Has religion benefited the world in any meaningful way?

[Dax]

As far as I’m concerned the answer is no. Religion has been responsible for the torture and death of millions of people. The Crusades, Inquisition, French Wars of Religion, The Thirty Year War, the Ottoman Empire genocide, Catholic versus Protestant in Ireland & the Holocaust, to name but a few instances. Then of course there’s the terrible trauma caused to young children who were and are probably still being sexually abused by Roman Catholic priests.

[Matthew Mussolini]

As far as I’m concerned the answer is no. Religion has been responsible for the torture and death of millions of people. The Crusades, Inquisition, French Wars of Religion, The Thirty Year War, the Ottoman Empire genocide, Catholic versus Protestant in Ireland & the Holocaust, to name but a few instances. Then of course there’s the terrible trauma caused to young children who were and are probably still being sexually abused by Roman Catholic priests.

What do you mean by Religion?

I have found that practiing Shintoism and praying the Rosary and receiving Holy Communion has often given me extreme relief from misery, joy in bizzare depressing circumstances, motivated me to give money, possessions, and food away, volunteer my time at places that relieve suffering, and I might still be a sociopath if I had no Religion.

Also,
most of the athiests I meet are more mean, bitter, selfish, hateful, and abrasive than the average religious person. You can see examples of this by simply going to an atheist forum , then going to a religious forum and see where you will find the most profanity, insults, and hatred at. I already know the answer.

Also,
in the 20th Century, atheist regimes killed far more people than any Religious regime. Does that make atheism bad? Something to consider.

When I was homeless the people who helped me out the most were religious people.

[Meliai]

I think religion is just a reflection of human nature.

Buddhism and eastern religions are completely different from Catholicism and Abrahamic religions and yet I've read about the same sort of abuses occurring with Buddhist monks as Catholic priests, which just goes to show it's the practitioners and not the religion they're practicing.

I think the issue with religion is that it is used as an authority rather than a personal journey. Anything which exploits its authority in order to control a population is bound to be rife with corruption, which is why you see the same sort of thing in societies where atheism is enforced by authority

[Dax]

I. D.

Religion: ".. the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods."
The rest of your reply is your personal opinion and experience to which you are fully entitled.

[Jessica]

Yes, it has.

Nothing you say is false, and I don't think there is much benefit in the continued existence of organised religion, but it seems narrow sighted to disregard all the good that comes from people who see Jesus' true example, and follow it.. or who find peace in the concepts of buddhism..

A lot of the "evil" that has been done seems to be from a place where religion meets politics. That's a dangerous area.
I would argue that politics is the darker element, and has created wars, ignored poverty, allowed suffering.
But applying the same question.. I wouldn't say that politics hasn't benefited mankind either.

[Zoolander]

Well whether it has or hasn't is a moot point, it is here to stay (no matter what ignorant atheist gutter trash like Richard Dawkins have to say about it) and it's a real cuntish opinion by the OP for suggesting or blaming the Holocaust on religion, dude, you some kind of drop kick, 6 million Jewish lives were extinguished cause of their faith, your suggestion pretty much makes a mockery of their suffering and deaths.


Also you forget to the total corrupt and intolerant nature of mankind, Atheists may disagree, but religion and faith has instilled things like conscious and guilt and other such moral compasses and laws which play a major part in our government and judicial laws.

Ethics and kindness do come from some kind of fundamental, religious basis and in fact, I would suggest the world needs more religious indoctrinate and faith, not less.


Philosophically speaking, the Westen World turning away (fundamentally) from God has left it more rudderless, confused, and led to a bigger uprising of intolerance and hatred than at almost any other point in recorded human history.

The world needs religion, arguably more than it ever has.

[Jessica]

See, here is a tip for you. You don't have to follow it, you be you, I accept that.. but just a tip, if you want to better understand the response you get from others..

"and it's a real cuntish opinion by the OP for suggesting or blaming the Holocaust on religion, dude, you some kind of drop kick, 6 million Jewish lives were extinguished cause of their faith, your suggestion pretty much makes a mockery of their suffering and deaths."

Stop assuming that people who say things you disagree with are doing it to be a cunt. Perhaps they are just mistaken, or haven't seen another perspective. Just, without the offensive, aggressive language, state why you think it is an incorrect opinion. It is the opinion you want to fight, not always the person who said it.

[Amerijuanican]

I think the issue with religion is that it is used as an authority rather than a personal journey.

Exactly. The expected journey is laid out by the church you go to.

In my opinion, religion is a personal matter. Anytime a person lets themselves be meshed into a group setting, they become totally responsible to that group. It's unspoken truth. That doesn't cut it w/me.

