Faith: on balance, harmful or hopeful?

Question

I'm an atheist, and I'm curious what other atheists think, and what people of faith think of other people's faiths. Have heard quite a lot of impatience and intolerance on this site and want to get a reading of the balance. So the question is: With all the good people going about their daily lives in faith, feeding, helping, healing other people because their faith says it's a good thing to do, is anyone really convinced that the actions of a hateful minority (of whatever faith) outweigh all this positivity and goodness? Is faith, on balance, a good or bad influence in the world?

Answer 1

I have no doubt that any form of faith or spirituality can bring a sense of purpose and empathy to people's lives and is an absolute good.
That said, what often gets forgotten is that this faith, or peoples need to believe in a higher energy than themselves has become distorted beyond all ideals by its marriage with politics. The sense of the divine that draws people towards a spiritual belief system was quickly seized upon by the ruling classes as a fast track system to manipulating the masses; present a political pill as dogma and it will be swallowed without question, ya know?

Faith seems to be a great aspect of many peoples lives, but unfortunately, it has also historically made these people more open to manipulation by Machiavellan politicians

Answer 2

It is not up to me to judge anyone by their faith or religion. My personal beliefs are of intimacy between me and my Heavenly Father. However, if anyone were to ask me a direct question, yes, I would answer honestly. But I also know that the true test of faith lies within the works of each individual. Many people will worship with their mouths but not their hearts which leads to the impatience and intolerance you speak of. No man is without sin.

In terms of "good people"? What makes a person good? I know you say you are an atheist but allow me to ask you a question. It is safe to say that everyone alive has lied about something, stolen even if it was small, and lusted after the opposite sex (sometimes the same sex) at least once in their lives. So, understandably, that would make us a liar, a thief, and an adulterer at heart. And that is only 3 of the commandments. There are 7 more about honoring God, giving to Him what is rightly His, honoring your parents, and respect of other people's property. So if God were to judge us based on these standards, would we be guilty or innocent?

People often say "I am a good person and God will understand I am sorry". A murder goes in front of a judge with a heartfelt appology might say the judge will let them go because the judge is a "good and just person". You might hear such an assumption be replied with "you are right about one thing, I am a good person. And it is because I am good and just person that I must see you brought to justice." Those who expect God to save them because they think God is a "good person" will come to find that the very thing they are relying on to save them will be the very thing that condemns them.......

Answer 3

I think that Faith alone can be very helpful to people. But there seems to be a group of people who always find a way to use the same faith to cause great harm.

On the whole faith is fine, as long as it isn't used to pummel other people.

There are allot of Christians who are being used by political parties and leaders to pummel other people right now. It is though they have forgotten the very basic tenants of the Christian religion and are spending most of their efforts fighting for the unborn and against the Gays. You will rarely see these people who spend their entire weekends picketing PP clinics, feeding the poor or raising money to help fight cancer. They spend their time playing politics. It is a shame.

Answer 4

Faith, in and of itself, is not harmful. To have faith is a healthy mental state - akin to having hope or staying positive, even in the most trying of times.

It seems to me it is the un-healthy who grasp faith like a life-line. Those who push everything tangible and worthy in the physical world aside for a blind dogma which can only be enjoyed beyond this world.

I'm not an atheist. But I am no longer held in the thrall of any one organised religion either.

Faith, like any mental state, is not harmful. It is to what degree of expression, (healthy or otherwise), that outwardly expresses to what level you turn inward to dwell in this other "place" that is not within reality.

Good question, thanks.

Answer 5

It's a very tough question. Faith played a significant role in the Truth and Reconciliation process in South Africa and may have prevented a total meltdown of that society. So I think it can be hopeful.

Answer 6

i think it is harmful. The people that use it for ill tend to be the ones with larger displays of it. It is easier to destroy than to create. I think this applies to faith. I also think it is harmful to the person too. Faith blinds people from truth.

Answer 7

i have been in a religion and faith is good if used positively but not all who have faith are good and not all those without faith are bad i suppose that begs another question lol.

Answer 8

Hopeful

Answer 9

Faith, in moderation, makes it "taboo" to question the basic absurdities of a religion that lead to suicide bombings and abortion clinic bombings. It's a dangerous, dangerous thing.

Answer 10

well as an atheist, i do think its nice to have something to believe in, i just dont buy any of it myself. but like anything, you cant judge a whole religion on one set of morons xxx