Should we give RELIGION a break???

Question

In this day and age, many people are accusing religion of being the root of Man's problems. However, even though this is true to some extent, just imagine a world where religion never existed. Bad things happen now, but just imagine what would happen if people did what they wanted without any care, knowing that there was no fiery pit of hell waiting for them if they did..

Religion is a good thing. It helps people acquire a sense of identity and meaning. It helps in their time of need. It's just typical of humans to spoil that with their greed and arrogance

Answer 1

How about a broken neck? Religion is an awful thing.

Answer 2

You don't need a religion to acquire a sense of identity and meaning. What's more, religions provide one and the same meaning to everyone: living for your god, your afterlife, and so on. In a world free from religions, everybody would be able to find their own meaning. A world without religions would be just wonderful. And people would be better, too. More tolerant, anyway.

I know there is no hell waiting for me, and yet I am not doing bad things. You are extremely insulting and arrogant to claim that all people who don't have a religion are bad or do bad things, and you're also wrong in the implication that all religious people do good things. Both assumptions are wrong, and they prove you have a lot to learn.

And as for your original question, I am not going to give religion a break until it gives me a break. Or rather not until those who speak on behalf of the church stop bugging me with their beliefs and superstitions. I live in a country where you have the right to be any religion (or no religion at all). So I am using my right. You have no right to invade my decision, or to impose your beliefs on me. And as long as you do (you as a whole, not yourself) I am not going to give your murderous religion a break.

Answer 3

Religion is a tool to be closer to a Deity or personal enlightenment. The basis of all religions are good. It is the participants of the religion that make it unacceptable to others, but typically those who criticize religions do not learn enough about the religion to realize this, and just take the way the participants act as the rules of the religion. It is very unfortunate, but Atheists are not the only ones to blame, I mean Christian do the same thing to Muslims. Start setting a good example and hopefully one day they won't misinterpret the basic ideas behind religion.

Answer 4

Religion is the foundation of civilization, and its importance should be acknowledged.

However, civilization must progress. People should grow to the point that they realize that good is its own reward. A society in which people can only do good if they fear the punishment of Hell would be sadly primitive.

Religion has a positive side and a dark side. If by giving religion a break you mean acknowledge the positive, I agree. But if you mean ignoring the dark side, I disagree. Religion should be open to criticism in the same way that government or any other part of society should be open to criticism. It is through debate and criticism that religion will grow and adapt to serve the needs of modern society. We must recognize and deal with the flaws in our religious systems if we are to make further progress as a civilization.

Answer 5

You are right. But don't you think that people who blindly follow something are a lot more gullible than those who think before they act.
I think that people should study all religions, because each one of them has a lot wisdom in it, I mean if you ignore the 'worship me only' part of the 10 commandments, they're pretty reasonable and for all times and places, not just her and now but also then and there.
But if you remove god from that equation and all things that apply to just one standard and time you get an unending source of lifeoltering wisdom that can tell people what is right and what is good, what is soothing and what is not, how to take control of their own life instead of waiting for Devinne intervention.
That's why I think that atheism is so freeing, you can look for the right answers at all the possible places, and not get tied to anything you find wrong in the package. And you don't have to hide fearing that you've betrayed something that's wrong for you.

Answer 6

AMEN!

Some people simply refuse to see all the good that comes out of religion, and this seems to be the common ignorance amongst non-believers on this site. In fact, you hear about much more good coming out of serving God than you do bad.

Muslim te.rrorists are only part of ONE religious group (and obviously most Muslims aren't terr/orists), so just because they like blowing people up doesn't mean that religion as a whole is a bad thing.

(I didn't mean to offend any Muslims, but Muslim terr.orism seems to be the main reason why people believe that religion is bad, so I used it as an example.)

God bless!

Answer 7

Good people will do good things, and bad people will do bad things. But for good people to do bad things -- that takes religion. ~ Steven Weinberg, in a dialog on religion with other scientists, 1999, quoted from "The Constitution Guarantees Freedom From Religion" an open letter to U.S. Vice-Presidential candidate Senator Joseph Lieberman, issued by the Freedom From Religion Foundation on August 28, 2000

Answer 8

I dont agree, but the idea seems good.
Imagine 1 year and no-one can use religion as a means to go to war, for money or just as an excuse - i'm sure the world would be an interesting place in the 12 months ....................... maybe your suggestion is'nt so bad after all!

Answer 9

Religion is a very bad thing, the opiate of the ignorant and uneducated masses. If people need religion to gain a sense of identity and meaning, then they are some sorry sheep to start with.

Answer 10

Being good because you are scared of buring in hell makes you selfish. So even though you beleive in all the brimstone and fire crap, you are only being good, because you are selfish and want to reach heaven.

If you simply see how being kind and loving to one another will create a better life here on earth, you can still be a selfish nice person, just like before. This time though, instead of being scared of hell, you'd be scared of a world where no one cares about each other. Something that is actually tangible and real.

People are social creatures, we have varying degrees of altruism in us. Religion is just the opiate of the masses. Please join me in flushing religion down where it belongs at http://flushaholybook.com

Answer 11

The present state of religions have created hatred and the human race stands divided.Religious terrorists exist in every religion.Human race has failed to see that we are one specie . They are Muslims , Christians, Hindus-----etc . Humans are a threat to human beings and will be responsible for extinction of human beings.LOVE for each other and this planet is the only religion which can provide a chance for further existence.