If a religious group is truly interested in your personal growth they will help you in your journey, not judge you in groupthink and as a result, treat you accordingly.

[neonspectraltoast]

In great, meaningful ways, people have been inspired to dedicate themselves to the meaning of goodness: God. Not to some cold, callous universe that rips them all apart in the end, rendering their relationships meaningless.

[Undies]

religion may have been more useful way back in the ancient times. i don't think it does a whole lot of good now, although there are a bunch of religious people who do great things in the name of religion. but then i would assume most of those people would do good things either way, so you can't entirely attribute it to religion. in the same way, i wouldn't say religion is responsible for the torture and death of millions of people either; shitty people are responsible for that and they use religion as a scapegoat for their shitty actions.

[SpaceMan]

its good for controlling the stupid people who cant think for themselves...but of course some of the smarter ones figured out its a good tool to use for manipulating those simple minds for evil purposes

so yes its done some good...but id say in the whole it will be the downfall of humans

[Audiogen]

I think it's primarily responsible for hospitals. I'm not sure how much blood shed needed to occur in the name of religion to develop the concept but regardless, they are a benefit to the world.

[Amerijuanican]

lol good point

[neonspectraltoast]

Religion, as defined here, as the belief in a higher power, isn't control, but liberation. A higher judgment than that of your human counterparts actually exists. One sees your heart; the other sees your social status.

[Zoolander]

It has to be said that Islam far more than any other religion or culture, brought humanity out of the Dark/Middle Ages, with its enlightened and advanced (for It's time) innovations on medicine, science, mathematics etc.
it also was the first major religion to permit women to own property and get divorces etc.

And it's also a little known fact a woman can have many husbands if she so wishes under Islam, just as many Princes in Jordan etc seem to have wives (although personally speaking one woman is enough for me, I fail to understand how one Sheikh could keep 10 or more wives happy lol)


Unfortunately the last couple of centuries Islam has not progressed as much as I would hope, but I honestly think the USA and other major world powers are to blame for keeping those misogynistic and homophobic regimes in power in Oil Filled Nations like Saudi Arabia and the UAE etc.

And of course I find the concept of child brides in regions like Pakistan and other Asian nations with a large Muslim population sickening and indefensible.

And you may ask why don't the people There rise up and overthrow the pricks in charge there, far easier said than done, people and journalists who speak out those regimes there end up in jailed, tortured and often killed.

Do you honestly think most of the (and i truly believe this) decent Muslims who lIve in those tyrannical and oppressive countries are happy to support such oppressive governments where liberty is almost non existent.

I know several parents/older people who saved up all the money in the old to send their children overseas to much more tolerant and progressive nations like Australia and Canada in order to get a first class education and free from the toxicity of those countries and governments who have twisted and distorted the beautiful message and meaning of Islam, into something evil and abhorrent.

Finally, my blatant and unacceptable misogynist, racist and homophobia here has absolutely 100 % nothing to do with my Islamic upbringing and culture here.

My Mother, as much as I love and appreciate her, is a very strong willed, kind but also extremely critical parent (maybe she had to be basically raising me and my brother as a single parent)

I was bullied/demeaned at primary school for being a child of a Lebanese Muslim (some Wanker came close to drowning me at a local swimming pool when I was 7, simply due to who my mother and her nationality was)

Finally I will put all my cards on the table here, I was raped and sexually abused as a child by a trusted family member, which pretty much destroyed my ability to function as a normal human being and why I sometimes lash out with homophobic terms, esp against gay men.

I have PTSD and often flashbacks because of it. And I have become somewhat of a warped human being/alcoholic because of it.

I do not expect or want forgiveness or understanding for my behaviour here, just a hopeful understanding that none of my behaviour has anything to do with my religion.

Also Dax I owe you an sincere apology for that vile rant last night.

I do not agree with what you said, but that does not excuse me at all (even if I was extremely stoned and sozzled at the time) for such crass and vulgar disrespect and abuse

You did not deserve to be the subject of such thoughtless trash from me, and I cannot apologize enough..

I wish you and your loved ones nothing but peace, happiness and good karma for the rest of 2021

[Jessica]

i'm sorry you've had to experience such horrible things. try to remember that the people who treat you the worst probably have their own traumas. if they were happy people, they wouldn't find comfort/pleasure in treating others badly.
have you ever sought therapy? it might help you to talk to someone about it. i think you have a lot of anger against yourself. you deserve to forgive yourself.

[Sooz]

Religion has worked but it has some dodgey people in the whole thing that has made their lives bad.
As soon as the sex offenders are weeded out we need to work out what is so good about religion.

[PacificDude]

John Lennon - Imagine