Would the world be better off without any religion?

[Gargovic Malkav]

Look at the 20th century. Communism, fascism, nationalism, socialism, capitalism. They did more to bring destruction and despair to the world than all religions combined historically.

The Mongol invasions were very destructive as well, yet religion was not their drive.
They didn't even care what people believed under their rule.

 

[Viker]

The Mongol invasions were very destructive as well, yet religion was not their drive.
They didn't even care what people believed under their rule.

Exactly. The Romans, Alexander, Xerxes. They were classic imperialists who brought religion with them but spreading religion or religion, in and of itself, wasn't the motive for expansion.

Things like expansionism, imperialism, absolutism and the such are the problem. This can happen because of or without the use of religion.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Would the world and people be better off without any religion?

What would be better?
What would be worse?

I dunno about better, but we wouldn't have all those crazy Evangelicals begging for luxury jets to do the Lord's work.

 

[firedragon]

I say yes, simply because it stops people from believing things they do not have good evidence for.

How does that make the world a better place? Let's say hypothetically people are just blind like you say, still, how would that make the world a better place if religion does not exist?

 

[Trailblazer]

Would the world and people be better off without any religion?

What would be better?
What would be worse?

I see a lot of problems with religion, and I believe that is mainly because the older religions have been corrupted by man over time, but if I have to choose if people would be better off or worse off without religion, I choose worse off. The reason I choose worse off is because I believe that justice and wisdom is revealed by God through Messengers by which the great religions are established. So with no religion all we could ever hope to have are human justice and wisdom which is fallible.

“And now concerning thy question regarding the nature of religion. Know thou that they who are truly wise have likened the world unto the human temple. As the body of man needeth a garment to clothe it, so the body of mankind must needs be adorned with the mantle of justice and wisdom. Its robe is the Revelation vouchsafed unto it by God. Whenever this robe hath fulfilled its purpose, the Almighty will assuredly renew it. For every age requireth a fresh measure of the light of God. Every Divine Revelation hath been sent down in a manner that befitted the circumstances of the age in which it hath appeared.”
Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 81

 

[Trailblazer]

Most all religious people have hope. Getting rid of religion gets rid of their hope.

That is probably true, but having hope is not a good reason to believe in a religion.
Imo, it is better to have no hope rather than false hope. I believe some religious people have false hope, but that does not mean that all religious people have false hope. To conclude that would be the fallacy of hasty generalization.

 

[We Never Know]

That is probably true, but having hope is not a good reason to believe in a religion.
Imo, it is better to have no hope rather than false hope. I believe some religious people have false hope, but that does not mean that all religious people have false hope. To conclude that would be the fallacy of hasty generalization.

How do you "know" their "hope" is false?
Fact is you, I or anyone doesn't know

 

[We Never Know]

A world without religion can be sampled in China, Russia and to a large degree DC.

Is that good or bad.. In your opinion?

 

[Truth in love]

I say yes, simply because it stops people from believing things they do not have good evidence for.

But if we don’t believe we would not do the research to find the evidence. Wright brothers Philo Farnsworth, Edison etc. they believed before they made their big discoveries.

 

[Truth in love]

Is that good or bad.. In your opinion?

I find evil, abuse of human rights and mass suffering to be bad.

They do have some nice bits of culture, but they are highly abusive to their fellow man.

 

[We Never Know]

I find evil, abuse of human rights and mass suffering to be bad.

They do have some nice bits of culture, but they are highly abusive to their fellow man.

"I find evil, abuse of human rights and mass suffering to be bad"

That's humans even without religion. Unless you think that doesn't happen in non-religious countries.

 

[Truth in love]

"I find evil, abuse of human rights and mass suffering to be bad"

That's humans even without religion. Unless you think that doesn't happen in non-religious countries.

Anyone can be a jerk and abuse others. Religion encourages us to do better. The golden rule occurs in a great many religions. Even. If no other rule was ever followed that one would minimize jerky abuse behaviors.

 

[Vee]

Would the world and people be better off without any religion?

What would be better?
What would be worse?

The world would be a better place if corruption and violence disappeared, if every person on earth had a decent place to live, food and water, access to healthcare and education.
Ending religion wouldn't solve any of those problems, so to answer your question, I don't think the world would be a better place without religion. One problem would be replaced with another. I wouldn't call that an upgrade.
It is true that many religions have been a source of trouble over the years, but at the core, it's always been about a bunch of people using others to get more power and money. Remove religion and you'll be left with other organizations - political, financial - also fighting for power and money.

 

[rational experiences]

If you do a reason for religions beginnings it began as human sciences first gods machines as built by men. Buildings that put machines inside of them.

To get the power of God. To cool hold the power supply of God with holy life's water.

So yes we would be better off without science.

If humans as family congregate to sing dance praise life. By ceremony. We've owned this practice for thousands of years. In a building or outside in nature.

If humans built buildings that claim playing music singing meditating inside resounds so it makes you feel better it does.

If group gatherings to identify with hurt humans claiming and so are you ..

Yes let's help each other is what religion is.

It was never preaching humans thought creation science thesis.

So yes let's get rid of science and get it out of life's religion celebrating life.

 

[Trailblazer]

How do you "know" their "hope" is false?
Fact is you, I or anyone doesn't know

I cannot know but I can have a personal opinion.
I am not saying I believe that "all" of their hope is false.

 

[RestlessSoul]

I say yes, simply because it stops people from believing things they do not have good evidence for.

Where is the evidence in support of this statement? Or is it just something you have chosen to believe without evidence, because it confirms your prejudices?

 

[RestlessSoul]

I never said that. Putting hope in something that has no good reason to believe in it is not real hope. When you discover there is not a good reason to believe in God then the hope turns to emotional trauma.

Do you believe in the American dream?

 

[PruePhillip]

Would the world and people be better off without any religion?

What would be better?
What would be worse?

Religious wars in Western society ended about the end of the 1800's.
The 1900's was going to be a period of peace without religious strife - about 250,000,0000 died in secular conflicts in the 20th Century.

 

[RestlessSoul]

A world without religion can be sampled in China, Russia and to a large degree DC.

Russia is a deeply religious country, always has been, even when formal religious practice was actively repressed.

 

[firedragon]

I see a lot of problems with religion, and I believe that is mainly because the older religions have been corrupted by man over time,

In your theological point of view, do you believe the Qur'an has been corrupted by man over time?