Religion does more harm than good?

[MrDawn]

Do you think religion does more harm than good? Why or why not?

 

[The Raven]

I disagree with this completely. Religion in its core teaches humans to be good, humble, respectful to others, forgiving, loving, it teaches how to live life so that your sins don't ruin not only your life, but life of others. If people were to follow these teachings, the world would be a better place. There is no crazy ideology in it but those who read the Bible know this.

 

[Jayson]

Fear motivates the scene and people use religion to say what they want it to say. That doesn't mean religion as originally intended was that way.

 

[Dismal_Bliss]

Religion in general? No, I don't support that general sentiment.

Are there certain religious movements or ideologies out there causing harm? Yes.

 

[Al]

Here's a list of religiously motivated wars and genocides and their death tolls.

• The Crusades: 6,000,000
• Thirty Years War: 11,500,000
• French Wars of Religion: 4,000,000
• Second Sudanese Civil War: 2,000,000
• Lebanese Civil War: 250,000
• Muslim Conquests of India: 80,000,000
• Congolese Genocide (King Leopold II): 13,000,000
• Armenian Genocide: 1,500,000
• Rwandan Genocide: 800,000
• Eighty Years' War: 1,000,000
• Nigerian Civil War: 1,000,000
• Great Peasants' Revolt: 250,000
• First Sudanese Civil War: 1,000,000
• Jewish Diaspora (Not Including the Holocaust): 1,000,000
• The Holocaust (Jewish and Homosexual Deaths): 6,500,000
• Islamic Terrorism Since 2000: 150,000
• Iraq War: 500,000
• US Western Expansion (Justified by "Manifest Destiny"):20,000,000
• Atlantic Slave Trade (Justified by Christianity): 14,000,000
• Aztec Human Sacrifice: 80,000
• AIDS deaths in Africa largely due to opposition to condoms: 30,000,000
• Spanish Inquisition: 5,000

TOTAL: 195,035,000 deaths in the name of religion.

 

[Jayson]

Here's a list of religiously motivated wars and genocides and their death tolls.

• The Crusades: 6,000,000
• Thirty Years War: 11,500,000
• French Wars of Religion: 4,000,000
• Second Sudanese Civil War: 2,000,000
• Lebanese Civil War: 250,000
• Muslim Conquests of India: 80,000,000
• Congolese Genocide (King Leopold II): 13,000,000
• Armenian Genocide: 1,500,000
• Rwandan Genocide: 800,000
• Eighty Years' War: 1,000,000
• Nigerian Civil War: 1,000,000
• Great Peasants' Revolt: 250,000
• First Sudanese Civil War: 1,000,000
• Jewish Diaspora (Not Including the Holocaust): 1,000,000
• The Holocaust (Jewish and Homosexual Deaths): 6,500,000
• Islamic Terrorism Since 2000: 150,000
• Iraq War: 500,000
• US Western Expansion (Justified by "Manifest Destiny"):20,000,000
• Atlantic Slave Trade (Justified by Christianity): 14,000,000
• Aztec Human Sacrifice: 80,000
• AIDS deaths in Africa largely due to opposition to condoms: 30,000,000
• Spanish Inquisition: 5,000

TOTAL: 195,035,000 deaths in the name of religion.

What about Stalin and Mao?

 

[DrLeftover]

Here's a list of religiously motivated wars and genocides and their death tolls.

• The Crusades: 6,000,000
• Thirty Years War: 11,500,000
• French Wars of Religion: 4,000,000
• Second Sudanese Civil War: 2,000,000
• Lebanese Civil War: 250,000
• Muslim Conquests of India: 80,000,000
• Congolese Genocide (King Leopold II): 13,000,000
• Armenian Genocide: 1,500,000
• Rwandan Genocide: 800,000
• Eighty Years' War: 1,000,000
• Nigerian Civil War: 1,000,000
• Great Peasants' Revolt: 250,000
• First Sudanese Civil War: 1,000,000
• Jewish Diaspora (Not Including the Holocaust): 1,000,000
• The Holocaust (Jewish and Homosexual Deaths): 6,500,000
• Islamic Terrorism Since 2000: 150,000
• Iraq War: 500,000
• US Western Expansion (Justified by "Manifest Destiny"):20,000,000
• Atlantic Slave Trade (Justified by Christianity): 14,000,000
• Aztec Human Sacrifice: 80,000
• AIDS deaths in Africa largely due to opposition to condoms: 30,000,000
• Spanish Inquisition: 5,000

TOTAL: 195,035,000 deaths in the name of religion.

And, of course, those with no professed religion, Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao, and so on, passed out lolly pops and unicorn stickers to everybody.

 

[Jayson]

Christianity is highly corrupted and many religions are false. That's a un-PC view some have. 😂

 

[Al]

What about Stalin and Mao?

And, of course, those with no professed religion, Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao, and so on, passed out lolly pops and unicorn stickers to everybody.

