Would the world be a better place without religion?

pistolpete

I know what you’re gonna say---------Everyone has a right to believe whatever they want.

But the question above is not about everyone’s right to believe whatever.

The question is very specific------WILL THE WORLD BE A BETTER PLACE----WITHOUT RELIGION

Think for a while what the world would be like without ANY RELIGION.

No conflicts between Islam and Christianity.

No conflicts between different sects of Christianity. (example; Jehovah’s Witnesses vs Catholics)

No families being broken up because of Religious belief.

Fearful and respectful that we only have ONE LIFE TO LIVE.

For example consider what would happen to the individual who is willing to strap himself with enough C4 to blow several blocks and kill thousands of people if -------HE KNOWS THERE IS NO AFTERLIFE and NO REWARD. In other words, you only get ONE LIFE.

Do you really think he would be willing to kill himself if he knew for a fact there was no afterlife—no reward?

Reward in the afterlife is what motivates these suicide bombers.

Another point is that Morals can be taught without religion. Studies show that a child can be taught early in life that it is wrong to murder, steal, rape, etc. He can be taught to help his fellow human, to work hard for a living, to contribute to society, etc. Religion is not needed to teach these things.

No religion--- offers protection from Con people willing to take advantage of gullible people. For Example; the Watchtower takes advantage of religious - ignorant people, in order to profit from their ignorance. Promising them everlasting life in a paradise earth if they summit to 8 self appointed men.

How many of the 8 million Jehovah’s witnesses would obey the Governing Body if none of them believed the Bible was GOD’S WORD?----------ZERO!

Also; No religion MEANS NO PROTECTION FOR HYPOCRISY.

How many times have you seen some person commit some great atrocity against humanity only to be assured by some religious person that, GOD FORGIVES, NO MATTER IF YOU EXTERMINATED THOUSANDS. ----Think of the bible example MANASSEH.

Opponets will make their argument that if there was no religion, then we would not have the Renaissance masterpieces produced by Catholic artists like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael or Christian sacred music by composers like Pachelbel, Vivaldi, Bach, Handel, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Liszt, and Verdi.

Also others say that the Church has been a major source of social services like schooling and medical care; an inspiration for art, culture and philosophy; and an influential player in politics and religion. And in various ways religion has sought to affect Western attitudes towards vice and virtue.

But that type of reasoning is mute, because how do we know that had religion been removed early on, humanity MIGHT HAVE PROGRESSED BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAVE TODAY---- AND QUICKER.

Yes we would still have fights, famine, murder and more, but I believe that when EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT WE ONLY HAVE ONE LIFE and NO SECOND CHANCE-----WE TEND TO BE MORE RESPECTFUL OF ONE ANOTHER.

We treasure life a lot more.

AND THE WORLD WOULD BE A BETTER PLACE.

truth_b_known

The short answer to the question - No.

The questions presents a false dichotomy - "Religion" as it is or "Religion never existing."

Further, the argument against religion ever existing presents us with the scenario of Abrahamic religions (i.e. Judaism, Christianity, Islam) or no religion.

I agree, due to Abrahamic religion not evolving with human thinking, the world and the state of Abrahamic religion is in a horrible state. There are those who are trying to change that and there is evidence that in the not too distant future (maybe even in our lifetime) we may see that (see Ken Wilber's works on Integral Theory).

I agree that religion is not required to teach children morality. My own children were spared being raised as Jehovah's Witnesses. In spite of zero religious indoctrination or suggestion by my wife and I, our children have been drawn to spiritual practice (my youngest asked me to buy him the Tao Te Ching). I think the best purpose for a spiritual practice is to show gratitude for life and to help those who want to learn how to be happy.

Integral thinking can be seen practicing Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Hindus (I will throw Buddhists in there, too, but Buddhism really isn't a religion or at least isn't concerned with whether there is or is not a god or how we came into being). An example is a guy I stumbled across named Wescott Louden. Wescott was raised an evangelical Christian, became an atheist, then practiced Buddhism only to finally to convert to Catholicism. If you were to ask Wescott is Christianity and Jesus the only way to be saved and the only true religion he would answer "Saved from what?" and "No!"

Finally, the idea that have one life - we did not exist, we were born, we lived, we die and then cease to exist is an idea. An idea that some would call an illusion. As is our memory and illusion and our ego. Our true self lives in the eternal now and, as my buddy Wescott would say, Heaven - your standing on it.

Vanderhoven7

Would the world be a better place without religion?- perhaps

Would the world be a better place without Christ? - No

menrov

Yes

mynameislame

Hard to say, we would likely have advanced technologically at a faster pace but that might just mean we destroyed the earth because of it. For all we know the dark ages bought us a couple thousand years of existence.

There would still be be crappy people so if it wasn't religion they would have found another way to control the masses.

Not trying to turn this political but there are people out there still waiting for Trump to rise again, and not by winning the next election. So it seems people need someone to follow as their savior religious or not.

OnTheWayOut

It is cute that you claim to "know what [I am] gonna say. Ex-JW's are a crowd just like a herd of cats- all wanting to do our own thing and think our own way, so you really can't know what we are going to say.

Initially, I want to say that the world will definitely be a better place without religion. But I have to clarify that it would only be so under certain conditions.

You say there would be "No conflicts between Islam and Christianity, No conflicts between different sects, No families being broken up because of Religious belief."

I remember seeing an episode of South Park that helps with this.
The character, Cartman is hundreds of years in the future due to cryogenic suspension. Worldwide atheism has eradicated religion. Atheism has in turn split into three hostile denominations at perpetual war over the so-called "great question": Cartman discovers the nature of the "great question": the war is being fought over which denomination name is the most logical for atheists to call themselves.

There is war over what name should be used for Worldwide Atheism, so essentially 3 religions or "sects" have been created, split over a stupid issue. And that could happen if religion did not exist- groups could be so divided over issues like liberalism vs. conservatism, homeschooling vs. traditional schooling, so many issues- many of which are just like religious arguments today. Families could be broken up over issues like who they voted for.

I would love to see religion gone- a major cause of division. But it would not solve all the problems that exist primarily because of religious divide.

it preaches false hope appealing to those who have none.

But it could change for the better!

Would the world be a better place without religion?

pistolpete

truth_b_known

Vanderhoven7

menrov

mynameislame

OnTheWayOut

road to nowhere

neat blue dog

HowTheBibleWasCreated

stan livedeath

Share this