institutionalised religion who gained the truth by scriptures but never attained in the depth of spritual experience.