(January 5, 2015 at 10:49 am)Jacob(smooth) Wrote: This was sort of a question which arose in my mind from the "is religion child abuse" thread.
Is religion always a bad thing?
I'll go on a limb here and say I think not. I honestly believe that had I not found my faith when I did I would not be here. It was a valuable crutch at a time when I desperately needed one. It was, I now believe, based on a lie, but it was no less effective for that, a "spiritual placebo" if you will. No active ingredient but still gives results.
What say you?
I hate questions like this because the believer when you say "yes it is always bad" will childishly take that as bigoted, instead of considering that it is an issue of evidence and pragmatism.
A kaleidoscope is a pretty toy with pretty colors, but it is not a tool. Religion is a result of humans flawed perceptions. It can and does create safety in numbers but it is not a real tool. Hiding behind it and pointing out pretty things and acts of kindness does not change that it is still a result of flawed perceptions and nothing more than a human invention.
Our species ability to be cruel or compassionate is a result of evolution, not religion. Religion is nothing more than gap filling and an artificial construct invented by humans to create social order.
Religion is bad because it allows humans to cling to bad claims. That is not to say you can end it by force of law. It is simply a bad way to observe the nature of reality, much like if you tried to use a kaleidoscope in place of a telescope. But it is even worse in that people will kill trying to insist their kaleidoscope deserves to be free from criticism.
You cannot get rid of it, but it must always be treated like a weapon to insure that you can keep it from going off the rails.
Religion is no different than a volcano. Most of the time it can be dormant, but it is still dangerous and you must always keep your eyes on it.
