What if there were NO Religion

[Azakel]

Those is power would create other institutions of control to indoctrinate the populace with, in order to manipulate them for their own gain. The method of control could be just about anything, as the average person is basically begging to be told what to believe by an authority.

I agree with this part, most people just want to be told how to do things

Religion is a natural result of the darker side of human nature, not the cause.

I don't agree with this, if one where to truly look into the history of religion there was no dark sided means for it to come into being, just because humans have use it far the wrong reason don't mean it was first used for those reasons.

 

[Luminous]

If there was no religion there would be more sports and arts* and ...never mind... things would just be different.. but who know how?

 

[Twilight Hue]

I agree with the posters replies in that which there wouldn't be much difference in regards to human behavior whether it involves religion, politics, kinship, or land. Mix and match. Humans get along and they don't. -NM-

 

[Seven]

No Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism etc etc.

What would the world and society look like? What would we turn our attention to?

Science maybe? Would we focus more on the important things like work and family?

Thoughts please.

This scenario would require a huge change in the nature of humans which would spill over into all aspects of our lives. My imagination isn't capable of picturing the results.

 

[J Bryson]

People would have to find another reason to be jerks to each other.

This process would take approximately two seconds before the knives came out.

 

[Heneni]

If there would be no appreciable change, then doesn't this imply that religion isn't a force for good in the world?

Im not quite sure what your getting at. Hi by the way. Long time no hear. Umm...from my understanding the problem with religion is that word 'force'

Force for anything in my opinion drives a wedge between us and our neighbour regardless if it is in the guise of religion or atheism.

I find the word good with force to be irreconcilable.

Heneni

 

[ChristineES]

Here's a question: What if there were no guns? Answer- People would kill each other with knives instead.

 

[eugenius]

Here's a question: What if there were no guns? Answer- People would kill each other with knives instead.

Really, so you think that if all the guns dissapeared, in this day and age, they would stab people instead? Holding up a bank or store with a knife, going to war with swords again.

I'd bet you a dollar than the murder rate would drastically decline if guns ceased to exist.

 

[Riverwolf]

Here's a question: What if there were no guns? Answer- People would kill each other with knives instead.

Actually, swords seem to be coming back...

 

[Riverwolf]

Really, so you think that if all the guns dissapeared, in this day and age, they would stab people instead? Holding up a bank or store with a knife, going to war with swords again.

I'd bet you a dollar than the murder rate would drastically decline if guns ceased to exist.

How about bows and arrows? Blowguns? Crossbows? These are just as effective at killing as guns, and have done so many times in the past.

The murder rate would decline, and these gunmen would cease to exist AT FIRST!

But like I said, swords seem to be coming back.

 

[Charity]

...It there was no religion, then there would be no Religious forum!
All the members here would have never known the joy of posting, debating and loving one another......

 

[Mister Emu]

Are you talking about everyone dropping their religion now, or there never having been religion in the first place?

 

[Father Heathen]

Kind of like a personal relationship with the SAVIOR

How could there be a savior figure without the religion to fabricate it?

 

[Father Heathen]

Yup, everybody would not be cool, they would be super cool.

But seriously, if we are asking hypotheticals about "what if everyone in the world was an atheist" why not replace "atheists" with some other religion? After all, the point of the question is everyone would then be unified under one set of religious beliefs, or lack there of.

Well, different beliefs often bring about different attitudes and actions. For example, there wouldn't be any coffee industry, cultivation or crop harvesting if everyone was mormon. That's just a minor example, but if you had parallel universes where each had a different version of earth each where everyone shared the exact same religious beliefs would all be radically different from each other. An all buddhist world would be very different from an all muslim world, etc.

 

[ChristineES]

Really, so you think that if all the guns dissapeared, in this day and age, they would stab people instead? Holding up a bank or store with a knife, going to war with swords again.

I'd bet you a dollar than the murder rate would drastically decline if guns ceased to exist.

You've got to be kidding. There was a lot of violence way before the gun was invented. People are the ones who are violent- not the weapons- weapons don't work without people to use them.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Here's a question: What if there were no guns?

Then my iaido and kendo training would suddenly become relevant to the real world.

Are you talking about everyone dropping their religion now, or there never having been religion in the first place?

Good point. What do you think would be the difference in terms of the end result?

 

[Comicaze247]

No Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism etc etc.

What would the world and society look like? What would we turn our attention to?

Science maybe? Would we focus more on the important things like work and family?

Thoughts please.

Well, because I believe that, as a species, we are too young and immature to function without structure like religion (much like children), then society would fall apart. We have not yet reached that level of maturity where we can guide ourselves on the right courses of action for ourselves as a species, and therefore still depend on "religion" to show us the way. I believe that one day, we'll no longer need it. But as of now, the world would be in chaos if it were to completely disappear.

 

[ChristineES]

I know this is totally off-topic, but I have been meaning to tell this to Comicaze- I really like that quote in your sig by Albert Einstein.

 

[Father Heathen]

You've got to be kidding. There was a lot of violence way before the gun was invented. People are the ones who are violent- not the weapons- weapons don't work without people to use them.

Indeed. Without guns wars would still be waged, just with crossbows and swords instead. Inanimate objects don't instill the desire for domination and conquest, that's a part of human nature and man would even resort to his bare hands if you took all of his weapons away.

 

[Riverwolf]

Indeed. Without guns wars would still be waged, just with crossbows and swords instead. Inanimate objects don't instill the desire for domination and conquest, that's a part of human nature and man would even resort to his bare hands if you took all of his weapons away.

Or the bones of long-dead corpses.

Yup. Take weapons away, we'll just start over with sticks and stones.