by micheal 79 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I understand we all need guidance and some people need hope, even if it is not real. But personally, I believe religion has caused so many hideous crimes against humanity that it is something we would all be better off without.
It really is too bad that religion has capitalized on humankind's need for a divine being to only abuse and control its fellow humans.
So, what do you think? Would we be better of without religion?
It's not religion so much as what people do to it. Religion can make better people but religious differences can be the worst conflicts imaginable. If religious people would learn to leave well enough alone and allow everyone the latitude in belief that is their right then there would not be the same issues there are now. People would learn to respect and work with the differences in beliefs that others have and not use their own beliefs to harm others. Religion is like any tool, it has to be used responsibly and positively.
I understand what you are saying mysterious, but wheather or not there is a god religion is governed by humans and whenever a human governs something so far-reaching as religion there will be corruption. History has shown that this has and will always be the case.
I think if everyone would still practice the original "Religion" of worshipping the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, and the bountiful life giving harvests that they provide, the world would be much different as we know it. I do not think that there would have been "Holy" wars, killing for a megalomaniacal God of war, such as is portrayed in many modern religions, nor would there be the fanatical rivalries of each religion claiming to be the "True" one. I think that religion is the poison arrow in the Achille's heel of our world, slowly but surely bringing the world that we live in to an untimely demise...
I think that religion is the poison arrow in the Achille's heel of our world, slowly but surely bringing the world that we live in to an untimely demise...
Very true. Nothing divides and causes more hatred than religion
I understand what you are saying mysterious, but wheather or not there is a god religion is governed by humans and whenever a human governs something so far-reaching as religion there will be corruption. History has shown that this has and will always be the case.
Then go back to a time when religion wasnt so "organized". Really who needs a entire world wide support network to be religious with someone telling you the fundamental beliefs to ascribe to. If it is such a universal truth for you (as one would hope one's beliefs would be) then you should be able to come to those conclusions on your own or with a few like minded friends.
without religion people would have no hope of divine intervention and because of that we might actually concentrate more on making the world a better place, because if we didn't, nobody would. so yeah, no religion = progress for us as humans.
My feeling is that religion has a dark side and a light side. We (some of us) have a yearning for the transcendant. For a lot of people, going into a dedicated holy place and singing with a group of people and hearing about god and what he wants from us meets that need. I have no formal religion at all but I get goose bumps and want to cry when I'm in an old church with god acoustics and the light streaming through the windows and everyone singing a beautiful song together. It's very strange, but holy ritual probably has some evolutionary function in social cohesion or resolving internal group conflicts. Whatever, who knows. The problem is managing the dark side. Getting rid of it entirely would be throwing out the baby with the bath water. And remember, the Russian communists tried it, and they managed to kill 40 million people without the help of religion.
I'm not sure religion is the problem so much as Organized Religion is.
Unfortunately, a lot of religions keep their members from doing selfish or cruel things by scaring the hell out of them. A significant number of people behave because they are afraid their god will get them if they don't. I imagine that if people didn't think there was someone supernatural and very powerful to answer to, there might be a lot more murder and mayhem.
If people would behave, without fear of God and just be privately spiritual, then the world might just be a better place. I think so anyway.
Flyin'
