Can anyone tell me one thing on this planet that has benefited from the existence of religion?

Question

i think religion is a disease.

hye sung - man created religion

Mary Ann - were you aware that the most religous areas of the country also enjoy the highest rates of divorce, teen pregnancy, & obeicity. chritianity is a farce.

revulays - i could quote from LOTR, that does not make it true. you are wasting your life to make preparations for your death.

calmness - nice selections.

faith - i do not think it has taught people to be kind to one another, quite the opposite. they are only kind to you if you pray to the same invisible man in the sky.

Answer 1

The coffers of almost any religious authority.

I agree, religion/faith in a god is a disease.

Edit: What is this, Gilligan's Island day? Mary Ann, people had morals well before Christianity came along. And I wouldn't be too proud of some of Christian morals. Bigotry toward gays and lesbians is one example.

Answer 2

Your concept of religion and individuals of religion is a few distance off beam. I "persist with my faith" because of the fact i'm fully astonished and humbled by making use of the Lord and what He has carried out. As an engineer and inventor, I fairly have somewhat some perception (for a man or woman) into how He does a number of the least of the flaws that He does, and those are so superb that i'm left thoroughly in awe of Him and the bigger issues which i'm no longer able to even start to attraction to close. Yep, this planet could income plenty from removing such non secular nonsense fantasy-based mythology. we could finally have a humanist secular international government crammed with equality and human rights, like those led by making use of the present super humanist leaders alongside with Robespierre, Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Mao, -- oh wait, they murdered maximum of their contrymen and attacked anyone around them. Who become I questioning of then? could desire to have been a minimum of one, precise? humorous they do no longer are evoked... no longer being hatefull, in basic terms speaking the reality. you ought to study extra approximately the two factors of the question earlier spouting off approximately it.

Answer 3

Well, given your additional details, I strongly doubt that you are willing to consider any positive contributions on the part of religion, but here goes:

- tens of millions of dollars routinely raised and given to the needy, millions of man-hours donated in time spent helping people on a volunteer basis (some have dedicated their entire lives to these things)
- rescue missions and soup kitchens were around long before welfare and food stamps, and most were started by religious people (and usually these things are offered whether you accept the religious teachings of those doing the offering or not - no strings attached)
- most religions (Islam being the major exception) teach tolerance and the idea of living in peace with others (fanatics have waged war in the name of their religions, but they are usually twisting the teachings of their religion - again, Islam is an exception, as it mandates warfare against unbelievers)
- most religious people live by a moral code ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"), without which I believe the world would be a far more violent and hopeless place
- the western philosophy of individual liberty and property rights comes from the notion that man derives his rights from God, not the state (read the Declaration of Independence, for a prominent example of this)

Those are some of the most obvious material benefits. As for the spiritual benefits, well, you'd have to ask individuals about that. I happen to be a Christian, and I know that I have benefited spiritually from it in many ways, to say nothing of salvation: http://www.insight.org/site/PageServer?pagename=relationship

By contrast, history shows the results of atheism in action (tens of millions slaughtered by the Soviets, the Nazis, the Communist Chinese, etc), the loss of human dignity, the loss of meaning and even reason itself (see the writings of Nietzsche for an example of the latter, particularly his tale of the Madman). Yes, I'm well aware of the Inquisition and other atrocities committed in the name of religion, but again, apart from the advocates of Islam, those who committed such atrocities (certainly where Christianity is concerned) were perverting the teachings of their religion. Same thing goes for the infamous "televangelist" types who get wealthy by exploiting people in the name of religion. Violence and the exploitation of others is perfectly acceptable in an atheistic worldview, however, because there is no objective morality (it is, at best, a convention), no inherent rights at all, and survival of the fittest is the only firmly established rule of nature. Man is nothing more than an intelligent animal.

In a pure Darwinian framework, this discussion would be irrelevant. Man would be nothing more than matter-in-motion. There would be no greater meaning to life than what individuals themselves gave it (and then only for themselves). No objective meaning to the terms "good" and "evil". No justice beyond human justice, which would then be entirely subjective.

