Does religion devalue human life?

Question

Religion teaches that we humans are worthless sinners, that any good in us comes from a god, that any bad in us is caused by a demon, that this life is a scarcely significant prelude to an eternal afterlife, that suffering in this life does not matter, that we are playthings of a deity and that we exist only to worship him, to make him feel good about himself.

The atheist worldview, by contrast, requires us to take full responsibility for our actions - We cannot ascribe the credit or blame to any supernatural entities. In the atheist worldview, this life is the only life we will ever have, so it couldn't possibly *be* more significant. In the atheist worldview, life can only be valued for its own sake, with no reference to the wishes of an imagined deity. In the atheist worldview we are free to choose our own purpose in life, and the meaning of life is whatever we deem it to be.

Atheism is life-affirming, whereas religion devalues the only life we know we will have.

Agreed?

Answer 1

Well met, but I do not think only Atheism is life affirming. Many other religion's like Taoism and Buddhism have many of the same qualities you presented.
Also many Christians see this life like a school at their parents house. In this way, life is very important and one must respect the earth and its moments as is.
But mostly I agree.

Answer 2

I don't agree. I think the analysis about religion is wrong. I will justify a lot of what I say based on a Christian worldview, so I will references God, so you may or may not agree with my analysis, but here it goes.

When God created all life and said that it was good. He didn't create it to be treated with contempt and haphazardly. It was precious and delicate in his eyes, and it was something he cared for. God's special creation was man. It is the only thing in creation that bares his image. God created men with the ability to choose. If God created man with no ability to choose, it would have been a pretty empty relationship. The ability to choose also means that men could choose to do wrong. This is the origin of sin and it is not caused by demons.

The Christian worldview requires that men and women take responsibility for their actions. God requires that men pay for sin. The only problem is that men can never pay for all that the do wrong themselves, and need somebody to pay for them. This is where Jesus comes in, and a person can choose to attempt to pay for their sins themselves, or let Jesus do it.

Human life in the Christian worldview has priceless value. This is why many Christians are so opposed to abortion. Also, if this life was just a scarcely significant prelude to the afterlife, we expedite the process committing suicide. Rather than do that though, Christians are about helping others live better lives.

Likewise, Christians value earth. They were given the charge by God to care for it. It may even come at a personal expense to do so. So to say Christians have a sad worldview is pessimistic to be shortsighted.

Answer 3

Christianity teaches that life is so valuable that as the crowning glory of his creation, he made man.
Christianity teaches that each person is so valued in his own worth that God what sacrifice his own Son to save them
Christianity teaches that each person can do all things through the power of God
Christianity teaches that the most important things a person can do is to "Love others as he loves himself"
Christianity teaches that no matter how many mistakes or "sins" a person committs, they can be forgiven and cleansed away. There is always a second chance.
Christianity teaches that each person is fully responsible for their own actions - but can have help when they need to do the right thing.
Christianity teachs we are responsible for the purpose we choose in our lives, and will answers for those chooses in the next life.
Christianity teaches that this life is the only life we have were we can do the will of God, change the world for the better, save lives, and prepare our own hearts for eternity - so it is significent for now and eternity.

Atheism says your a chance goop of gooey.

Answer 4

Christianity does not teach that any bad in us is caused by a demon. It teaches that each person has a sin nature. Now, if you are at all an honest person, which most atheists are not....you would admit that you have sinned, and so has every person who has ever lived. No one being honest could say they had not sinned.

Jesus Christ is the remedy to sin. That is why He died on the cross, to save us from our sins. One would have to be extraordinarily stubborn to think they have never thought, done, or said something wrong.

Christianity teaches us that the only way to heaven is by Jesus Christ, and that the Godly way of living, following Him, will produce a more peaceful existence than the selfishness of godless living.

But of course, once again, you would have to be a reasonably honest person to recognize this is true.

Answer 5

You are half-right on this one. We ARE here for God's glory, we are all evil sinners in his eyes. And only punishment can remove the sins, either in the bad place, or Jesus must pay them.
But bad isn't caused by demons at all, we make the choices ourselves. We can be tempted, but ultimately, it is us.
And atheists cannot really promote morals because there is no higher authority, how can you say that murder is wrong if it just kills off the weak and aids evolution? I do see why you have them but it is only with christian's moral law that they were created and are kept.

