Do you believe that Religion benefits mankind?

by jeanniebeanz 50 Replies latest jw friends

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  AlmostAtheist

  I'm not anti-religion per se, but only because I don't have the power to make it go away. You can't fight City Temple, as it were.

  I see religion as a parasite on mankind. It sucks away time, money, and free thought from every human it touches. It divides people, gives them reasons to hate each other. It teaches them that there are things they can't see, touch, or in any other way prove to themselves that nonetheless can do them good or ill. This sort of fantasy thinking isn't conducive to making good decisions in the real world.

  The only benefits from religion that I can imagine are also obtainable in other ways. For those that say that some people simply wouldn't behave outside of the fence of a religion, I have to ask if that would still be true if there just never was religion? Or is it only true today because they have one now?

  Of course, dreaming of a world without religion is "fantasy thinking" too, ain't it? :-(

  Dave
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  daystar

  What about a school that taught people methods for discovery of What's Out There, and allowing them to decide for themselves what Is, rather than simply laying down the Law?

  Naw, then it would be treating people too much like adults.

  (There are actually schools of thought like this out there if you look hard enough and can get beyond the religious fear.)
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  LittleToe

  I don't like religion for religions' own sake, but I do think it can be a useful spiritual tool. Clinical evidence suggests that "spirituality" has a positive affect on our mental health, so on that single ground I have to answer your original question with a "yes".
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  jeanniebeanz

  All good points. I think that no one wakes up in the morning and says, "Gee... I think I'll invent a belief system that will screw up mankind." With that in mind, I believe that religion has it's roots in good intent.

  However, it has gotten so de-railed that it has outlasted its usefulness. I believe that the more informed people are, the more information and science they have at their disposal, the more religion will be relegated to the realm of mythology. After all, the old mythology was the religion of its time. I believe that all religion will follow that same course in due time.

  J
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  LittleToe

  However, it has gotten so de-railed that it has outlasted its usefulness.

  To discuss its usefulness/performance you need to know its use/purpose.

  Since you acknowledge that previous incarnations of religion have eventually died away to allow others to succeed, what makes you think that this won't continue ad nauseum?

  The religions that exist today have morphed and proved tenacious. Survival of the fittest suggests that there's little reason why this shouldn't continue indefinitely.

  The question is, which "modern myth" are you going to back
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  JAVA

  LittleToe -- Do you think it's possible to be spiritual outside the realm of religion?
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  gold_morning

  The purpose of religion was to take the focus off of salvation coming thru Jesus.

  I think satan knows there is people with a spiritual side to them that when reading the scriptures would understand the true way to salvation..........so if he could get to them first by feeling dedicated to a specific religion....by replacing Christ with "religion"...he could cunningly add numbers to his demise.

  Acts 4;12 "Salvation is found IN NO ONE ELSE, (Jesus) for there is no other name under heaven given to men (Catholic, JW, Mormon, fill in the blank) bye which WE MUST be saved."

  Romans 10:10 "If you confess with you mouth, "Jesus is Lord" (not an organization is from Lord) and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, YOU WILL BE SAVED. For it is with your HEART that you believe (in Christ not a religion) and are justified (not justified thru religion) and it is with you mouth that you confess and are saved......Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD (not the name of a religion) WILL BE SAVED."

  Organized religion is something man puts together.......the body or chruch of Christ is something God gathered to himself.

  gold_morning
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  nicolaou

  Religion has brought no benefits to mankind that could not have been derived from another source. I'll grant that religious devotion has inspired fantastic architecture, moving art and, yes, 'spiritually' uplifting music but are any of these dependant on religion?

  For all the peacefulness that 'good' religion instills in people there is a counterweight of negativity and wickedness that it has also wrought.

  Religion isn't worth the effort.
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  jeanniebeanz

  LT, hmmm...you're making me think?? And on only one cup of coffee? You meannie!!

  To discuss its usefulness/performance you need to know its use/purpose.

  I would think that it's original purpose was to answer questions for which there was no answer and to direct mankind toward conformity. I believe that it has failed on both points. Some questions will not be answered without raising even more questions and mankind values it's individuality too much for a true conformity to take place. At least not now...

  Since you acknowledge that previous incarnations of religion have eventually died away to allow others to succeed, what makes you think that this won't continue ad nauseum?

  It probably will continue ad nauseum. My hope is that science and knowledge will replace religion as the new belief system.

  The question is, which "modern myth" are you going to back

  See, that's just it. We believe what science proves. On some of those points, religion can exist in harmony. On others, it cannot. When a person or people choose to believe a religious philosophy that flies in the face of science then they are following a mythology rather than accepting the newly revealed information and moving on.

  So, I guess I would say that I will accept a modern religious philosophy that can be proved scientifically and which does not harm mankind.

  J
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  Lilycurly

  As most of you said...being spiritual should be sufficient.

  But as far as religion goes, what I think makes a religion beneficial is:

  1. Must bring positiveness and no negativity to the follower

  2.Must not try push their beleives (or kill!) those from a different opinion

  3. Must accept those with a different faith and accept that those other faiths can work for other people.