Is religion a necessary evil?

[purplepurpose]

Looking at the tragic statistics on suicide and crime, does religion with it's scare tactics doesn't sound so bad?

I mean, if you believe in Hell, even partially, you won't be as likely to kill yourself or become a criminal.

[Minimalist]

It's an unnecessary evil.  Just look at all the people who function quite well without it and then compare them to the dumb motherfuckers who burden themselves with it!

[purplepurpose]

It's an unnecessary evil.  Just look at all the people who function quite well without it and then compare them to the dumb motherfuckers who burden themselves with it!

I'm not saying that you should like religion. I mean that, a lot, really a lot of people would have destroyed themselves if it wasn't for religion.

[Duty]

This reminds me of somebody at the station earlier. They said "hell" to denote the "h" in their numberplate. Not "hotel"...oh no, "hell"

[no one]

Religion, in and of itself is neither good or evil, it's the asshats who have hijacked, molested, and raped it for their own personal benefits. Primative misunderstandings of the natural sciences led to its inception, and I can understand that. What I do not understand is, how anyone in the modern world can accept it on faith alone, without any deeper investigation.

[mlmooney89]

I do think some people need religion. It gives them structure, guidelines, hope. Not everyone can cope with the idea of their own death and not everyone can live morally without a reward system. My god parents' kid went to prison for 7 years and came out "with religion" he is still unbalanced but now he has a kid and job which we were scared to death of him having a kid. If his religion is keeping him on a good path so be it. I will never tell him he is wrong to believe.

[Brian37]

I am an atheist so no.

It is simply a byproduct of a species that started out in ignorance and the fact that even today most humans get sold their local social norms at birth prior to forming adult critical thinking skills. It does have the real evolutionary benefit of group socializing, but it is not required for evolution to occur Grass and trees and bacteria don't create religions.

[Whateverist]

Looking at the tragic statistics on suicide and crime, does religion with it's scare tactics doesn't sound so bad?

I mean, if you believe in Hell, even partially, you won't be as likely to kill yourself or become a criminal.

But how is it desirable (let alone necessary) that someone be forced to endure a life they'd prefer ended?

[robvalue]

Well, in Christianity you can do whatever you like and then just ask for forgiveness.

I find this question strange, because it’s not like religion can be abolished in any ethical way; nor can anyone decide to suddenly start believing in a load of mythological stuff because they think it would be a good idea.

[brewer]

The religious live longer, well according to some sources they do. (sub-saharan africa don't look so good)

It then becomes a question of quality vs quantity. I'm pickin quality. The US compulsion to live longer at all costs is over rated. 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/...ive-longer