Don't you think that any religion or faith that helps a person become a better person is beneficial to society

Question

This is definetly going up for a vote!

Thanks to all who answered!

Answer 1

Not when it ignores logic and reason to do so.

Answer 2

Ive been saying the same thing forever!!! I dont quite know what i personally believe, but the idea that religions came about to keep people doing good and to give people something to live for, is good for me. Without religion, this would definetly be very chaotic. I dont think any religion that teaches good is a bad thing. It makes a lot of people a lot nicer then they may have been without it.

Answer 3

You answered your question within the question. If the faith helps a person become a better person it is beneficial to society.
The real question is whether any religion helps a person become better and is any religion beneficial to society.
I believe that religion is only beneficial to the ruling oligarchy and priests. Religion makes the lives of most people worse as it is the anti-science and is anti-democracy.

Answer 4

It all depends on what you mean by "better person".
(The C E M Joad defence)
Who gets to chose or define?

I'm not sure I'd like what either a Soviet Commissar or Senator Joe McCarthy would have had in mind as a "better person".

But then I think a better person is one who is at times prepared to tell authority where to "get off." Not a feature of many religions, but of some religious individuals.

Answer 5

I would say yes. Most religions are seem to teach that we need to help others and not just ourselves. We reach out and care for others. People feel obligated to make the world a better place, and therefore improve the world and societies.

Answer 6

Change occurs from within; it requires the seed of knowledge to flourish and come into fruition before any enhancement is achieved.
Furthermore, knowledge leads to responsibility of one’s thoughts, feelings and actions thus bringing about the motivation to change into a better person.
If religion or faith could trigger such changes to occur within people don’t you think this world would have been better already?

Answer 7

hi there

yes that is true, however it is not good for the world when millions of people have died and are still dieing in wars and crisis over religions. if there were no wars caused by people so cetain there religion is true then things would be fine

i do am not a full on christian nor a full on atheist

hope this has helped,

cheers

p.s have a good one

Answer 8

Of course. I have my own opinions as to what is the most correct religion, but I'll leave that aside for now. If a person decided that Homer Simpson was God, and believed that he had to treat everyone kindly to please Homer, it would be beneficial to society, regardless of whether or not it pleased the real God.

Answer 9

No. It is great for the person, but not for society on the whole. No matter how you look at it, religion is telling people how to live their lives. Morally I believe this is wrong.

If you can't make up your own mind, you are not living your own life.

Religions begat Churches, Churches collect money and power. This is dangerous.

I think that the world would be better off without religion, so people could use their minds for better things.

Answer 10

Yes. I guess so. But if that religion tells the person that killing others (such as the 9/11 terrorists felt) then there are problems,

Answer 11

Yes, but I also agree that it's not a prerequisite for morality. I disagree with JND that it matters what it's based on; they're not asking YOU to believe, and if, as the question supposes, it truly makes that person a better person, well I don't care WHAT is going on inside their head to come up with that result...