Answer 4

The trees, mountains, lakes, oceans, and everything God created, His love and the comfort He brings to the sick and those who are dying. The promise of eternity in heaven for those who believe. He has been with me through the loss of my husband and all my severs sickness. Those who say the churches and pastors fill their wallets, are so wrong. I was secretary/treasure over our church and know where the money goes. It takes a lot of utility bills, literature, repairs, and helps those in need. Our pastors doesn't even take money for preaching and he is good, he cares for those who love God and the ones who don't.
If you would open your eyes and ears and just look around, you would see all that God and religion has done for this world and the people that know God. You are a pessimist and won't agree to any of this, you only look at the bad and try to find something to blame it on. God never promised us that there would be no trouble or trials, He did promise eternity.===

Answer 5

Many people find a sense of peace from their religions. Also there are many charities worldwide that have been founded by religious organizations. For example, Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital was founded by Danny Thomas as a testament of prayers he felt were answered.
Even if he was wrong in this assumption, millions of children with cancer have benefited from his religious beliefs.

I have nothing against religion as long as it does not harm and is not forced on others.

Answer 6

Algebra (from the Arabic "al-jabr") and the mathematical concept of zero (from the Arabic "sifr") are both the products very religious Muslims.

Physics as we know it evolved from Christian scientists delving deeper into the Greek idea of matter and spirit to more thoroughly explain the Incarnation.

Feminism blossomed under the "cult of the Virgin" in Catholic Europe. The Greeks and Romans, despite the ideas that some revisionist historians advance, were extremely anti-woman. Without devotion to a Woman who changed the course of history with her "fiat", the Greco-Roman society that dominated Europe would not have admitted the worth of women.

There is also the fact that the "Classics" were preserved by Irish monks, linear history and record-keeping as we know it came with the revolutionary religion of the Hebrews, literacy has been advanced to its current state by Christians and Muslims respectively encouraging people to read their Scriptures, and the list goes on.

Atheism has given us the Communist regimes of the USSR, China, Korea, Vietnam, and the Fascism of Italy. Nazism was also quite anti-Christian.

According to human history, religion has helped much more than it has hurt. Yes, there are ways in which it has been perverted and twisted out of its context into violent means, but these are always contrary to the "true" religion itself. Compare Rumi and Khalil Gibran with the jihadists; compare Francis of Assissi, Saul of Tarsus (Paul), and Hildegard of Bingen with the Crusaders; compare Maimonides and Hillel with the Israelites who conquered Canaan. You will see that when properly employed, devotion to God can be beautiful and creative, but when abused ugly and destructive.

EDIT: "they are only kind to you if you pray to the same invisible man in the sky." Please refer to St. Francis' work with the Sultan of Egypt. They had strong mutual respect and love in their dealings with one another. See also Mother Theresa in Calcutta. She helped the poor and sick Muslims and Hindus just as much as she did any Christian. In our local communities, churches have coat drives and free food pantries for the poor. Many churches let homeless people sleep in their basements during the cold months. They don't ask what religion you are at the door, they just help. The local Communist Party and the various Anarchist groups do none of this. Please open your eyes and mind. This kind of closed-minded bigotry gives all atheists a bad wrap. The fact of the matter is that atheist groups do not organize to help the underprivileged and religious groups do. "Christians" and "Muslims" have committed their share of violence and murder in the name of God (this is what is meant by the Commandment, "Do not take the name of YHWH your God in vain"), but these groups have contributed far more to the good of humanity than the atheist groups. The bodies left by Josef Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Vladimir Lenin, Mao Zedong, Genghis Khan, and their ilk pile just as high, if not higher, than the bodies left by religious war.

Answer 7

South Park. The funniest episode was "Starvin Marvin Goes to Space" where the starving Ethiopians are trying to get away from the missionaries. Without organized religion, this episode would sadly never have existed.

Answer 8

Toby,
Tell us how the planet has benefited from the existence of mankind, and what have you contributed?
Atheism is just a by-product of diseased religion.

Answer 9

All of humanity. When God removes His people, man's unbridled evil will run rampant and un-checked. This will be the period of the Great Tribulation. A time about which the Bible speaks more than any other time; including the time that jesus walked the earth.

Answer 10

no i cant because religion has caused most of the problems. now the true believers in god have helped a lot. they stopped the sacrificing of animals and people and it has taught people to be kind to one another. and help each other in need.