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Soph0571

(9,685 posts)
Sat Apr 27, 2019, 07:22 AM Apr 2019

Religion, is it a force for good or a force for evil?

Good points: Charity, personal peace, joy and comfort for those who believe. Inspiration, hope, a sense of belonging to a community. A sense of purpose. Religion can help organise thought. It helps form a basis for moral and ethical codes. Religion brought us music and good teaching. Belief in the afterlife can ease suffering after the death of a loved one. Looking at that list, a lot of it is more about faith than religion. Religion doesn't give you peace, faith does? Maybe?

Bad points: Makes people judgemental, it can lead to intolerance of those people who partake in 'evil' things. Inspires war, hate, intolerance, bigotry. Makes people believe that everyone should act just like them and it can overly define right from wrong. It excludes people. It is often dated, not quick to move 'with-the-times’. Religion can over-regulate with stupid rules for the faithful to ensure power and control over them and allow them to condemn others who are not just like them.

So - religion a force for good or evil?

15 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Religion, is it a force for good or a force for evil? (Original Post) Soph0571 Apr 2019 OP
Both! n/t True Dough Apr 2019 #1
+1 Throck Apr 2019 #4
+2 Fortinbras Armstrong Apr 2019 #7
More like a force for stupid Blues Heron Apr 2019 #2
Are you assuming one religion? Throck Apr 2019 #3
They're all pretty similar Blues Heron Apr 2019 #5
Not all Major Nikon Apr 2019 #15
Post removed Post removed Apr 2019 #8
back atcha buddy Blues Heron Apr 2019 #10
Well, if nice guys come in last as they say. KPN Apr 2019 #6
Both! True Blue American Apr 2019 #9
Religion is just an extension of human nature. MineralMan Apr 2019 #11
I noticed one small mistake in the OP Cartoonist Apr 2019 #12
Not to mention the erosion of critical thinking skills Major Nikon Apr 2019 #14
Religion is a tool used for manipulation Major Nikon Apr 2019 #13

Major Nikon

(36,827 posts)
15. Not all
Sat Apr 27, 2019, 10:27 PM
Apr 2019

Hinduism and Buddhism are two of the largest religions on earth and do not have deities as part of their core doctrine. Meanwhile there's no shortage of irreligious people who still believe in metaphysical hocus pocus.

Response to Blues Heron (Reply #2)

KPN

(15,649 posts)
6. Well, if nice guys come in last as they say.
Sat Apr 27, 2019, 07:51 AM
Apr 2019

then evil outweighs good on the broad scale. On the other hand, at the individual level, good can obviously outweigh evil. But then there’s the issue of complicity.

True Blue American

(17,988 posts)
9. Both!
Sat Apr 27, 2019, 08:20 AM
Apr 2019

Over thousands of years it has been used as evil. Much like we are seeing today but on a much more terrible scale

That is why our Country was founded on Freedom Of Religion.

Right now many are trying their best to impose their beliefs on us all. The man reason people are rejecting it as they study Science. Many of the fables are just not believable in the light of facts.

MineralMan

(146,327 posts)
11. Religion is just an extension of human nature.
Sat Apr 27, 2019, 09:49 AM
Apr 2019

So, it can be used for good or for evil, depending on the human worshiping it.

Religion is indifferent in that regard. Humans will be humans.

Cartoonist

(7,321 posts)
12. I noticed one small mistake in the OP
Sat Apr 27, 2019, 12:44 PM
Apr 2019

Religion brought us music and good teaching.
_

I'm pretty sure music came into being on its own. Teaching myth as fact is not good teaching.

_

Why do people who believe in stuff they can't validate call realists bigots?

Major Nikon

(36,827 posts)
14. Not to mention the erosion of critical thinking skills
Sat Apr 27, 2019, 10:07 PM
Apr 2019

When women are taught they should be subservient to men while otherwise intelligent and well educated women go along with and promote that garbage, you start to understand why teaching myth is a pretty bad idea.

Major Nikon

(36,827 posts)
13. Religion is a tool used for manipulation
Sat Apr 27, 2019, 09:42 PM
Apr 2019

As such it's inherently corruptible and lends itself well for nefarious purposes. Whatever good anyone can attribute to it would still exist without religion and arguably we'd be better off without so many skimming off the top.


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