If humankind had not invented religion, overall, do you think the general population's lives would improve...

Question

or would it get worse, and why?

Thank you to all the mature people who answered the question without resorting to insults and name calling. Although I don't agree with everyone's answers I commend those who stated their opinions respectfully. I really don't beleive that I gave enough details to really give people enough information to attack me, but attack some did.

For the record..I myself am a spiritual person and I do beleive in a Higher Power, albeit not the vengeful,male deity that is of the Judeo-Christian tradition. However, I do beleive that religion itself is a man-made insitution. Let's face it, the religion that mankind started out with was vastly different from what it is now. Mankind has invented and reinvented his spiritual beliefs based on the environment he resides in and the maturity of his intellect.

I was just curious to see how people felt about this, religious and non-religious alike. We all have some important opinions and ideas to bring to the table.

Answer 1

Oh dear Me Silverwing
Am I the right person to ask this particular question :o(
As you may remember I am not PC at all and I am single minded, on all matter of subjects. I seem to be at odds with most of peoples thinking.

First of all I don’t believe that god or religion has been “invented” by definition or design. I believe that people of faith really need to have a higher being, to appraise or look up too.

I believe this allows people of faith to alleviate, transfer events or blame matters to the higher being. Thus giving that person of faith free passage and total immunity for there actions, because it was an act of god or an act of faith.

I am a non believer ( A humanist ) , this does not mean that I am a bad person.
It means that what ever I do is down to me and not done a higher being.

I adhere to most of the Ten Commandments, because they are basically common sense :o)

I’m not a thief, I hardly ever lie, I don’t do others harm and I try to help where I can. As I said ( common sense ) and I also feel good about myself.

On the other hand my wife is and has always been a Christian, I respect her faith and her rights to believe and I never mock her or any other religious peoples Faith.

I tend to take each person on there own merit, as there are good and bad in all walks
and sectors of life.

But I must admit that there are times, when I feel that if more people had the same psychology as myself , the world would be a much nicer and safer place to be.


Yours Peter

Answer 2

oh most certainly, Religion is or was a good idea thousands of years ago, but humans have grown and adapted and now its as everything just an out molded tool that is miss used and millions upon millions have died and been repressed because of a religion. of there choice or one that egress upon weaker lives.
different gods that never show there presents yet have so much power is not a better world a better way or a better plan its not a gods will to see man killing man that is savage yet religion rewards this in the promise of a better life beyond earth... it's not passable it's not even worth trying to relate humans are just a two legged pest in the universe and we spent to much time trying to get into a place that is nothing more than the idea od a Disney land from a long past era.

Answer 3

If history teaches us anything, the absence of a religion or system of spirituality would not improve the lives of the general population.

In the 19th and 20th century, the general population was horribly exploited by the forces of the French elightenment, fascism and communism. Each philosophy in its time promised a liberation from the shackles of religion but really only provided a new form of servitude to the state.

Today we see a reliance on the "market" to liberate us but without a moral component humanity will be richer perhaps but lead a rather empty self serving existence. Even Adam Smith saw the need of a "Theory of Moral Sentiments" alongside "The Wealth of Nations".

So far it seems that any "new" concept for the organization of society fails to accept the fact that humans have a transcendental nature. We seek to know the "why" of our existence and "how" do we interact with each other.

Despite their many shortcomings, religions and spiritual beliefs provide a system to explain the "why" and "how" in way that heroric materialism does not.

From another perspective, religions tend to provide a continuity of culture. Western civilization owes a debt of gratitude to men and women of faith who preserved the philosophy of the Greeks. Concepts of the separation of Church and State, democracy, justice, and learning in general are all legacies of religion.

Answer 4

Did you have any history classes in school? Christianity was not invented unless you think that Jesus was invented. Every history book acknowledges that Jesus lived and died as told in the Bible.

