Good Use for religion?

[maestroanth]

Religion is used to make stupid people behave? Maybe with the fear of burning in Hell is the main thing that motivates them to not kill or steal, and without it, they'd be say 20percent more likely to do those things? Thoughts?

[Jesster]

I wouldn't say this is a "good" use in an ethical sense. I think we can improve any area of society this is targeted at with other (and better) methods.

Actually, since this is a big part of what religion already does, I think we can rule out the positive effect this could have.

[abaris]

Religion is used to make stupid people behave? Maybe with the fear of burning in Hell is the main thing that motivates them to not kill or steal, and without it, they'd be say 20percent more likely to do those things? Thoughts?

As with any other things in life there's no blanket statement to be made on religion or religious communities. In my country, if at all religious, it's the mainstream churches we have to deal with. Catholic and protestant. And in our country they're usually on the right side of reason, for the division of religion and state, against any kind of radicalism and one of the biggest forces in helping poor people as well as refugees.

Of course they are socially conservative and have all the baggage christian denominations usually carry. Being against abortion but without making a fuzz over the secular law which legalized it in the mid 70ies, and being anti gay marriage, of course. But again, without making much of a fuzz over it. The protestants, since they are for their largest part mainstream, less than the Catholics.

Just today I read an editorial in one of our rather liberal dailies, penned by two theologians. And although I didn't agree with the religious aspects of what they said I could agree with the article and their motivations.

But especially these days, where we have the very real possibility of extreme rightwingers taking over the country - rightwingers who invoke the christian god at every given opportunity, by the way, the churches make a stance against them. Since they are still heard by the people these rightwingers try to reach with their god claims, a political claim we haven't heard for the better part of 40 years, by the way, it's important for the churches to be vocal. More important than any secular group doing the same.

[bennyboy]

Getting laid, and getting PAID!

[Doubting Thomas]

I don't think fear of Hell is an effective deterrent against committing crimes, seeing as how the vast majority of prisoners in this country are Christians. Nor does religion necessarily make someone a good person, just seems to make people more judgmental toward others. They run around claiming to be righteous but when it comes to actually helping the poor, it's all "Not my tax dollars! If you give stuff to those lazy bums they're just going to stay lazy bums!"

Religion was designed to control people, yet all it seems to be successful at is justifying terrible behavior.

[maestroanth]

I don't think fear of Hell is an effective deterrent against committing crimes, seeing as how the vast majority of prisoners in this country are Christians. Nor does religion necessarily make someone a good person, just seems to make people more judgmental toward others. They run around claiming to be righteous but when it comes to actually helping the poor, it's all "Not my tax dollars! If you give stuff to those lazy bums they're just going to stay lazy bums!"

Religion was designed to control people, yet all it seems to be successful at is justifying terrible behavior.

I like this, kinda getting what I'm at. Is there a way to manipulate religion to control stupid people from doing unethical things without the cost of justifying bad behavior?

[abaris]

Is there a way to manipulate religion to control stupid people from doing unethical things without the cost of justifying bad behavior?

What do you think?

Every ideology is used to manipulate people in a certain way. Usually to bring out the worst in people. Religions at their extremes are nothing but ideologies. It's got nothing to do with stupid people doing unethical things. Stupid in itself doesn't do unethical and intelligent doesn't automatically do ethical.

I've met stupid or ignorant people being among the wisest and kindhearted folks you can imagine. And I've met learned and intelligent people who are amongst the most despicable creatures you can imagine.

There's no simplistic solution to the problems of human nature and the outside influences forming individuals. If you go down the path of manipulating people under whatever flag, you usually get unwanted results. At least if you want to install what you perceive to be ethics into them.

[rado84]

The only good use for religion is to take advantage of the stupidity of believers and get rich on their back. Which is exactly what the catholic church does and what I would do if I had the chance to do it.

[account_inactive]

The only good use for religion is to take advantage of the stupidity of believers and get rich on their back. Which is exactly what the catholic church does and what I would do if I had the chance to do it.

Ah, so you're just as bad as the Catholic Church then.

[rado84]

The only good use for religion is to take advantage of the stupidity of believers and get rich on their back. Which is exactly what the catholic church does and what I would do if I had the chance to do it.

Ah, so you're just as bad as the Catholic Church then.

May be. In any case they'll give their money even without me asking them to do it - that job was already done by the catholic church. But money makes the world go and if you have money, you can own anything and anyone. Bulgarian politicians demonstrate that to us every single day.