What has religion ever done for anyone? Seriously.?

Question

Really think about this. Do not reply with 'saving souls'. if there's only one god, then not every religion is 'saving souls'. Also, don't give me "Well churches give money to charities, like hurrican Katrina.." Wal-mart, the bakery down the street, and ost highschools give money to charities, probably more money. MOST organizations give money to things like hurrican Katrina relief efforts, so don't throw that one at me. What has religion actually DONE (positively) for mankind? What good has come from it? Because i can think of a whole lot of bad, and I'm hoping maybe the good outweighs it.

Answer 1

Hang on to your hat....

I'm atheist and I feel that I ought to step to the plate and take a few swings for religion. While it may be true that religion has no irreplaceable function in today's world, that it brought forward both bad and good in it's past and that the two may not seem to be equally balanced out, I think it may be short-sighted to suggest that there has been no overall benefit to mankind as a result of religion.

In fact we have no way of knowing except speculation. However, the facts are that religions have permeated nearly every society in one form or another and it has been only those societies that failed to establish a stable religion in the absence of any other form of leadership or authority that have also failed to thrive as well as those societies that did have regulation.

Religions have done plenty for mankind... the total amount of evidence is yours to peruse and evaluate for yourself, of course, but I will simply say that I believe without it, (and this is only a belief,) mankind might still be in a virtual stone age.

Believe what you like but try to be fair about your thinking and your statements.

I will also add that, though not favoring religion at this stage, that I believe the time of religion has passed. I think it is high time we ought to recognize that God and the mysticisms of metaphysics have done their part... It's time to retire them - thank them for a job well done, but retire them before they have cause to rot their own contributions to society. Man cannot serve deities that do not serve him.. he can only suffer ills because of his misplaced allegience.

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Answer 2

All right. Let's take a longer view, then I will give you a personal view. Bear in mind while reading this that I am not affiliated with any religion and that I incline toward atheism.

Religion was the sponsor of a great deal of art, architecture and literature. Religion preserved the writings of the ancients and translated them into languages accessible to scholars. Religion provided the beginning of music notation. Monks of the Benedictine order invented the clock. The early work in genetics was done in a monastery garden. During the "Dark Ages" the monks of Ireland preserved the manuscripts of the Roman Empire.

Religion provided the foundation of universities and hospitals which stimulated research.

There is a great deal more, but space prevents a fuller explanation.

Personally, I learned Latin at church schools. I developed an interest in history. I learned to read music, and to appreciate art. I developed a sense of theatre in the church, and in the church school, learned to read and write. Under the tutelage of religious teachers I learned logic.

Be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Answer 3

It provides one or more different things to people on a purely individual basis: sense of purpose, ethic codes, means of expressing and experiencing things they can't put into words, community, etc. It's certainly not the only way of getting these things, but it's a convenient package for all that and then some.

Religion is a natural byproduct of the human mind. History has shown time and time again that people on the whole need some kind of dogma and ceremonial expression. I don't see it going way any time soon. The problem, I think, is when religion is no longer treated as a personal TOOL, but a public CAUSE.

