Is religion or money the root of all evil?

Question

I have heard that money is the root of all evil, but I think religion and the desire for power is actually the true evil root.

Think about it....I although churches want our money, what they are really after is our soul and submission to their beliefs.

So yes or no.....is religion really the true root of evil?

Answer 1

A resounding YES. Money, on the other hand, IS a necessity toward a good and comfortable Life; it's an avenue to true power, should one be insufficient unto Themselves; and, if one understands the "downside" of money: (NO Money), spending it IS a great source of amusement.

Answer 2

First of all: you pose some really good questions-thanks!

OK...now to the matter at hand-
In today'd world, I'd say religion is the root of all our problems-and thus most evil. The problem with ANY religion is that it intrisically expects its believers to adhere to the following tenet: "INSERTANYRELIGIONHERE" is superior than any other.
Thus instantly creating strife and tension.
One example: The Catholic Church commited crimes in Europe, in Jesus' name, for 1500 years, that you need an encycplodia to codify them all. Then, when the Protestant Reformation arrived, to show how Jesus was really on the Protestant's "side" (I think it was just to get "payback" - why do they always have to drag Jesus into everything violent?) the Reformers went on killing and burning people alive sprees and "holy" things like that, to show that they could be just as big and evil SOBs as the RC's! Great uh?
Of course that strife followed the "Christians" over to the New World, where in order to save souls, they killed almost all the indigenous peoples from Northern Canada to Polynesia! How "holy!"
Religion would not be bad if it was like the old mythological religions; after all Zeus never told a Greek or Roman to kill anyone because they didn't believe in their gods. How come??? Even wonder that? I mean the Romans LOVED violence and carnage, but never imposed nor cared if their religious beliefs were held by anyone.
With the advent of Christianity however, the Romans started to crack religious heads: why? Because the Christians didn't want to pay taxes to the Emperor (who was considered a Deity), a false god - so even the persecution of the Christians, had nothing to do with religion-it was a matter of keeping order.
The Romans didn't want the Christians to worship Mars and Bacchus- they didn't care - but, they did want their taxes paid.

Now, money, especially nowadays is a necessity-it is not evil in and of itself.
It's the power that money begets which can cause evil.
The Saudi Wahabbis (Islam is not escaping my rant) are loaded, to the gills, and what does that buy them? POWER!
To help fund the killers, bombers, and maimers, all over the Middle East, while spreading their superstitious nonsense (and helping to keep women and girls oppressed -because there is nothing more dangerous to religious fanatics, of ALL stripes, than WOMEN).To me, the more money individuals have the better-because then the individual can have power, and escape the clutches of religion. Religion and most governments want people to stay poor; poor people don't complain and question things. If we want to help our species survive, and topple these fairy-tale spewing religious people, then more money needs to be made, at the individual level. Go forth and.....PROSPER!

Answer 3

Money = power and religion can = power so really it would be power is the root of all evil. BUT! I have had power in many situations and I don't use it for evil or when I do have to use it for what may be considered evil I check with someone else.

So I guess what I am saying is humans are the root of all evil.

Answer 4

I wouldn't say that it's the root of all evil but it's probably the root of most evil. The fear-based motive to control is the least attractive human quality that I can think of. I wonder though; if we did not have religions, wouldn't people just find some other method of getting people to bend to their will?

I'm just stunned that people don't see religion for what it is. It seems to be a way to belong to a community (good) and follow a moral code (sometimes good) usually with the exclusion of others (bad) and justification to judge everyone else (really bad). It's the rationale to stay in conflict at all times.

Answer 5

The Soviet Union didn't allow much religion, but under Stalin there was definitely a lot of evil. Although I believe religion is the root of some evil, there are a lot of other roots around too.

At any rate, the concept of "evil" can become extremely complex when closely examined. So, its silly to try to make any simplistic statements about it.

Answer 6

That's a common argument used against churches, and if you've had a bad experience with church, or if you know someone who's had a bad experience with church, I can certainly understand why you'd believe that.

The thing is, what most churches don't teach (but I believe to be true) is that God doesn't need your money. God is capable of doing anything at any time, whether or not you give money to the church. I believe, as a Christian, that God is at work all the time.

I think the reason God wants us to give our money is that Jesus summed it up pretty well when he said, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21). What God REALLY wants is your heart. He wants to be first in your life. And what you do with your money says a lot about where your heart is. I think that's why Paul wrote to his prodigy Timothy, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (I Timothy 6:10)

I challenge you to think about it...is it not true that how you spend your money says a lot about your priorities? And even if you're not religious, wouldn't you agree that a love of money itself would be unhealthy, since you have to part with money to gain or accomplish nearly anything?

Just a thought. My answer to your question is, I don't think religion OR money is the root of all evil. I tend to agree with Scripture and what Cool Girl said...it is the LOVE of money that is the root of all evil.

Answer 7

It is not one or the other.
It is what is in ones heart. You can have all of the money in the world and do many good things with it. Or you can be as evil with or with out.

Blaming Church is the old liberal way to say I want to do what I want and not feel guilty.

The same is with religion you can do good or chose to do evil. It is what is in the heart of the man or in your case woman. PC if you are a lib woman's rights person. If so why do you not say a word about Clinton or Islam and other evil abuses of woman? Hm could it be that evil is in your heart just like the priest who uses a child, or the business man who cheats people with toys with lead paint to make a buck.

Could be the true evil is the person who thinks of his or her own desires and wants with out a judgment of right and wrong.
So nest time you attack religion so you can not feel guilt stop and read a book by M. Scott Peck MD " People of the lie"
And you will understand evil and not try to blame with a twisted lie in the from of a question.

Answer 8

Greed, definitely

Irreligion has been more a root of evil than religion in the 20th Century

Greed for power-no matter what the cover motive may be- has been at least a great a cause of death and suffering as greed for money,land or pleasure. However,greeds often converge.

No,religion,which in the singular is an abstraction that does not actually exist,is not the root of all evil.

People without much concern for any sort of religion have been as good at evil as anybody else.and some of them much better at cruelty and death-dealing than most.

Answer 9

The root of all evil is peoples actions. It's not money it self..its the desire for it.. Religion isnt the root of all evil..its people thinking that their chosen faith is the only true one.

Answer 10

Excellent question. I'd say kind of both.

Money, in that it fuels the wars that go on here. And it was the source of nearly all wars in the past, in that people would fight simply to conquer. As my 8th grade history teach repeatedly hammered into my head, "Money makes the world go round!"

Religion, on the other hand, seems to be one of the causes of wars today. People fight because he's a Muslim or she's Jewish or what not, not because he has more cash or she is too poor.

So I guess the root of all evil has kind of evolved over time...

Answer 11

It's the love of money that is the root of all evil. However, the lust for power, no matter where it is, is also quite evil. Both loves, power and money, involve selfish greed. Anything that is used for personal financial gain is evil.