Ahh, whataboutism, my good friend. When faced with criticism which cannot be refuted, whataboutism is the refuge of the desperate. No counter? No denials? You accept religion is a cause of genocide. I'd say you have just proven the argument that religion does more harm than good.

 

[Dismal_Bliss]

I'd say you have just proven the argument that religion does more harm than good.

There are tens of thousands of religions. You've listed a little over 20 situations, many of them with the same religion at it's root.

There are religions that don't have a problem with condoms, don't engage in human sacrifices, and don't pick up arms and go to war.

 

[Al]

There are religions that don't have a problem with condoms, don't engage in human sacrifices, and don't pick up arms and go to war.

You're dead right. And this isn't an "all religion is bad" situation. The question was "Do you think religion does more harm than good? Why or why not?" There are no absolutes but religion does do more harm than good.

 

[Jayson]

Communism is a religion of sorts. Yeah, I agree religion is terrible. However, we can't really call religion, religion, but rather an organized cult. However, any political movement is a cult and politics is deeply embedded in what people say is religion, because it's a key to power over others.

Anyone get what I'm saying? 🤔

Well, here's another thought, if we got rid of cult behavior what would that do? But it's not possible, really.

 

[Dismal_Bliss]

There are no absolutes but religion does do more harm than good.

And I can't get on board with broad brushing generalizations when we know there are religions that do no harm and produce a lot of good.
Does religion do more harm than good? Depends on the religion. We need to be more specific.

However, we can't really call religion, religion, but rather an organized cult. However, any political movement is a cult ... Anyone get what I'm saying? 🤔

Everything is a cult. Democrats are a cult. Republicans are a cult. Golf is a cult. Forum lovers are a cult, lol.

Cult is short for culture. All sorts of groups have their own culture. Cultivate is a related word. Most parents and friends strive to cultivate similar beliefs and ideals in their children or friends.

Somehow "cult" started being thrown around as an insult, when it really isn't (without context or qualifications).

 

[Jayson]

Well, actually let's use Ireland as an example. The conflict is about nationalism, not religion. So in many places, things seem about religion but aren't.

In fact, the reformation might have been more about freedom from the power of the Catholic church, not it's teachings

Also, the Israel-Palestinian thing is about land ownership.

 

[Al]

We need to be more specific.

I’d probably take a more specific question to a different forum. This was a general question and received a general response.

 

[Jayson]

Here's a list of religiously motivated wars and genocides and their death tolls.

• The Crusades: 6,000,000
• Thirty Years War: 11,500,000
• French Wars of Religion: 4,000,000
• Second Sudanese Civil War: 2,000,000
• Lebanese Civil War: 250,000
• Muslim Conquests of India: 80,000,000
• Congolese Genocide (King Leopold II): 13,000,000
• Armenian Genocide: 1,500,000
• Rwandan Genocide: 800,000
• Eighty Years' War: 1,000,000
• Nigerian Civil War: 1,000,000
• Great Peasants' Revolt: 250,000
• First Sudanese Civil War: 1,000,000
• Jewish Diaspora (Not Including the Holocaust): 1,000,000
• The Holocaust (Jewish and Homosexual Deaths): 6,500,000
• Islamic Terrorism Since 2000: 150,000
• Iraq War: 500,000
• US Western Expansion (Justified by "Manifest Destiny"):20,000,000
• Atlantic Slave Trade (Justified by Christianity): 14,000,000
• Aztec Human Sacrifice: 80,000
• AIDS deaths in Africa largely due to opposition to condoms: 30,000,000
• Spanish Inquisition: 5,000

TOTAL: 195,035,000 deaths in the name of religion.

Lots of things done in the name of religion, but religion wasn't all it was about.

For instance, Jews were wrongly killed cause of economic resentment in tough times and the Atlantic Slave trade was due to lust for profit. The list goes on and on but certain radical atheists like Sam Harris need a simple answer of religion.

 

[DrLeftover]

Ahh, whataboutism, my good friend. When faced with criticism which cannot be refuted, whataboutism is the refuge of the desperate. No counter? No denials? You accept religion is a cause of genocide. I'd say you have just proven the argument that religion does more harm than good.

Yes, genocide, pogroms, cleansing, purges, and whatever else you can come up with have been done in the name of religion. Or in the name of NO religion. Whatever.

And yet, the point remains.

EVIL, is a human condition. The title card presented at the beginning of the drama may say something different, but in the end, the evil done is for purely human reasons.

And that, my good friend. Is the bottom line.

I will take religion totally out of the discussion, and that evil that is being done today in Africa, parts of Asia, even down into the jungles of South America, is HUMAN in origin.

 

[Nebulous]

There are positive aspects of religion, such as gaining a sense of community (by going to church). It gives people peace when it comes to hardships in their lives and makes them feel at ease with passing away. However, its not for me. I am too much of a practical thinker.

 

[Jayson]

It seems like most evil results from an imbalance of natural and/or human resources and that's pretty much undebatable.

 

[Mike30]

In general, without religions, the world would be a total wild-west. Thanks to religions many good believes systems have been implanted in human's brains.
So, I believe that religions are good for the world.