Our lives are actually higher than in atheist view, you say we come and we go, no point at all. we are just worthless matter.
WE say that God created us in His image and someday, we will not be so sinful. If we are loved by such a high being, our lives must mean SOMETHING. Praise God!

Answer 6

This is a rather short-sighted observation. Your interpretation is hardly what the average religious person (at least in first world countries) believes. For example, it would be just as short-sighted of me to claim that atheism denies moral values -- which makes taking full responsibility a bit shallow if nothing we can ever do is wrong.

Both arguments play on stereotypical understandings of the opposite view, and while both have the "flavor" of truth, both come to incorrect conclusions.

Here's what I believe: Human nature devalues life. Individuals and groups latch on to certain ideologies as an excuse to engage in hate and evil. Christians and muslims have done it in the name of god, but atheists have done it in the name of politics. It's not religion at fault, it's human nature.

Answer 7

Why do people turn to religion? The human power of formal reasoning has an unavoidable limit. We can never be entirely sure of the logical basis of our conclusions; so we begin to recognize that there are unsolvable mysteries. And this feeling of being surrounded with mysteries, one cannot grasp, turns into indescribable awe. Fear of unknown make people turn to religion.

Fear of unknown is at the root of all religions; and all personal religious experiences have their root and center in mystical states of human consciousness. Like drugs, the religions too may produce a psychotropic influence on human mind; and stimulate the mystical faculties of human nature. Even so, religions do bring a sense of inner happiness, though short-lived, in a state of false inner tranquility and balance; but over passionate pursuance may produce mild euphoria, cause hallucination; and even alter perception and thinking pattern.

Almost all religions are designed to bring about a packaged peace of mind. These turnkey packages come in complete with ready for use set of strongly held beliefs, values, and attitudes to live by. But do they really get you conditioned to deep solutions?

All religions aim to give comfort and moral instruction for life on Earth, and to inspire hope for life after death. The religion should rather counsel contemplation and endurance; shape common sense and awaken the believers because hope is but the dream of those that wake.

The religions have few things to hope for and many things to fear. One among them is the fear of hell. Fear of hell alarms the believers successively to the point that they dose themselves heavily by every specific remedy the religions offers. The consequence is that the fears, which had first been imaginary, become real and in the state of living, they become more dead than alive.

Answer 8

You really should learn more about the Christian religion if you want to disprove the value of it, instead of just making several (some of them faulty) assumptions about it and then assuming those assumptions are right.
If we only had this life on Earth to live as you believe, then you would be right indeed, but if there is an eternal life, then you would be wrong.
Personally, I would rather be temporarily wrong or eternally right than temporarily right or eternally wrong.

Answer 9

No, Your propositions are fake. real faith teaches the choice of valueless, extremely we are created in a twin of God. Atheism is self typical and selfish. real faith teaches guy has sinned yet that God cares for His creatures so we've great desire. those whose purely desire is themselves have lots reason to melancholy. some distance from being a plaything for God He exults His human beings and very much blesses them as they're His photograph and maximum creation. Take the tip of the project, a sturdy p;ace to choose issues. Many generic atheists have died in melancholy without desire however the toddler of God dies with great desire and peace. The atheist is going away to in no way be remembered lower back the Christian to an eternal abode. All it takes is to talk to them on there dying mattress to work out this. How can atheism be considered life putting forward in case you have not any desire, no help, and no life?

Answer 10

Icarus. I've missed you, my friend.

To your question, not all atheism is life-affirming. Consider Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot...

The only thing I know to be life-affirming is Love. Those who love others, love life. I've found some atheists, christians, pagans, wiccans, and people of all faiths can share in this life-affirming belief without any discrepency with their professed faith.

Love is real across the theist/atheist spectrum.

So is Fear and Hate, so belief in other things is no indication of their life-affirming beliefs. Only their belief in the power of Love makes a difference.