Should organized religion be outlawed?

Question

Look at all the wars and death and suffering that is brought about by groups of people who maintain that their conjecture about God and everything is better than everyone else's conjectures.

Why kill for something that nobody can prove or deny and which is probably fantasy anyway. It's like waging war over which is the movie of the year?

What about all the born-agains whose preachers make them vote for a man who wants to wage war in the name of the latest buzzword 'freedom' even though the result is invariably death, destruction, suffering and yet more hate.

Organized religion causes as much devastation as other stuff like drugs and should be illegal for pretty much the same reason that it brings about the degeneration of society - except on a worldwide level.

What's your take?

Note I said ORGANIZED religion and not belief! Who cares if you wait up for the Tooth Fairy when your teeth fall out, but just don't promote her as the be all and end all of existence.

Answer 1

This book describes in detail why religion is such a dangerous thing in our modern society. The link below has excerpts from the book, that will give you some idea of the theme of the whole.

For those saying that religion does not cause wars, I DARE you to read this book. He describes in plain terms, exactly why religion is the root of nearly every conflict in the world today, and throughout history. His logic cannot be denied. There are things that you are not considering, and he will point these things out to you...

http://www.samharris.org

Answer 2

Look at all the wars, death, and suffering that is brought about by organized atheism--aka Communism. Should atheism be outlawed? Look at all the wars, death, and suffering that is brought about by organized politics (pick your party--soon as it gets any power, it becomes as violent and warmongering as any other). The problem is not the "religion" , the problem is the "organized", and it is not unique to "religion". As soon as any organization think it has a lock on how people ought to live, it will become the source of violence.

But, ultimately, the problem is not even the presence of "organization". The problem is the idea that the power of government ought to be used to force people to do or not do something, large-scale. In essence, demanding that "organized religion" be outlawed is completely identical to the mindset that you ascribe to "organized religion". You still insist that government be used to dictate what everyone is permitted to do.

Answer 3

Have you noticed how every tribe and nation in the history of humankind has had a religion? Maybe its because our Creator has done what he says he has done - Put God in the heart of humankind. Remember even atheism is a religion. I agree that organised religion is more about control and influence. I reckon that its possible to have a relationship with God without all the political stuff. But checkout the religions that rely on mankind searching for God rather than God accepting mankind and wanting a relationship with each of us.

Answer 4

>>>Look at all the wars and death and suffering that is brought about <<<

Of course, all the billions and billions of acts of love and charity performed by religious groups don't matter a damn to you, do they?

Religion has been outlawed in many countries in recent history -- the former USSR, communist China, North Korea, just to name a few.

These countries are responsible for more death and bloodshed than any of us, sitting in our comfortably free societies, can possibly fathom.

Too bad that you've chosen to get into ideological bed with these totalitarian hellholes.

The way I see it, you are just another anti-religious nut who needs to discredit and defame religion because it teaches things that do not jive with your lifestyle..

You don't really care about all these supposed wars and stuff that religion has caused -- if you cared about wars and violence and such, you'd recognize the fact that very little of it has anything to do with religion.

These things are just rocks that you can throw at religion, to defame it because it teaches moral things that you just don't want to hear.

Answer 5

1st There are NO major wars that can be directly connected to religion as a cause.
2nd Last time I heard voting was still a freedom of choice.
3rd Do not forget about all the poor organized religion has/is helping. (But lets forget that it might shake your bias into reality.)

Answer 6

Religion is just a mask that human brutality wears. Imagine a world with no religion, do you really believe that there will be no wars? If you do you have a lot more hope in humanity than I do. People hate and kill because its in our nature to do so. We'll fight because of race, political beliefs, greed and power, or just because. If anything religion has tempered our hatred. We BELIEVE in the sacredness of human life because of religion.

Answer 7

Since the flaw from which religion springs is located in the human mind, making the symptom illegal but not touching the cause will do nothing.

Answer 8

No. i think of prepared faith is a rip-off, yet people--in u . s . a . of america a minimum of--have the liberty of religion. as nicely, outlawing faith by no ability works and could in basic terms supply believers a persecution complicated. RicardoF--Why are you so belligerent? cope with your anger themes in the previous logging on...

Answer 9

I understand what you are saying but under our American system, it cannot be outlawed due to the "freedom of Religion" clause in the Constitution, etc etc etc.Yes.. there are MANY things in the U.S. that should be outlawed but our present day constitution outlaws many changes and I know it is NOT right.

Answer 10

Not the religion, because most of people really need to believe in anything, but the speeches of some of their dirigents must be controlled...