The Romans were tamed by Christianity. As were the Barbarians including the Franks, the Celts, the Greeks, etc.
And there were the Mongols, the Huns, the Prussians who lived only to conquer other people. People were attacked for no reason whatsoever.

Before Christianity war was a given. People were constantly at war. And when they weren't they were planning for war.

War is never and has never been about religion. It is about power and control, land and resources, enslavement, etc.

Religion is used a tool to rally others to war by calling it a war of religion. 99% of all Muslims do not want war. Only the extremist Muslims do. And so they call it a Jihad, so as to get others to follow.

Answer 5

Zen Buddhists sometimes say that first there is the resurrection, then comes dying. it particularly is a manner of reminding one to look deeply, without expectancies, on the very theory of existence and dying itself. Zen Buddhists are no longer too prepared on being categorised as a faith and yet they (and that i) have some insights borne from direct understanding-As-Being which non secular persons say incorporate non secular theory. yet for the Buddhist, this is not any longer a theory. it particularly is known promptly that the notions of existence and dying are as mask that awareness wears and then awareness attracts itself into the drama, as though in a play or a dream. till ideas/awareness by some potential mysteriously, yet conclusively, will become responsive to this charade, this is going to die, with the mask on, basically precisely because it has lived. despite got here with this mask - reincarnation, vacancy, nothingness, God - is what awareness brings alongside to this is own theory of ways it ends. To grow to be unsleeping because of the fact the Buddha awoke is the resurrection that comes formerly any dying....however the better area is that with this ressurection comes the undestanding that there is neither delivery nor dying for that it particularly is unquestionably alive cutting-edge and conscious in any respect circumstances. In my know-how which won't be a faith, i will no longer be able to respond to your question promptly because of the fact i do no longer recognize that there grew to become into delivery or that there will be dying. What happens to the actual physique is glaring yet that's no longer what i'm. Nor am I that awareness wearing a dying mask. i could be so silly to invest previous this and besides, it makes no difference in what i'm, have been and could continually be. good question nevertheless!

Answer 6

It would be the same.

It's all a matter of how you use "religion" in your daily life. One can believe there is a God, go to Church, sing the hymns each and every Sunday; and STILL commit adultery, judge others, so on and so forth.

If there were no "religion," no afterlife, then what would be the point of treating people with respect, why would killing another be considered "wrong"?

But even so, as stated above, being religious does not always mean you are good to one another. The US is "fighting a war" overseas now, yet, "In God we Trust"

Even if people didn't "invent" the term religion; there would still be those who believed in something greater. That maybe, just maybe, our actions here DO have an effect on what happens when we die; thus actions here this life, would be calmer, and more people-friendly.

Answer 7

Pretty arrogant to think that religion was invented just because you think so, and few others do.... Religion has been part of human history for more than 10,000 years. Of that, your life accounts for 0.00001%... So why should we give a crap about your position?

Oh.... that's right.... The supreme logic that says that something can come from nothing and that complex organization can happen spontaneously.... That same logic that denies, in many cases, human experience, BUT RELIES on Human experience to prove science.

Seems backwords to pick and choose which experiences to trust doesn't it? Reminds me of what atheists keep accusing religious people of.....

By all means, let's bow down the God of Pop science that will change it's mind about what makes our sex organs larger and what makes them fall off next week....

*puke*

Answer 8

In some cases, depending on the religion it may make a difference.
But in order to know the answer it concerns you, take a look around the world and see. Take a look also at those countries that preached atheism on a large scale.
"History is the teacher of life."

Answer 9

Some religious groups do allot for charity even if it is the carrot on a stick,They probably spend more on mega churches then helping people.They encourage poor people to give money,and they teach against birth control.I would have to say for the most part they do more harm then good.

Answer 10

How many wars begain over religious differences? How many people die everyday because of their religious beliefs? People have died since the beginning of time and been persecuted for their beliefs if they are or were different than others. I think the world would of been better off without the invention of religion.