"With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion."
Steven Weinberg
2007-12-06 03:41:07 · 23 answers · asked by Birdy is my real name 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Agreed.
2007-12-06 03:48:21 · answer #1 · answered by Linz VT•AM 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Interesting. It makes quite a bit of sense, though I'd be inclined to say that gullibility and ignorance are greater factors in good people committing evil than religion ALONE. Hitler didn't commit the Holocaust by himself, and many people willingly went along with what he was doing because they were influenced by the propaganda of a charismatic leader.
Religion is certainly a way to get good people to commit evil...but it's hardly the only way.
2007-12-06 04:17:51 · answer #2 · answered by War Games AM 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think that statement is true. I think religion is just a catalyst for good people doing bad thing or even the other way around. I could be a good person doing a bad thing to benefit my family. In my eyes that is a good deed for my family. I might have to steal some food to feed my children. I don't need religion to enable me to do this kind of thing.
2007-12-06 03:49:41 · answer #3 · answered by steve 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is religion that defines good and evil, so without it you would have neither good nor evil people or good or evil things. You would simply have people living life with only survival in mind.
2007-12-06 03:49:55 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
SW obviously has a humanistic definition of 'good'. Completely relative to the norms of a given culture. But even by that definition, 'good' people do evil things all the time.
Religion is (supposed to be) the method by which we deal with that in the process of dealing with our relationship to god.
2007-12-06 03:50:47 · answer #5 · answered by r_moulton76 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree because with religion you know what is good and what is evil.
2007-12-06 03:54:22 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No-one can 'make you believe' absurdities but, people who are willing to believe absurdities commit atrocities. It is why I'm wary of religious people. A lot of atrocities, but not all, are done in the name of religion. Look what the US and Europe have done in the name of democracy recently!
2016-05-28 10:51:57 · answer #7 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good one... for good people to do evil things... sounds suspiciously like the "no true Scotsman" defense, though.
2007-12-06 03:48:17 · answer #8 · answered by chem sickle 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree. How about this one...
Religion is the masterpiece of the art of animal training, for it trains people as to how they shall think.
Arthur Shopenhauer
2007-12-06 03:49:30 · answer #9 · answered by ☼ɣɐʃʃɜƾ ɰɐɽɨɲɜɽɨƾ♀ 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Politics also makes good people do bad things.
2007-12-06 03:44:37 · answer #10 · answered by PROBLEM 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