Would the world truly be better off without religion?

Question

I want you to seriously think about this. The first knee-jerk reaction I had was that there would be a fewer wars but I doubt that. There'd be a reduction for a while but its Human nature to fight over such things as money, land, oil and beliefs (like democracy or communism). So on a Global scale I think itd be much the same.
Where i think we would suffer is all the humanitarium work that relgions do such as helping the homeless and providing education and those who take religion into their hearts tend to be nicer, happier people more willing to help their fellow man.

So overall I would say we'd be worse off without religion, but that's just my opinion, what's yours?

Answer 1

Organized religion? Certainly. But you will never eliminate religion. The Communists tried and failed.

So long as people believe in a higher power than humankind, there will be religions. Religious leadership is a form of organized crime in large religions and a crime of opportunity where none exist (ala Lord of the Flies).

Like its bedfellow, politics, it attracts people who want to exercise control over their fellows into its leadership.

Politics at least started out with the toughest dude around being in charge if you didn't want your skull busted, and that same person was expected to provide some protection to you. It took very little time for the same sort of opportunists that start religions to get into politics through control over big dumb tough duds. That's why so many cultures have suffered and still suffer under theocracies.

As to the humanitarian work done by organized religions, I have to wonder how very much of it stems from them to begin with. They can sort of self-perpetuate in that regard.

Answer 2

I was very interested in your answer from 'rocky_ Cardiff' !!
Also in your question.
If I can firstly try to reply to the Cardiff reply?
I do of course respect that point of view , because we 'atheists' are atheists doesn't mean we have no values or standards.
The conclusion is not the same as mine!
Which brings us nicely back to your question!
My conclusion (once again) is not the same as yours!
Religion (to my mind ) is one of the main
causes of strife on this planet, ( although maybe not the main one ) it has been and still is a very good excuse for a war.
We don't really want to get to the details , do we? Like the difference in the religious groups in Iraq?
No of course not!
The allies went there to dispose of a dictator, they did that didnt they?
Why are they still there? Is there not a little bit of religion bother on going??
So in my (humble opinion) the world would be a better place (truly) without relgiion.

Answer 3

Religion is killing our civilization. Look at what happens when religion is dominant - you get the Dark Ages, where there was zero progress, people were killed for being witches, and many other atrocities. Would you rather pray really hard for a cure for cancer, or have some dedicated scientists working on a cure?

For every dollar you donate to a church, only a small percentage actually goes to some humanitarian cause. The rest is spent just supporting the church. I would rather donate to an organization where 80-90% of the money went to the cause.

Religion has to go, it's time has come. I am tired of religion messing up the world. We all need to start acting rationally or we are all doomed.

Answer 4

I know of many people who are Atheist who are kind generous respectful and have good morals, I am one. I don't believe the world would be safer without religion, without the fear of god for a huge amount of people there would be nothing from holding them back to murder rape etc..
The only thing that would make this world safer is for people to bring there children up to have a higher regard for life have more respect for others and set a good example by practising what you preach.

Answer 5

A lot of the wars from the past were not over religion (Christianity/Jewish etc.). Egypt had many gods but they would attack other country's just to enslave the people and take the nations wealth. Babylon attacked other countries just to acquire their wealth and property. Then the Greeks took over and then the Romans. Most wars are started by someone who wants something that is not his and then the other nation has to defend itself. Granted there were some wars that were about religion like the crusades.

Answer 6

I would say no for some of the reasons you give. However I fully believe just as many people would help the poor and sick. I just think religion keeps some people sane. They seem to need to believe they're being watched to not go a little crazy.

I would modify the 'wish' to be. I wish that we lived in a world where people didn't need the crutch of religion and baseless beliefs. I wish humans had moved beyond the desire for all superstition and irrationality. I wish people could channel their difficulty with ambiguity and unanswered questions into finding answers for those questions instead of making up faerietales.

Answer 7

Lets put it this way: There would be one less excuse for war, intolerance, racism and a hoard of other terrible things. You can't deny that religion is used as an excuse for these things.

I find it insulting that you think charity work would suffer without religion. That is simply not true, and you are also avoiding the fact that many natural disasters and famines have been written off as the will of God by many religions.

Answer 8

Yes. It's bad for society. Read this:

'Cross-National Correlations of Quantifiable Societal Health with Popular Religiosity and Secularism in the Prosperous Democracies'

http://moses.creighton.edu/JRS/2005/2005-11.html

CD

Answer 9

I will have to say No. I think that it serves as a moral compass for many ppl and maybe things would be much worse w/out it.. Personally, i would rather live my life believing there is a God and then later finding out that there isn't rather then living my life not believing there is a God and then later finding out there is.

Answer 10

Would religion be better off without the world? Answers on a postcard to yahoo.com