Do you think religion is holding society back?

[Shell B]

Yeah, it was a question. It hardly matters if it's the biggest indictment of religion. The thread title wasn't, "I have a question that is the biggest indictment of religion."

[Astonished]

That's not even a fucking question. It's not even the biggest indictment of religion.

But we'll run out of resources before we ever develop comparable technology. Shame, since we would need interstellar travel capability to get more, but we can't achieve that without said extra resources. Real Catch-22 we've got shoved up us.

All I asked is if Religion is holding society back. Geezz.

Well I'm sorry but it's just such a fundamentally obvious thing that all you can really do with it is skip asking that and start a discussion on HOW MUCH it holds us back.

[mlmooney89]

Well then, someone hasn't had a good breakfast today and put on their grumpy pants.

[Godscreated]

Go back through history and you will see that many Christians have contributed greatly to science, Newton for one. The church also made big strides in medicine. The Adventist church has a huge reputation in health care.

GC

[The Grand Nudger]

Newton didn't make those contributions by bullshitting anyone about gods...and the adventist church's rep in healthcare is based on providing medicine, not jesus.

What kind of failed ideology is so bankrupt in it's own accomplishments that it compels believers to appropriate the work of human beings as the work of their religion? The greatest thing that christianity has ever done for society, if christianity's own stories are to be believed...is to beat a jew near to death then hang him on a cross so that some asshole, somewhere, can avoid just punishment for being an asshole.

Yeah, thanks for that.

[Whateverist]

I don't lose a lot of sleep worrying about how religion is holding us back. We're a monkey mammal with as much interest in scoring a mate and a meal as in science, space travel or 3rd rate sci fi movies. I wouldn't expect too much. But thank you, science for providing us with a look at a wider world than the bit we actually live in.

[Astonished]

Go back through history and you will see that many Christians have contributed greatly to science, Newton for one. The church also made big strides in medicine. The Adventist church has a huge reputation in health care.

GC

Seriously, how bad is your position that you have to scrape the bottom of the barrel like that to say that the dominant belief system of the day (which was enforced violently, not much freedom of choice there) had any impact on empirical discoveries? Let's not forget it was the fucking religious authority that fucked Galileo for being right about something they held sacred. Religion gets zero credit for the discoveries of science and all the blame for impeding it whenever they're involved. They are diametrically opposed and fundamentally in every way incompatible and you prove your own ineptitude by making the mistake of claiming otherwise, and to continue to do so beyond being corrected like this means you're a goddamn liar too.

[SteveII]

To answer the thread question: Do you think religion is holding society back?, you have to define "back from what".

Scientifically, no. In fact, Christianity was instrumental in the early progress of modern science (that's why it developed almost entirely in the west) because it taught that the world and nature was created and entirely discoverable and NOT endowed with spiritual or mystical qualities--like the rest of the world still believed.

Some Utopian society? No. I think it has been proven over and over again that people do not play nicely with other different than themselves. I don't think there is any evidence that religious differences has done anywhere near the harm than non religious events of history.

Morality? No. In fact, I think religion has helped develop the general morality we see today in western countries. Most of us would agree that the western morality is superior to other parts of the world where differences arise.

Imploding? Yes. No matter what you think about religion, it has a very real, largely positive, psychological effect on people

[Sal]

To answer OP, yes.

Religious fanaticism gave us the Dark Ages and the Catholic Church vehemently silenced, tortured and murdered dissenters.

[NuclearEnergy]

To answer the thread question: Do you think religion is holding society back?, you have to define "back from what".

Scientifically, no. In fact, Christianity was instrumental in the early progress of modern science (that's why it developed almost entirely in the west) because it taught that the world and nature was created and entirely discoverable and NOT endowed with spiritual or mystical qualities--like the rest of the world still believed.

Some Utopian society? No. I think it has been proven over and over again that people do not play nicely with other different than themselves. I don't think there is any evidence that religious differences has done anywhere near the harm than non religious events of history.

Morality? No. In fact, I think religion has helped develop the general morality we see today in western countries. Most of us would agree that the western morality is superior to other parts of the world where differences arise.

Imploding? Yes. No matter what you think about religion, it has a very real, largely positive, psychological effect on people

Hate to say it, but while I respect your opinion, I do think your view of the world is quite warped. And it shows with your post.