Answer 4

As a Christian, I tend to agree with you on your observation concerning religion. You have to realize, that the religion, which has been the main stay of the vast majority of cultures throughout history, is NOT the idea God had in mind for mankind. Religion is a man-made ... a concoction of beliefs conjured-up and compiled into the belief systems of humans. People have this inner need to worship something ritualistically. The world's 3 big ones, Islam, Judeo, Judeo-Christian all subscribe to montheism (one God) ; whereas, the remainder subscribe to polytheism - more than one god or gods. Since religion per sec, is man-made, we have the results of the combined "good intentions" with us today. Like laudry soap, each proclaiming that theirs, washes "whiter" than the other guy's brand. Now; with Christianity - the real type, spirituality is the bi-product. The bi-product of spirituality is a relationship with God, the Father, through Jesus Christ called GRACE. When the concept of GRACE (God's love with no [zero] conditions) is internalized within a person - he or she is then, a Christian. A group of Christians forms a body of believers called a "church". From this body of believers flows out love expressed to others in the form of extroversion - out-going service to others in need. This includes, feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, giving to the poor and needy ... ALL done from a perspective of love for the individual(s). True and genuine Christianity transforms the individual from the inside out. "Religion" only serves the self in that it is both, ritualistic and is legalistic in practice - never really dealing with the transformation of the self. "Religion" is merely, External in practice and causes people to become self-reliant, self-righteous and arrogant. "Religion" is what caused the murder of Jesus Christ - the founder of Christianity! Jesus would not nor did not "dance" to the "tune" of religon !!! The Christian life is one of sacrifice of the self and the genuine Christian knows this best.

Answer 5

Religion is a set of ideas and beliefs. It is an abstract concept. It gives people a basis, a point of reference, on which to live their lives.

Let me stress that I am NOT saying that someone has to practice a faith in order to live a good life. But *for those who believe*, religion provides a moral framework, as well as comfort and community.

The question you're REALLY asking (I think) is what do people motivated by their religion do for mankind that NO ONE else does? Right? I'm assuming that's your bias since you have forbidden two quite legitimate answers.

Answer 6

i became raised Protestant, my mom became a born returned Christian, I became an atheist, then a Christian, then a spiritualists, analyzing many distinctive colleges of in spite of the shown fact that on spirit, soul, god etc. I had hardship-loose muslims all my lifestyles and in no way gave it a 2d in spite of the shown fact that ever that i might grow to be a muslim. I advise they the place wonderful human beings yet I knew purely as many Catholics, Hindu's, Sikhs, Jehovah's Witnesses etc and in no way had a 2d in spite of the shown fact that i might grow to be any of those the two. Then sooner or later chatting with a muslim buddy I stated something out of lack of expertise, no longer something derogatory purely an assumption approximately women individuals in Islam and that they corrected me very patiently and in a well mannered way and that i in spite of the shown fact that nicely perhaps there are various different issues i'm taking with none attention are genuine yet upon finding below the exterior would desire to learn greater. I went to my community e book shop, bought a Quran and started analyzing. Of each and all of the questions I had approximately faith all my lifestyles the place all quickly replied. I examine and asked questions, yet what does this advise, how can this be that.....etc etc and all of it purely clicked into place. I examine God say the words "believe in me" and it became actually like my coronary heart burst open, I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes with an overpowering feeling of "it is it, i visit be a Muslim". and that i did and that i've got in no way appeared returned. i admire Islam i admire each little thing approximately it, the folk, the well being factors, the technological expertise, the cohesion and of direction the all encompassing feeling that i'm on the genuine path that i'm submitting to the will of God. I actual have examine and studied maximum of ,philosophies, colleges of thought, religious and holy textual content textile and for me there's no longer something that compares to the Holy Quran, Masha Allah.

Answer 7

Some people really depend on their religion.... We know this because one of the first things that happened when the USSR collapsed was people went back to their religion. People need religion. We are naturally religious beings. On earth every culture has some sort of explanation of how we got here, that all have one thing in common. It was all a higher power that made us.

Now there are more athiests than ever though. I believe we are evolving so we don't have to believe in a higher power anymore.

Answer 8

My religion is Hinduism.

Hinduism, the world’s oldest religion, has no beginning--it precedes recorded history. It has no human founder. It is a mystical religion, leading the devotee to personally experience the Truth within, finally reaching the pinnacle of consciousness where man and God are one. Hinduism has four main denominations--Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Smartism.

The following nine facts, though not exhaustive, offer a simple summary of Hindu spirituality or about Hinudism.

