Is there a religion that you perceive as destructive?

[Peace4all]

Whew.... Im just glad that nobody said Islam!!!

 

[Zephyr]

I may disapprove of some religions, but I'm not sure I'd call them destructive.

Well, Universalist Asatru groups are kind of destructive I guess. They seem to ignore the ancestral aspect of the religion, which is really quite a bit of it. Fortunately they seem to be in the minority.

Also, extremists of any sort. Violent extremists at least.

 

[kai]

perhaps all religions are destructive ,anything thats sets people apart is bound to be destructive, look at the technology we have in this day and age and yet we are still basically pulled apart by religious beliefs lets face it we put a man on the moon decades ago and half the world is still bowing down to a deity

 

[ayani]

there are religions i do not accept as true, or that i can not see myself adhering to.

some of the reasons for this might lie in practices, doctrines, or traditions within the religion that come across to me as unreasonable or easily manipulated against others.

but still, there tend to be good points within even those faiths that don't quite sit right with me to which i can relate and appreciate. often i'll need someone of that faith to exlplain the points i'm having trouble with- i appreciate dialogue more than i care to stew in my own (perhaps unfounded) dislike of something.

 

[Peace4all]

I'm sure you take anything in life and turn it into something destructive. lets take cookies: if i take cookies and shove them down people's throats that could be destructive, same goes for religion. You can take the Quran that's full of peace and wisdom and copy and paste enough just to include the violent verses without knowing the situation in which this verse was revealled or even reading the rest of that section.

 

[jamaesi]

The only religions I see as being destructive are cults (which aren't really religions) and fundementalist sects of almost any religion.

 

[akshar]

Of course, but i won't even bother hinting you, if i do i will get banned for another 2 years or so. It's tormented my life.

 

[Real Sorceror]

I don't see any religion as inherently destructive.

Now, if you combine certian cultures with certian religions, well.... then things can get ugly.
There are also individuals out there who can warp just about anything to fit their debased ideology.

 

[continuumcomplex]

I do not think that I can name a single religion that I would deem destructive. Religions serve to bring people together and to form community between those people. This is constructive; not destructive. However, many destructive things have happened because of various religions and conflicts within those religions and between those religions and others. Yet, I would still not deem any one religion to be destructive, as most do not have any particularly destructive tenets.

Individuals, can be destructive. And though a lone practitioner of a religion can, thereby, have a religion; a lone practitioner does not, of himself, constitute a religion.

 

[MaddLlama]

Sure, I think any form of religious fundamentalism is dangerous. But any person from any religion can be one.

 

[lunamoth]

You all obviously have forgotten about Choodianism and "the flames of Chapultapec and Guadalajara."

 

[BUDDY]

I believe that a fundamentalist attitude of humanism in that it is the denial of any power or moral value superior to that of humanity; the rejection of religion in favour of a belief in the advancement of society by its own efforts, is dangerous to people of all religions.

 

[Green Gaia]

I believe that a fundamentalist attitude of humanism in that it is the denial of any power or moral value superior to that of humanity; the rejection of religion in favour of a belief in the advancement of society by its own efforts, is dangerous to people of all religions.

Why do you think that dangerous? And why do you mention all religions? I certainly do not feel threatened by that belief.

 

[dbakerman76]

I believe that a fundamentalist attitude of humanism in that it is the denial of any power or moral value superior to that of humanity; the rejection of religion in favour of a belief in the advancement of society by its own efforts, is dangerous to people of all religions.

I actually think humanism serves a great purpose in keeping us focused on the importance of here and now.

 

[GloriaPatri]

It's kind of a loaded question.

Religions aren't destructive in and of themselves. There are some destructive followers of religion who use it as justification for their actions.

Well, maybe some cults are destrustive but I would hardly count them as "religions".

 

[MaddLlama]

I believe that a fundamentalist attitude of humanism in that it is the denial of any power or moral value superior to that of humanity; the rejection of religion in favour of a belief in the advancement of society by its own efforts, is dangerous to people of all religions.

A belief in the advancement of society is dangerous to religion?

So, religions should be in general against any societal progression? Why is the "advancement of society" a bad thing?

That sounds incredibly short-sighted, and well, silly. I have a feeling that most people here, religious or not, would disagree with that asessment.

 

[Quiddity]

It is probably better to qualify this one first and than a sub debate would be which ones if the premises on what makes it destructive are accurate repesentations of that faith.

I would say any religious practice, and I say practice because sometimes I notice, what is believed or positioned as an article of faith is not neccessary practiced, that:

1) Any religious practice that promotes exclusivism
2) Any religion that positions dogma as something to be practiced (as opposed to just believed).
3) Any religion that see morality in terms of absolutes as opposed to relative and contigent
4) Any religion that promotes or practices that its followers are to inact divine will on behalf of God.

This has certainly been my perception and understanding of people from the outside.

 

[logician]

Evangelical religions that do missionary work are destructive if they push their religion as part of their work. This has destroyed many cultures.

 

[Hacker]

I don't percerive the religion as destructive, but the people in it.

I have nothing against any religion itself, most of their doctrines are beautiful and moral. It's the people who use that religion to further their political, moral, and religious agenda to get ahead in the world and to insult others that I have a probably with.

That you have a "probably" with?