Would the World be a better place without any religion?

Question

Take for instance islamic law in Iran, which describes how to execute married woman who have sex outside marriage by stoning them to death. Can you get any more cruel?

[to "sunamwal"]: If you really think what you say, you are either mentally sick or clearly evil. You are the living proof that the Islam attracts, or even nurture, extremists like you.

Answer 1

I think at this point we need to look with in ourselves and the fact that humans have the desire and the want to live. And if we keep waiting on a God to save us from ourselves we may all just die. It's time that we look at the human spirit and realize that we have the strength with in us to improve this earth and the lives of the people that live here. All these religions that teach their followers that they have the only true religion and that there is only one way to believe, need to open their eyes and realize that they have caused more deaths than saved lives. There should be no more religion, just the faith that the human nature in it self has the ability to heal and thrive on it's own with out the mental control of an organized religion telling them right from wrong.

Answer 2

Or take for instance the burning of witches at the stake years ago because of a Biblical passage that said 'Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live...'

Sorry just had to point out that Islam is not the only religion with many faults. They all have, and I mean all of them.

As for the world being a better place. I don't know. Religion has gone just as much good as it has bad. But I think in this world of technology and being able to kill people at the flick of a switch...It's lost it's place and it's doing more evil now than it ever was.

Not just the middle eastern religions. All of them.

Answer 3

No. the entire world will be a battle ground in the absence of religion. It will be might is right,dictatorship,no justice, peace but only beastly acts, destroying one another and the most orderless life will be the result. Religions tame these qualities, the fear of God in humanbeings will deter them from desisting from all these evil deeds. Reliion inculcates a code of conduct and way of life based on principles of equity and justice. Some religions prescribe hard punishments for certain offences which are very serious in nature and affect the laws of the society. No religion obsolves any body of such charges. The only difference is quantum and severity of punishment and it is a question of degree only, It is a different thing that the present world scene makes us to believe that religion is the cause of all these upheavals. Remember it is a misconception, no religion teaches to fight and kill other people. Misguidance by vested interests is the cause for the present situation. Religion as it is inculcates peace and its absence would create more problem in the globe.

Answer 4

Religion is mans attempt to deal with the question of our existence,
our nature ,the moral decisions to be made and of course of what happens when we die . Therefore it is up to each individual to think for themselves about these things with the freedom to come to their own conclusions . Some beliefs can be dealt with quickly by looking at the affects of following their teaching . For instance if you think that we can think our selves to health in all circumstances then you would probably go for christian science ( as we all succumb to some thing it is hard to see how this one holds up) If stoning appeals then you seem to know where to look if your into that ! Human cruelty will always find an expression as history shows ,under any guise, religious or not . Jesus said "I am the way , the truth and the life " . Food for thought ?

Answer 5

Absolutely! This doesn't even have anything to do with a particular religion. Beliefs are fundamental to the human existence. We need to feel part of something bigger! With that comes the social condition of 'difference'. Not two people are going to believe the same thing. In turn people become passionate about their belief. At times taking it to a level of anger towards others who do not share the same belief. As the natural progression goes, it turns to war.

We in North America have it easy for now. We have only been on this continent trying to co-exist with each other and only a hand full of different beliefs for 350 years. Look at the middle east, Asia, Some European countries. Thousands and thousands of years of trying to co-exist with different beliefs. The results, some of the nastiest wars and atrocities ever. Africa being the birthplace of life, has the most outrageous wars, often taken to levels of Genocide. Sigh

Answer 6

Religion is just an excuse to control people… All of them were created in a certain point in history with the intention to dominate the masses, taking advantage of the necessity of human kind to believe in something greater than what is known…
I don’t think the world will be better without religion…maybe if we were able to eradicate the “7 capital sins” (half of them at least) …but then again, that is impossible…

Answer 7

Undoubtedly there have been cruelties and injustices enacted in the name of religion all throughout time. However, one of religion's main purposes is to create a system in which humans can live cooperatively in numbers greater than one, so my answer would be: no, the world would not be a better place without any religion. Some people just need a system of rules or laws backed by a Divine Being in order to exist in a group.

This is not to say that I don't wish all religions were kind and just to ALL humans.

Answer 8

I don't think so. While there are some very cruel things done with religion sited as the basis for them a lot of times there isn't really anything in their religion that tells them to do these things they just add it to suit their own evil nature. Kind of like the Mormon religion being so notorious for having multiple wives and so many of them siting their religion for why they do it, when in truth there is nothing in their written words/doctrine that supports or contradicts it - well, except that they believe God to have many wives. Besides, there are plenty of other actions done in the name of religion that isn't cruel. Heaven forbid you would ever end up homeless or anything like that - you would probably receive help from an orginization based in Christianity. But no need to mention the good parts of religion at all right?

Answer 9

Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all part of the same ancient Hebrew tribal mysticism. They are all a mix of deep spiritual truths and bizarre cultural ritual.
I have asked myself this question many times and still don't have an answer. Religion taken purely on faith without reason or rational thought is dangerous and counter productive. I am still not sure if it is a good idea to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Answer 10

yes, but how would we replace what it offers? (im most definateley NOT religious)

its a crutch for the insecure.. its hope for those without hope. the church does good work as social workers, its when religion rears its ugly head that men fall out... and set about killing each other.

someone said we should shoot all the politicians, and the accountants, and lawyers, how about we save the shells for the ordained... god, whatever your interpretation of the almight is, never ever said off and kill people in my name, nowhere does it say slaughter enslave torture and desecrate in his name..

and yet thats exactly what we do. I'm English and come from a long line of heathen godless butchers.. so i can't talk. but, as i get older i realise that individually we are powerless, collectiveley we can achieve so much..but it wont line anyones pockets... no one gets rich.