1 Hindus believe in a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both immanent and transcendent, both Creator and Unmanifest Reality.
2 Hindus believe in the divinity of the four Vedas, the world's most ancient scripture, and venerate the Agamas as equally revealed. These primordial hymns are God's word and the bedrock of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal religion.
3 Hindus believe that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution.
4 Hindus believe in karma, the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.
5 Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas have been resolved, and moksha, liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Not a single soul will be deprived of this destiny.
6 Hindus believe that divine beings exist in unseen worlds and that temple worship, rituals, sacraments and personal devotionals create a communion with these devas (divine beings) and God.
7 Hindus believe that an enlightened master, or satguru, is essential to know the Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification, pilgrimage, self-inquiry, meditation and surrender in God.
8 Hindus believe that all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore practice ahimsa, noninjury, in thought, word and deed.
9 Hindus believe that no religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that all genuine paths are facets of God's Light, deserving tolerance and understanding.

Hinduism is unique among the world's religions. I boldly proclaim it the oldest religion in the world. To begin with, it is mankind's oldest spiritual declaration, the very fountainhead of faith on the planet. Hinduism's venerable age has seasoned it to maturity. It is the only religion, to my knowledge, which is not founded in a single historic event or prophet, but which itself precedes recorded history. Hinduism has been called the "cradle of spirituality," and the "mother of all religions," partially because it has influenced virtually every major religion and partly because it can absorb all other religions, honor and embrace their scriptures, their saints, their philosophy. This is possible because Hinduism looks compassionately on all genuine spiritual effort and knows unmistakably that all souls are evolving toward union with the Divine, and all are destined, without exception, to achieve spiritual enlightenment and liberation in this or a future life.

Undoubtedly, religion is man's association with the Divine, and the ultimate objective of religion is realization of Truth. Forms which symbolize Truth are only indications; they are not Truth itself, which transcends all conceptualization. The mind in its efforts to understand Truth through reasoning must always fail, for Truth transcends the very mind which seeks to embrace it.

Many are the sources of Hindu thought which inspire men and women to live the ideals of compassion and nonviolence.

We all know that Hindus, who are one-sixth of the human race today, believe in the existence of God everywhere, as an all-pervasive, self-effulgent energy and consciousness. This basic belief creates the attitude of sublime tolerance and acceptance toward others. Even tolerance is insufficient to describe the compassion and reverence the Hindu holds for the intrinsic sacredness within all things. Therefore, the actions of all Hindus are rendered benign or ahimsa. One would not want to hurt something which one revered.

On the other hand, when the fundamentalists of any religion teach an unrelenting duality based on good and evil, man and nature or God and Devil, this creates friends and enemies. This belief is a sacrilege to Hindus because they know that the attitudes which are the by-product are totally dualistic, and for good to triumph over that which is alien or evil, it must kill out that which is considered to be evil.

The Hindu looks at nothing as intrinsically evil. To him the ground is sacred. The sky is sacred. The sun is sacred. His wife is a goddess. Her husband is a god. Their children are divine. Their home is a shrine. Life is a pilgrimage to mukti or liberation from rebirth, which once attained is the end to reincarnation in a physical body. When on a holy pilgrimage, one would not want to hurt anyone along the way, knowing full well the experiences on this path are of one's own creation, though maybe acted out through others.

Yes,religion is a must to perform good deeds.

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Answer 9

honestly here is all I can think of

for some people it

1)makes them feel like they're never alone(cause they think god is always watching over them)
2)it gives them hope
3)it puts some mystery in their life(they wonder what its like in heaven or hell)
4)and it makes them feel like their good deeds will pay off in the long run

but unfortunately it also

1)creates lots of intolerance for other religions
2)it starts lots of wars
3)it has caused lots of killings(people accused of being witches or the anti christ)
4)drives people to obsession(highly religious people disowning their kids cause theyre gay or got an abortion)
5)gives homophobics an incentive to hate gays
6)asks for people to blindly believe things

Answer 10

It made a country called the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA one nation-with liberty and justice for all.