Is religion a force for good in the world?

[Simon]

Excluding the existence of any supernatural powers, or any comment whatsoever on the fallacy or truth of religious belief, and based only what we have seen [i]as a direct result of religion in this world[/i], can we see that religion is a positive or negative influence on the world as we know it?

Thoughts and feelings, questions, queries, doubtful points, moans, groans, itches, bitches, theories, queries, unwanted pregnancies; all is welcome here. Spill your mind into text.

:)

[Übereil]

At best it's a poor reason to do good. At worst it's an excuse for genocide.

[Marina Langlois]

I agree completely

[Jayla Cucu R.]

True, very true.

[Casi Mendoza]

Genius.

[Dftba420]

/thread

[Meredith B]

I agree, but I think we shouldn't forsake the good aspects of religion. After all, there are far more religious people in the world who find friendship, love and acceptance in their religious communities just as we have found those things in Nerdfighteria. It is the absolute certainty that one is correct that is dangerous when it comes to religion, and you can find that anywhere, people just tend to be more passionate about it when that certainty is found via religion. Aside from the communities that form around religion, I don't believe there is anything wrong with finding spiritual peace and happiness in faith, even though I have always been too skeptical to manage it myself. :D

Anyway, there is so much good to be found in religion that we shouldn't write off the whole thing because of a few really, REALLY bad apples.

[Maiasia Grimes]

I agree completely with you.

[Kayla]

^This.

 

Personally, I've never felt fully accepted here, whereas I have felt completely accepted in my religion despite my oddities, both physically and mentally. 

[Vertigo_One [Ops Mod]]

No, there arnt. Religion is a surface issue for lots of wars, but the real causes are far more base (greed, fear, anger, lust for power etc) things that all humans have.

[Vertigo_One [Ops Mod]]

Again, I still disagree. Almost any war where religion has been involved, its a surface factor, not a central cause.

 

Lets look at the most famous example, the Crusades. There was nothing remotely religious about it. The Arab armies had been attacking the Byzantines and taken part of their territory, which included Israel. The western Chruch saw this as an oppotunity to regain favour with the east and re-unite them, and so agreed to militarly assist. It was an entirely power/land concern. Religion may have been used to stir the masses, but if it wasn't religion, it would have been armies raised on pain of death.

[Vertigo_One [Ops Mod]]

All that shows is that the Quran supports the principle of self defence. That's not something that shows religion starts wars.

 

Even the recent bush said "Behind all of life and all of history, there's a dedication and purpose, set by the hand of a just and faithful God".

 

So? I'm not sure what you're arguing there? That Bush believed that God wanted every war that has happened to happen.

 

This doesn't show that religion is cause of wars but rather shows that religions support war and do not show it in a negative way.

 

No, your wrong. It shows that the two examples you show believe War may be a nessecary evil. That's not the same as supporting it or being behind it.

 

3000 people have so far died because of the troubles in Northern Island between the Catholics and the Protestant because of the difference in a opinion.

 

If you believe the central cause of the NI troubles is to do with religion, you misunderstand it. It's a political question, IE who rules the Island. One group wants it to be a unified single Island with no influence from Britian, others do not, others want something inbetween. You won't find anything in Catholicism or Protestantisim that has an opinion on that matter.

[Jay]

But just because it's a surface factor doesn't mean it isn't a major part of it.  Yes, the leaders all used it as an excuse, but even then leaders needed the support of their people.  To them, religion was a real motivating factor, and without it the crusades may not have occurred at all.