What do you think of all the time and energy wasted by religious belief?

Question

And of the scientific progress thwarted by religious belief? Boards of people in the Catholic church wasting their time asking whether something is scripturally sound. Then there is all the time wasted by nonbelievers having to be PC about the issue. Religion has been somewhat of a black hole in some respects. I won't argue that some good things haven't come out of it, but it's still amazing to imagine were we'd be if it weren't for it.

*where we'd be...

Answer 1

I agree wholeheartedly: except for some art and music (some of which is quite wonderful), the effects of religion on society have been adverse in the extreme, with hundreds of thousands of people killed, billions of dollars wasted, and intellectual pollution that has impeded progress at every turn. For more on this, see:

Answer 2

I like the orientation of the Baha'i Faith, which is that science and religion need to agree and support each other. Religion without the empiricism of science can devolve into superstition; science without the morality of religion can become a monster. The Baha'i texts also suggest that the purpose of religion is to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization and that if religion causes division and strife, it's better that it not exist. I think most of your observations about the ills of religion are not the messages of the Prophets but what man has made of them through misunderstanding, misinterpretation, or more malign factors like ignorance, prejudice, and greed --- the very things I think some of the other respondents here would say religion is trying to steer man away from. I love a line from a song written by the filkers Echo's Children: "Long ago, when torture broke the remnant of his will/Galileo recanted, but the earth is moving still." Yes, some really dumb things and even complete travesties have been perpetrated in the name of religion. Largely, these were things imposed by man or done by man for all the wrong reasons in the name of religion. They were what man made of religion, not religion itself. Where else is there a more beautiful guide for morality than in the Vedas, the Dhammapada, the Gospels, the Holy Qur'an, or the Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah?

Answer 3

If gnosticism, the true Christianity had flourished the world would be very different today. Unfortunately the Romans would not have embraced a faith that had no central authority. The pagan Romans were all for research and investigation for their own ends. The modern world in that scenario would most likely resemble "1984" more that it does now. But Imposition of order = escalation of disorder so things might have work out for the better. Roman Catholicism grew out of Roman oppression so who's to say if a longer "Pax Romana" would not have brought on the age of reason sooner?

Answer 4

Although some may believe and other may not you can't possible think of the time as wasted. While people go to church for religion other things happen from this one simple thing, Friends. While many people go looking for answers they may not find one in god but they may find a friend in the church that will help them in times of need. This brings people together and make the world a somewhat more positive place to be. Just think of all those people that need help with food, housing, Family lost loved ones, God may not give them the answers but the people that join together manage to find answers for these people. I am by far a religious person, and don not take sides whoever if it where not for the church in the US we would live more like the Japanese in small confined areas with the government telling us how many children to have, and everything else. So even if you remove the title of Religion, you still have a Mass of people with the same beliefs and that my boy is what makes this country so Great!

Answer 5

I didn't know any scientific progress was thwarted. Have Christians stopped the space endeavors? Advances in medication? Better transportation? Better armed forces? I could go on, but you get the idea. Read the Bible about Joseph, David, and Solomon. Look at the advances these Christian men put in place a very long time ago. Why are you complaining about the time others spend on doing, or not doing, something? How does it effect you? i/e are you their boss?

Answer 6

This all depends on whether you believe that humans are essentially good or bad. If you were, for example, Thomas Hobbes, then religion was necessary to give rise to moral goodness. However, if you have Edward Gibbon's viewpoint then religion simply held back the potential of mankind because it channeled abstract fear into the hatred of groups of people simply because the ignorance of their culture and standing.

If you really want to get philosophical, look at the purpose of religion. The purpose of religion in itself is to two things: give hope to those who cannot conceive of the concept of "dying" and to explain the unknown. Without religion, those with a lesser education or with a weaker mind probably would suffer from depression and in constant confusion. However, religion has turned all abstract fear of the unknown into a concrete fear of the devil and gave hope to those who are afraid of death. Now the question is, is the provincial mindset of religion justified because of the resulting government we have today?

Answer 7

Dou you truely believe thier time is wasted. I choose to believe that those who are religeous truely believe there is a higher power and wouldn't view their time wasted why else waste two hours on a sunday . ( yes i have a non believer) but having been to a christian school i have seen faith although my personal belief is that it is unfoundered the bible being written by people on lsd and all that..... but surely it comes down to a personal level and how you see the religeon and how important something like that is to you.... i am beginning to think that answered nothing oh well i tried.

Answer 8

Why are you wasting your time on YA putting down religion when you could be volunteering to help the starving?

Answer 9

I know their is a God every morning when I see the sun shine.
First I know that God made the sun to shine, and he gave me sight to see it.

Every day is a new day and a chance to do something good for another person. Saw a DVD recently where people kept doing good deeds and Passing them on, They would do something nice and not take any payment, just aske the person to enturn do something good for another person, and it just kept being passed on. What a wonderful thing if everyone would just do this.

May the Lord Bless you and Keep you!

Answer 10

HAHAHA well you that don't believe are in for a shock. Most doctors and people with higher education Believe in God. Personally my life was saved when I found God again and just asked for His help. I was thinking today what if the Muslim religion was in charge of the United States, would we be out making over the rest of the world, or would there be freedom of religion still.