Justifying the way things are.

[Combanitorics]

If you asked me what I thought the biggest problem caused by religion was, I'd say, "The fact that it justifies the way things are."  It's not simply the fact that people believe that a God exists that gets to me.  I can kind of understand why it would be that at various times and places in history people have come up with the idea that there might be forces operating outside of what we normally observe as the world around us.  Honestly, if I thought it was all just an attempt to explain life, I'd feel differently.  What gets to me is the fact that people who believe that there is a God and that God created the world are saying, in effect, that this is the way things are supposed to be.  It's not only OK for them that the world is like it is, but this is to them the ideal scenario.  Obviously, the way things are is far from perfect, and I think the religious explanation of life as is is just immoral by any standard.
What I'm trying to say here is that although I often hear athiest saying that belief in a deity is just dumb, I think it goes even deeper than that.  I think it's bad for us as people. 
What do you think?  I know that some people believe that religion has been evolutionarily adaptable in the past, but I tend to think the opposite myself.

[Silver]

Theists do not view anything as perfect. That is why they cling to the falsity of sin, as though that explains everything for them. Sin is the theist's most ultimate scapegoat. It's all about sin for them. Fucking retarded theists.

[houseofcantor]

Yeah. The time of religion's benefits for the group dynamic is largely past. My feathers get ruffled when it sticks its neck out into science.

[robvalue]

I agree. The idea that "god has a plan" is counter-productive, because it breeds inaction.

If he has a plan, it is shit, and we need to overrule it. That seems extremely easy to do, so let's get to it.

[paulpablo]

If you asked me what I thought the biggest problem caused by religion was, I'd say, "The fact that it justifies the way things are."  It's not simply the fact that people believe that a God exists that gets to me.  I can kind of understand why it would be that at various times and places in history people have come up with the idea that there might be forces operating outside of what we normally observe as the world around us.  Honestly, if I thought it was all just an attempt to explain life, I'd feel differently.  What gets to me is the fact that people who believe that there is a God and that God created the world are saying, in effect, that this is the way things are supposed to be.  It's not only OK for them that the world is like it is, but this is to them the ideal scenario.  Obviously, the way things are is far from perfect, and I think the religious explanation of life as is is just immoral by any standard.
What I'm trying to say here is that although I often hear athiest saying that belief in a deity is just dumb, I think it goes even deeper than that.  I think it's bad for us as people. 
What do you think?  I know that some people believe that religion has been evolutionarily adaptable in the past, but I tend to think the opposite myself.

The problem with this idea is that it isn't necessarily true.

Most religions that I can think of have a belief that the way things are on earth are definitely not the way they're supposed to be without religious rules.

From a perspective of someone who believes in god they believe god created the world, and gave humans foreskins and a desire to have sex, drink alcohol, masturbate, eat meat on a Friday, murder, steal and so on.  
But they definitely don't believe this is just the way things are supposed to be, they chop foreskins off, ban pork and alcohol consumption, stone the adulterers, kill the homosexuals, forbid masturbation and so on.

[Hmmm?]

We're awaiting a new heaven and a new earth (Isa 65:17, 2Pe 3:13, Rev 21:1) ...no need to recycle, we needn't worry about emissions, over fishing, deforestation ...the Great Pacific garbage patch.  And it's definitely happening in our lifetime maybe even this year!  But I won't be here, I will be raptured away.  https://youtu.be/vCUxnY0_HZ0

[Edwardo Piet]

It's the theists that are just wishing for and longing for and craving for and hankering after the world ending that bothers me.

Theists who don't give a shit about the environment or future generations because they just want the apocalypse to come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEBPZBWalxU

[drfuzzy]

One of my favorite examples of SICK RELIGION that worships non-intellectualism (some of these evangelical churches will not allow any type of secular education for their children, and that includes college) is Chick Tracts.  Jack Chick has written thousands of these ridiculous things since the 1980's - and he has a huge, devoted following.

A good example of "God's in control, and this is the way things are" is the evangelical dismissal of global warming.  Many evangelicals will tell you that it's an demonic scientist lie, to turn people's thoughts away from god.

Here are two segments from his "Global Warming" tract:

[Thumpalumpacus]

Faith encourages complacency.

[Minimalist]

I agree. The idea that "god has a plan" is counter-productive, because it breeds inaction.

Insh allah.