What if?

[Stu Pidasso]

It seems that in every culture there is some sort of religion and/or belief in a diety. Its a universal attribute. Other universal attributes cultures develope are counting systems and language. I believe its natural for a people to develope social tools such as language and counting systems. Is religion just another social tool created by man?

Suppose the social tool of language was removed from our culture. There would be utter chaos. Same if we decided to abandon counting. What if religion was removed from our culture, would the human condition improve or worsen?

Stu

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What if religion was removed from our culture, would the human condition improve or worsen?

Stu

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Improve, unless you ignore all the barbaric, evil and monstruous deeds that have been made, and still are made, in the name of religions.

[Lestat]

I think man would be WAY better off without religion.

On the other hand, I think that beliefs such as religion may actually be evolutionary as a means for man to advance his own culture or even race.

I am vehemently opposed to religion, but I will give it this: it is the best way to enforce a system of ethics upon a common person's conscience. Take religion away from society and you have a people with no concrete idea of morality, thus allowing the government to mold it for them. This can be very dangerous... look at what communist governments have done without a national religion. At least the idea of a higher being keeps people in check and also together as a society, if they hold a common belief.

Should religion rule individual life? No. Should it exist in society? I say yes, not because it is ideal, but because it has to, at least until humans can grow out of it.

The human condition would not worsen without religion, but order in society would. Some may live fuller lives, but others may live in constant fear. The common person just isn't ready yet for the abolition of religion.

[Stu Pidasso]

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I am vehemently opposed to religion, but I will give it this: it is the best way to enforce a system of ethics upon a common person's conscience.

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Would you agree that religious teaching of chastity before the advent of prophylactics and birth control was beneficial to society?

Stu

[Stu Pidasso]

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Improve, unless you ignore all the barbaric, evil and monstruous deeds that have been made, and still are made, in the name of religions.

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Do you honestly believe that religion causes men to commit barbaric, evil, and monstrous deeds? If so how do you explain Mao, Stalin, Hitler, Hussien, and Jong?

Stu

[Lestat]

You make some interesting points, but I'm not sure I can agree with you so fast.

I wonder if you live in America (as I do), where 80% of the population belongs to some type of religion (or is the number even higher than that?). Note that this is not the case in Europe or other parts of the world and they seem to get by just fine from a moralistic standpoint. In fact, a case can be made of higher morality at least in terms of crime.

The problem with the communistic countries of which you speak, is that there is very much a God that gets promoted and that God is the government. So you're right that the government molds their beliefs for them, but does this have to be the case? I don't think so.

[imported_luckyme]

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At least the idea of a higher being keeps people in check and also together as a society, if they hold a common belief.

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The last statement seems to fit well with the facts, the first doesn't. A common philosophy is a big help to a society, but it can be quakers, zen buddhists, taoists, secular humanists, etc, the benefit is not dependant on a belief in a personal-intervening-god. Looking around the current world and through history gives no edge to those cultures that develop dependency on a omipotent father figure. The US as the current most religous nation in the leading western group doesn't support the first premise either.

Even in the 'godless' countries, it's not the citizens that turned barbaric it is government treatment of the citizens. No different than the old South Africa, or Taliban ruled Afg, or Iran, or ...

Yes, no religion would improve humanity, but it has to be a culture that arrives at it openly, like current europe or japan, so the social structure fits the belief system.

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Would you agree that religious teaching of chastity before the advent of prophylactics and birth control was beneficial to society?

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I don't see how this pertains to the meaning of my post.

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Would you agree that religious teaching of chastity before the advent of prophylactics and birth control was beneficial to society?


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I don't see how this pertains to the meaning of my post.