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Does the World Need Religion?
January 25, 2017 at 10:53 am
(This post was last modified: January 25, 2017 at 10:55 am by phoenix31.)
I'm sure this has been discussed numerous times already, so pardon my repetition.
I'm just wondering your opinion. Does religion help keep people in line morally, and is it worthwhile in that way?
If the world were to lose its religions, would people become pessimistic or hedonistic? Would the result be anarchy?
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RE: Does the World Need Religion?
January 25, 2017 at 10:57 am
For every benefit of religion, there is a secular alternative with fewer strings attached. In the long-run, I think the world would be a a far better place without religion.
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RE: Does the World Need Religion?
January 25, 2017 at 11:05 am
What do you say to those who make the argument that more atrocities have been committed by atheists than by religions?
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RE: Does the World Need Religion?
January 25, 2017 at 11:16 am
(January 25, 2017 at 11:05 am)phoenix31 Wrote: What do you say to those who make the argument that more atrocities have been committed by atheists than by religions?
Even if I accepted that claim (which I don't), atheism absolutely 100% cannot lead you to any conclusion or action for good or for ill. How could it? How, also, could religion have improved on the actions of the atheists who have committed atrocities any better than other secular methods, especially considering the sea of atrocities committed by the religious?
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RE: Does the World Need Religion?
January 25, 2017 at 11:38 am
(January 25, 2017 at 10:53 am)phoenix31 Wrote: I'm just wondering your opinion. Does religion help keep people in line morally, and is it worthwhile in that way?
Clearly.
At the age of five, Skagra decided emphatically that God did not exist. This revelation tends to make most people in the universe who have it react in one of two ways - with relief or with despair. Only Skagra responded to it by thinking, 'Wait a second. That means there's a situation vacant.'
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RE: Does the World Need Religion?
January 25, 2017 at 11:42 am
Religion keeps the world stupid. That is never a good thing.
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RE: Does the World Need Religion?
January 25, 2017 at 11:44 am
At best, all but one of the world's religions are false religions, so, phoenix31, what does the world need with that ??
The granting of a pardon is an imputation of guilt, and the acceptance a confession of it.
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RE: Does the World Need Religion?
January 25, 2017 at 11:51 am
(January 25, 2017 at 11:16 am)Jesster Wrote: (January 25, 2017 at 11:05 am)phoenix31 Wrote: What do you say to those who make the argument that more atrocities have been committed by atheists than by religions?
Even if I accepted that claim (which I don't), atheism absolutely 100% cannot lead you to any conclusion or action for good or for ill. How could it? How, also, could religion have improved on the actions of the atheists who have committed atrocities any better than other secular methods, especially considering the sea of atrocities committed by the religious?
If there is no God then there is no divine consequence for actions. Power hungry people can take advantage of others and get away with things like murder and genocide as much as society allows them to. I'm not saying atheism itself leads one to ill will, but that some people are predisposed to a thirst for power and will pursue these ends if they believe they can without consequence, whereas the majority of religious teaching is centered around peaceful actions and instills fear of divine consequence for wrongdoing. So possibly those brought up with this worldview are less disposed to things like murder and genocide.
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RE: Does the World Need Religion?
January 25, 2017 at 11:55 am
Quote:Power hungry people can take advantage of others and get away with things like murder and genocide as much as society allows them to.
Yeah.... and what did fucking god do to stop them?
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RE: Does the World Need Religion?
January 25, 2017 at 12:00 pm
(This post was last modified: January 25, 2017 at 12:01 pm by Jesster.)
(January 25, 2017 at 11:51 am)phoenix31 Wrote: If there is no God then there is no divine consequence for actions. Power hungry people can take advantage of others and get away with things like murder and genocide as much as society allows them to. I'm not saying atheism itself leads one to ill will, but that some people are predisposed to a thirst for power and will pursue these ends if they believe they can without consequence, whereas the majority of religious teaching is centered around peaceful actions and instills fear of divine consequence for wrongdoing. So possibly those brought up with this worldview are less disposed to things like murder and genocide.
You weren't listening to me. You are setting up a belief in these divine consequences as the only solution, and I am telling you that there are other (more immediate) solutions. Humanity may have flaws, but we are a social species that is able to work together to smooth out our individual flaws. Your scenario only spells our doom if we were all lonely hermit savages, which we are not. With that in mind, why is a fear of divine consequence (which we see the religious ignore anyway) suddenly better than our own social consequences that we are able to call into question in this life instead of waiting for the afterlife?
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