Religion is Harmful to Society

[robvalue]

That is indeed an assumption I would challenge.

"The human race must continue! [At almost any cost]"

Now, we're really not in any danger of actually dying out (unless we do blow ourself up) but even if we were, why is this so important? I don't see that it matters. Sure, our infrastructure would be abandoned and this would cause a lot of short term problems for other life forms. But in the long run, who cares if we're gone? I don't, and I will kill everyone (metaphorically speaking, of course.)

We see ourselves as the pinnacle of evolution. But evolution has no goals, we're just another outcome. 99% of species that have ever lives have gone extinct, yet all we really care about is whether we go extinct.

Of course, evolution also explains the drive to keep your own race going. I'm not saying it's surprising. I'm just saying it's something I don't think people always critically analyse.

I can see the argument that "everything we've achieved will be lost!" But really, everything we've achieved is largely for our own benefit, so there won't be anyone there to miss it. A lot of the great charitable work that is done is attempts to repair damage done by humans.

[Tonus]

Now wait a minute.  Are you telling us that you have compared human flesh, prepared in a manner similar to bacon, from a similar cut of human, to bacon from a pig?

It's simple logic, really.  Bacon is the tastiest thing in existence.  Human flesh would, at best, fall in second place.

[Pyrrho]

Now wait a minute.  Are you telling us that you have compared human flesh, prepared in a manner similar to bacon, from a similar cut of human, to bacon from a pig?

It's simple logic, really.  Bacon is the tastiest thing in existence.  Human flesh would, at best, fall in second place.

I think it is just that you have never had a human properly prepared.  I think it might be superbacon.  Until you have tried it, you cannot know that bacon really is "the tastiest thing in existence."

[Tonus]

I think it is just that you have never had a human properly prepared.  I think it might be superbacon.  Until you have tried it, you cannot know that bacon really is "the tastiest thing in existence."

HERETIC!!!

[comet]

I can think of a few good things religion does but several more things that are harmful to people/society (particularly young people):

Good things:
Controls the masses (fear of God/sinning), gives terminally ill/elderly (false) hope, many volunteer/help the homeless/poor, there is some wisdom in some of the religious texts, but mostly BS

Bad things:
Radicalism, terrorism, gang like, brainwashes young people, false hope of afterlife, puts fear in people, religious institutions are tax-free businesses, people waste their time at religious institutions/reading about religion, religion makes us superior to animals and pits religions against each other (tribe like)

Please help me add to my list either good things or bad things about religion. Thank you.

we would have to properly weight the events.  Some people cannot handle putting a number to children suffering. Until then its just hear say.  And the millions helped compared to tens of thousands hurt make it worthwhile.  besides, I half think it's our laws that make bad people able to exploit religion as a weapon.  Not religion by itself.