Is religion hindering human progress?

Question

Can anyone offer me clear and specific examples, with any substantive evidence?

As a secondary question... what other motivations besides resolving hot issues like abortion or stem cell research do atheist activists have for joining political movements?


Yes, it's a 2-part question.
Real answers only, please. =)

I'm talking about the HERE & NOW.

Please skip long reiterated history lessons about the evil-doings of the Christian Church.

Answer 1

Prejudice,greed, and ignorance hinder human progress, not religion. Religion is used as a pretext by the prejudiced, greedy, and ignorant. Religion itself has a beneficial influence on individuals and society, it is rather those who impose their own selfish agendas over the pristine teachings and pervert them that is the problem. We don't blame the pristine ocean when people pollute it. Why blame religion for being used. The founders of the world religions never intended their teachings to be so abused.

Answer 2

Part 1: Is religion hindering human progress?

Not all religion. Fundamentalism and literalism is, in the sense that it promotes scientific ignorance (or at least seems to). Evidence? Ken Ham's creationist museum...need I say more?

Part 2: What other motivations besides resolving hot issues like abortion or stem cell research do atheist activists have for joining political movements?

Couldn't tell you, but I'm not an atheist, and I don't join political movements because of faith. I sure wouldn't assume to speak for any atheist...I'm sure they'd be pretty peeved about it.

Answer 3

Short list-
9/11
The Holocaust
The Middle East
The Bible treats ignorance as a virtue. Teaches people to feel indifference towards their lives.
"Even if I'm not really happy with my life as long as I pray I'll have all eternity to be happy."
-Best Friend-

In a recent poll 65 percent of Christians think the world is going to end in the next 50 years and view it as "the greatest thing that could ever happen." The vast majority of politicians are Christians. This is disturbing.

Just a few quick facts about abortion and stem cell research.
An aborted zygote, that can be used to cure diseases and relieve suffering of millions, has approx. 15 cells. The brain of a fly has over 10,000.
Every time you scratch your nose your killing hundreds of your future children.

Answer 4

the first bush censored a study about gay teenage suicide because it was against 'family values' and fundies are blocking critical scientific research, the catholic church is pulling its believers back into the middle ages, the muslim terrorists are diverting resources from education and research by making everybody take extraordinary security measures. i would say that a couple of religions are doing a pretty good job of hindering human progress. some religions are actually progressive, even some muslim and christian sects, so at least it's not a total loss.

atheists have as many reasons for joining political movements as there are atheists.

Answer 5

I think it is hindering human progress.
But is this a bad thing? From books like Frankenstein, and Romeo and Juliet, the plot focuses on intense characters. Romeo and Juliet are passionately in love with each other, and stop at nothing to be with on another. While Frankenstein on the other hand, is obsessed with life after death. In both books tragedy does not strike the main character(s), but it affects every other character. These lessons outline how religion regulates our exploration into the (dark?) arts.

Answer 6

Part One
Two quick examples would be-
One by trying to shove "Intelligent" Design on the school curriculum and second the churches stand on condoms and the prevention of AIDS.
Also remember Giordano Bruno, Nicolas Copernicus
and Galileo

Part Two
Keeping religion and government separate.

Answer 7

You already mentioned stem cell research.

Ditto with evolutionary biology, with so many graduates ignorant of it, our country is bound to produce fewer top scientists.

For that matter, just the wasted funding building monuments to superstition, that could be used to build research facilities.

Reasons are almost as many and varied as atheists; I became an activist after two instances of job discrimination that happened to me.

Answer 8

Yes, religion gets into people's heads, that is why non Christians think that Christianity is a religion, it's not its a way of life. And that's what the Buddist's think too.

The 2nd part to your question:
They just want to put Christians down, but deep down the more they fight against it the more they come to realize that they are fighting a lost cause.

Answer 9

Nope :)

and

If they want to, its their choice. To get into politics just because of you are an atheist seems silly. Get into them because you have a drive, a will to progress the nation

Answer 10

ive been saying that for years! god is like a sack of bricks, drowning us like a duffel bag full of kittens in an icy river on christmas morning! mark my words, maybe not now, maybe not in a hundred years religion will be cast aside and recognized as the ancient tool of oppression and extortion it is. kill and maim and steal in the name of god... its ok!