What would the world be like without religion?

Question

If you religious or not... whats your view?

Answer 1

Obviously religious wars would be non-existent, but territorial wars would continue. I assume racial and ethnic bias would continue so that would also cause a riff in society.

So, the common "no wars" answer I think, is failed.

I think the biggest benefit would be that people would accept the facts of science; and, more money and research could be done. Ultimately I beieve more people would understand where they have been and where they are going, erasing the fear of death in more, if not most, people.

Answer 2

That's a tough one!

In Ireland, the religious orders were responsible for setting up our education system and hospitals, without them, we would not have the schools and hospitals we have today. Some may complain about them, but at least they were there long before the state had any systems.

Of course, that kind of backfired - by educating the masses, the masses started to question what they were being taught, and religion in Ireland (a strongly Catholic country) is now fading fast. Where 40-50 years ago every family had a nun or a priest, numbers joining the orders are at an all time low, and convents and monasteries are closing down or being sold off.

The Church also had a lot of power over the people here for a long time - couples stayed together because it was demanded of them, hiding God knows what atrocities behind their doors; women who got pregnant outside of wedlock were ostracised; illegitemate children were thought of as second class citizens, and so on... So the Church's idea of social order came at a high price for some, while for others it set a pretty rigid set of parameters within which to live.

Charity work was the remit of the nuns mainly, and they did it very well, given the social attitudes that prevailed not so long ago.
They set up many of the third world charities that still exist today, and many gave up their lives to help and educate the people of those third world countries. That's noble stuff, really.

Of course, power corrupts, and all that, and any big organisation which is spread out worldwide is bound to be rife with corruption.

I don't think the world would be more peaceful without religion. Religious wars are all about territory, not religion, and fanatics and madmen would simply find another banner to fly, and carry on as before.

For the ordinary Joe Soap on the street, religion has proved a strong crutch on which to lean during troubled times. I see it a lot in my work, people use it to cope with situations or news that could otherwise break them. Of course, whether a crutch is what they need, or whether they'd be better taking action and NOT accepting, is another story.

On balance, I'd say the Church served most of us well over the years, but not without a price. Without it...... Who knows?

Answer 3

The question really is, what would to world be like without ORGANIZED religion. Human beings are naturally spiritual in nature, and we would continue to have a spiritual existence. What we would not need would be other people trying to interpret ancient texts to suit their needs, or ignoring the changing world. Or people passing off these interpretations as the word of God. Like communism, religion is a good idea in theory, but in practise open to all the frailty of humankind when it comes to interpretation and implication.
I'm sure I'm not the first to point out that religion has been the excuse for many bloodbaths in history, the destruction of indiginous peoples, the burning of innocent women as witches, the forced slavery of 'uncivilised' countries. I have still never heard anyone argue knowledgably and convincingly that religion is the one definitive thing which keeps communities moral. There is still immorality amongst religious people, and morality amongst those who are not.

Answer 4

The world would be ruled by science, and logic. I'm not saying it would be peaceful, since wars are fought for reasons of greed and nationalistic fears and hatreds as well as religious fervor, but I think you'd see fewer wars overall. There would be more search for knowledge, rather than just passing things off as a god's "mysterious ways." Unfortunately, many people can't just be themselves without having to have something superior to themselves, and others need a device to control the behavior of others. Spooky language and invisible gods bringing their wrath down on us is a great way to control the ignorant. Maybe if we got over that stuff we would be less ignorant as a species; certainly we'd be more mature.

Answer 5

I think a lot more peaceful. I don't think a little religion is bad, but too much of anything is a bad idea. I mean, think about all that stuff going on in the Middle East. There'd be no reason for war, and the civilians there would be able to live and raise their children without fear of being blown up. Kinda nice, huh?

Answer 6

Padre Pio, the stigmatic priest, said, the world could exist more easily without the sun than without the Mass.

And he ought to know. Absolutely miraculous humble man.

The Cure'd'Ars, St. Jean Vianney said, if we knew the value of the Mass we would die of joy.

And he ought to know. The guy barely drank anything (except a few drops of water during the summer heat) and ate so little, he couldn't possibly have been alive for the 40 years he was priest.

Answer 7

i don't think you could have a world without religion, as religion is basically an ideology of life, so instead of having no religion you could only have one unifying religion, and in that sense there would be no "religious" conflict and so the world would be a slightly better place

Answer 8

I think it would be more peaceful as long as people weren't just being good to get into heaven/paradise/the summerland, etc.

There are so many wars because of religion (and politics) - if there was no religion (and people did the right thing because it is the right thing to do), I think the world would be a better place.

Answer 9

Peaceful

Answer 10

I am an atheist, yet in theory I do not hate religion. Most faiths have a fabulous foundation made of great principles that are comparable to one another: respect, love, you shall not kill, etc. Unfortunately, it is the believers themselves who twist, turn, and interpret their relegion in such way that others are harmed by it. So, it is not the religions that cause problems, the followers of a particular religion do.