If religion ceased to exist?

Question

Who says it is not right to kill, steal, and cheat? Would we as human beings automatically know that stealing, killing and cheating are wrong? If there was no religion at all wouldn't the world be similar to hell. People doing whatever they want because they don't know any better? Please all Christian and xtians feel free to explain.

Answer 1

One can be without religion and have impeccable morals and ethics. (by any ones standards)


Blessings )O(

Answer 2

Ah, a budding young philosopher! Perhaps we would know what was right, even if religion didn't tell us. After all, non-religious people don't go around stealing, killing, and cheating on a regular basis. And part of the killing (and stealing, and lying, and adultery) in this world is done by religious people.

Perhaps we would decide based on the greatest good for the greatest number (Utilitarianism). Perhaps we would find moral urges deep within ourselves, like the Natural Philosophers. Perhaps we would strive to prevent our actions from contradicting themselves (Kant, and the Golden Rule). Perhaps we would simply commit ourselves to becoming an ideal of virtue or excellence (Nietzsche and Aristotle).

There's a whole world of potential answers out there, but asking the question is the most important step.

Answer 3

It might come to a shock to you, but no. Your ideas are totally wrong.

All the religions I know of say it's wrong to kill, steal, and cheat. If religion is needed to be moral, isn't it strange that everybody more or less agrees upon the same rules, even though the religions are completely different in all other ways? And even in countries that have officially embraced atheism (such as Soviet) there were no bigger problems with killing, stealing or cheating than in many other (religious or secular) countries.

Humans do not automatically know that stealing, killing and cheating is wrong (just look at small kids, they are incredibly selfish at times). It is something we learn through social interaction with others. If you act badly towards someone, people will get angry at you. Humans need social contact. Having everybody angry isn't good. Thus having a society is enough for evolving these rules.

You don't need anyone "saying" them, just like you don't need anyone to tell you to eat. If you don't eat, you die. If a society doesn't evolve these rules, the society will cease to function.

If there were no religion at all, people would have to find other ways of filling their need for "meaning", and "community". Exactly how they would do this is hard to guess, but most atheists seem to do just fine. People would continue to follow the rules of the society they lived in, just like they do now, even though the rules of religion and law sometimes conflict.

I'm not christian, nor do I have any other religion. And like most atheists, I believe our moral standards are far superior to religious people who blindly follow rules. At least we think through our actions instead of blindly following rules.

Answer 4

Religion has typically been Man's stumbling block on the path of spiritual evolution. Most of the greatest abominations in history were conducted in God's name by an organized religion.

The problem is that rather than looking for the universal truths that are common to ALL major religions, the fanatics mistakenly apply hard literal interpretations of books that are understood to be symbolic to start with. They arrogantly presume their way is the only true way, and wars erupt because we have different names for God. This goes on to this very day.

If mankind could universally proclaim and accept that all belief systems with a principle message of Love can serve as paths back to the Creator and abondon the concept that any one path is the "only" path 80% of the violence in the world could be eliminated.

Maybe if all organized religion was eliminated each person would find their own way and all ways would be seen as equal.

Answer 5

For the most part, even if there were no religion to dictate right from wrong, humankind will know the differences. It would come naturedly.
Although in recent times (last century), the communist purges in Russia and China tend to contradict human nature, but they knew what they were doing was wrong.
Religion was created to help us understand our world, each other, and the stars above. Not to mention our frightful or pleasent dreams!
Do we actually need religion-religion? No, I don't think so. But wouldn't it be natural for, say, 100 people who believe the same thing get together, form some kind of bonding, then perhaps name their group...like, Humans With Hairy Butts for Jesus Christ?

Hehe, whatever.

Answer 6

When you are born again into God World you get the whole enchilada. The Holy spirit comes into your being and dwells with you. You no longer need religion or governments because the Kingdom is within you. If you continue to walk in the faith then the laws of God that are written on your soul will be illuminated by God Himself and even if you have thoughts that are sinful, the Spirit of God will remind you that you are stinking thinking. If everybody was operating in the Spirit it would not be chaotic it would be bliss. Everybody would be doing exactly as they were and are ordained to do. God is not religious, He is real. All reality is based on the mind of God. Probably if all religions would cease to exist we would have less wars and people claiming to have answers based on things from out side and would start to live in the image of God like intended in the first place.
Love

Answer 7

Doesn't that make the assumption that religion is the only thing keeping people from becoming murderers or thieves? What about all the atheists who do not fall into this catorgory? Why aren't those who do not believe or adhere to a religion killing and stealing? We still have laws. We still have standards. Or??? Do we all get our standards from God but some of us aren't aware of it. We Christians explain it as a "God shaped void".

Answer 8

There is a variation on the Golden Rule (do unto others as you would have them do unto you, for you Christians) in pretty much every society and religion. It's common sense - if people can go out there randomly killing, then you could be their next victim: therefore, murder is not permitted. If people are allowed to take whatever they wanted from other people, then your own goods will not be safe.

Religion and ethics are not the same thing.

Answer 9

If "religion" ceased to exist then nothing much would change. Religion was not allowed in the old soviet union and people still went through life there normally. In fact there was far less crime in that country than there was in our country.

I wonder what you would say happened to the soviets who grew up in a society that did not allow religion. What happened when they died? Did they go to hell for their ignorance? Or were they pardoned?

Answer 10

The law of man. Honestly, that's the only law that has any effect, IMHO. Think about it - does the average person not kill others because it's a sin, and if it were no longer considered a sin, they'd say whoopee and have at it?

No. It's because most people just know that it's wrong - or they are aware of the laws that say it's wrong, or they're afraid of the consequences, or it's just not part of their nature.

Besides, you're lumping religion together with theology. Buddhism is a religion without theology. If everyone were buddhist, the world would be sooooo much better!

Answer 11

religion is just that religion they have turned the word of God into something crazy If you seek out the Lord He will show you the right way The churches these day are so into there doctrines and doctrines they are taught it is awful. Jesus is not religion He is God. Religion has turned His word into something it is not so those who believe the real truth are condemned by what religion has put into the world. If there was no religion there would still be God and truth. Which means we have His spirit within us so we would be guided by His spirit if we listened we would no we are wrong sorry so long