The Greatest Good, and the Greatest Evil, of Religion

[Sunstone]

What, if anything, is the greatest good that comes out of all -- or at least most -- religions?

What, if anything is the greatest evil that comes out of all -- or at least most -- religions?


Please note: For the purposes of this thread, "good" is defined here as "that which affirms life", while "evil" is defined here as the opposite of good, or "that which denies life". If you wish to use a different definition of good or evil, that's ok, but please specify what you mean by those terms unless your meaning is obvious from the context in which you are using them. Thanks!

 

[Deathbydefault]

What, if anything, is the greatest good that comes out of all -- or at least most -- religions?

Community.

What, if anything is the greatest evil that comes out of all -- or at least most -- religions?

I feel that gullibility is a bad thing, so I'll go with that.

 

[loverofhumanity]

What, if anything, is the greatest good that comes out of all -- or at least most -- religions?

What, if anything is the greatest evil that comes out of all -- or at least most -- religions?


Please note: For the purposes of this thread, "good" is defined here as "that which affirms life", while "evil" is defined here as the opposite of good, or "that which denies life". If you wish to use a different definition of good or evil, that's ok, but please specify what you mean by those terms unless your meaning is obvious from the context in which you are using them. Thanks!

Hi Sunstone.

Religion is like a tree which God plants in the world that brings forth good fruit. Later it withers and dies and ceases to bring forth fruit.

Then the Gardener, God, plants a new seed and a new Tree appears and new fruit appears but for the most part people cling to the withered tree and do not eat of the fruit of the new tree so humanity becomes deprived of true knowledge and wisdom for the new age.

In the past many great Trees have appeared. Buddha, Krishna, Muhammad, Jesus, Moses and Zoroaster and great civilisations appeared from them and now the Tree of Baha'u'llah has appeared to bring a world civilisation which will be the fruit of His Tree.

After Him, likely interplanetary civilisations and expansion.

 

[George-ananda]

Please note: For the purposes of this thread, "good" is defined here as "that which affirms life", while "evil" is defined here as the opposite of good, or "that which denies life". If you wish to use a different definition of good or evil, that's ok, but please specify what you mean by those terms unless your meaning is obvious from the context in which you are using them. Thanks!

You defined 'good' but that was not the word I was hoping you'd define. It was 'religion'. Specifically, I know you are including all the organized religions. But what about people with beliefs but they are personal and they are not part of an organized group. Is that a religion or not for this discussion?

I think a lot of our wordings comes from the fairly recent past where people were mostly members of religious denominations. Today, I'm unclear about the word 'religion' in contexts like the OP title.

 

[Maponos]

The greatest good a religion can do is bring a community together.

The greatest evil? I'm not really sure. Each faith and religion defines good and evil in a slight (or very) different way. I guess the greatest evil a religion can do is to impose itself on other religions, claiming it is the 'one true religion' or follows the 'one (or however many) true god' and destroys other ways of life because it believes it is the only true way.

 

[jeager106]

Greatest good is enrichment of the spiritual self of humankind.
Getting "self" out of the way of enlightenment.
And faith. Faith is a good thing. Lack of faith is depressing.
Greatest bad????????????????????
Well let me count the ways........................................2,365....2,366...2,367...

WARS. Christian vs. Muslim for instance.
Conflict between denominations of the same basic religion.
Westboro Baptists hawk that "God hates ****" among other "Christian"
notions.
Different denominations of the same faith feel "we are right" and
"they are wrong".

There's more but you see my points I'm sure.

 

[arthra]

What, if anything, is the greatest good that comes out of all -- or at least most -- religions?
What, if anything is the greatest evil that comes out of all -- or at least most -- religions?

Religions have profoundly affected the cultural and ethical direction of civilisations..and they've provided social stability... that's a good! The problem has occurred where the structures of older more established religions over time become ossified and seek to eliminate new revelations. So you will see the members of the establishment such as the priests become the enemies of the Prophets and Messengers that bare new messages of divine revelation.

You can also have unscrupulous elements attempt to misguide and exploit the public for their own purposes. .. and that can be "evil".

 

[Jeremiahcp]

I think faith is both the greatest good and the greatest evil. It is the central justification for both the good and evil of religion.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

I don't give religion the credit that it has actively independent cause and effect from the people who penned it and exeecisd it. So I'd say that the greatest good and greatest evil of religion is equal to the greatest good and greatest evil of people.
So whatever the greatest good and greatest evil a person can do is the limitation of good and evil a religion can.

 

[LuisDantas]

What, if anything, is the greatest good that comes out of all -- or at least most -- religions?

Encouragement of some combination of certain social and moral values, the most notable being solidarity, fraternity and self-acceptance.

What, if anything is the greatest evil that comes out of all -- or at least most -- religions?

Promotion of tribal attitudes that reafirm inner support at the expense of respect for "outsiders".

I don't think that the Abrahamic Faiths are representative of "most religions", but I will add that they also have an unfortunate affinity for the promotion of theistic belief for belief's sake, as well as of proselitism and superstition as virtues instead of the hurdle that they truly are.