Poll: Would the world be a better place without religion?

[Serious_Stalin]

This isn't a simple question, and its not a question about god either.

If religion didn't exist, of course we will never know but how do you think the human race could of coped without it?

I'm not adding a maybe, if you don't want to form an opinion you don't have to vote.

 

[fulano]

Right now, I don't think so. In the future, probably.

 

[jim_doki]

you are just begging for a lock, you know that right?

the world would be a lot better without religion, I mean half our wars are based on religious differences, but then again there are a lot of people in this world who put up with a lot of shit in the hopes that maybe after they're done here they get a reward of some kind. this gets a no

 

[wewontdie11]

Hmm well I think in the long run probably no.

On the positives, religion is responsible for many people finding a purpose in life, probably responsible for a lot of people's moralities, it is the basis for a fair portion of law in this country and helps some people cope with death by thinking there is something beyond this world.

On the down side though religion is responsible for millions of deaths in wars and inquisitions and the like, Christianity in particular was adopted by the Romans as a means to oppress the people and keep them in line by literally putting the fear of God into them and statistically, whatever religion you believe in it is fairly likely to be wrong anyway.

Just thought I'd make my point before this gets locked.

 

[fulano]

you are just begging for a lock, you know that right?

the world would be a lot better without religion, I mean half our wars are based on religious differences, but then again there are a lot of people in this world who put up with a lot of shit in the hopes that maybe after they're done here they get a reward of some kind. this gets a no

You can argue that, but right now religion provides a form of comfort and a firm base of moral values as seen by many people that just can't realistically be displaced just like that.

 

[The Iron Ninja]

No, some people need religion. I would be fine without it though.

 

[babyblues]

People would just find something else to fight about, so it doesn't really matter.

Besides, I think religion is nice in a way. I myself am not religious but some people look to their deities for comfort and support in times of need, as unabomberman says. Religion isn't the problem, people are.

 

[KingPotato]

After months of just scanning the forums here without registering and of course the weekly Zero Punctuation, i feel fully inclined to finally sign up and put forth my opinion.

The answer is yes, plain and simple alot of problems that exist in the world today are in some way or another linked ot a form of religion. Take for example some Terroists who believe everyone else inferioir and must be destroyed or converted...

OR the way in which religous groups try to activly censor things we can see do and participate in just because they believe it to be a "SIN".

Living in australia we have to have a unanimous vote to introduce a R 18+ rating for games but becasue we have one jackass christian in a position of power who says Hell no to the idea we are forced to be stuck with am archaic MA15+ rating.

Which incidently leaves us no only with watered down versions of some games; but more so "endangers our children" in relation to them accessing violent content. Where we are given a game that has been 18+ in other parts of the world and gets a 15+ rating here so parents think ah, it can't be that bad *gives 10 year old adults game*.

I would see my self as a militant atheist for lack of a better word, im fine with some one haveing good morals or religous ones and all that jazz, but believeing in god... just no

 

[Calobi]

This current world might be, but I still voted no. If we could separate the different views, or just get them to stop fighting there would be no problem with it.

However, I fell it does contribute positively to most of the people who practice. It gives people a sense of purpose (albeit sometimes a skewed sense, but a sense nonetheless) and helps spread positive morals and beliefs.

 

[Soulfein]

Religion isn't the problem. Extremism is. Dogma is. Religion has a positive effect.

 

[Jamanticus]

Religion isn't the problem. Extremism is. Dogma is. Religion has a positive effect.

Agreed, fully. It's really another dimension of the human condition- taking it away is taking away a part of humanity

 

[MercenaryCanary]

Think about it.How many atheists have burned people for being a witch.If not look at the prison populations beliefs and it'll stand out.

 

[fulano]

Ok, let's see religion as a means to an end, right? Religion so far works just enough to still be needed in the grand scale of things, no matter if you believe in a a burning chrome plated frog as your creator, as long as it helps you it's legit, right?

Right now, without it we'd be screwed. In the long run when people are hopefully more prone to interpreting nature, simple experimental based explanations will become the norm and religion will slowly be phased out, having fulfilled it's purpose (it's already happening as of now).

Then people will truly be forced to be held accountable for their actions by other people and we won't need any kind of theological construct to symbolically hold our hands.

EDITED for punctuation.

 

[The Iron Ninja]

Think about it.How many atheists have burned people for being a witch.If not look at the prison populations beliefs and it'll stand out.

Sure, no religion would mean less of that. But then people would get burned for something else (like having red hair or something) it's just in our nature to be assholes.

 

[rossatdi]

Although I would concede that our moral codes are rooted in religion I would argue that religion, in its function as an ordering mechanism for the universe, is rooted in our humanity. Our very nature precludes the imposition of law over our base instincts and the first cause of this was creating settled communities. Something from which organised religion evolved from not into.

 

[Quel0]

I think that we should stop believing in just one possibility and come to the realisation that everything happens in an infinite universe. Therefore every religion/belief/stupid idea is a reality. This would encourage creative intellectualism and reduce foolish fights about "being right."

 

[rossatdi]

Think about it.How many atheists have burned people for being a witch.If not look at the prison populations beliefs and it'll stand out.

Sure, no religion would mean less of that. But then people would get burned for something else (like having red hair or something) it's just in our nature to be assholes.

Speaking as an agnostic it's just worth pointing out that the two individuals responsible for the most death (Mao and Stalin) were both communists, worshiped as religious figures. The important thing is that absolute belief in a person, code or system is almost guaranteed to fuck up at some point.

I feel sorry for Marx, for someone whose basic message was the working class should stop letting industry and religion push them around, he had his ideas truly warped. Historical materialism is actually pretty bang on.

 

[YukoValis]

it's a sad and simple truth that more people have been killed in the name or a Religion then anything else. It is religion that tries to answer every question in this world with "It did it" and when something goes wrong "It did it for a good reason I'm sure" Now Science doesn't know everything that's for darn sure, but at least it TRIES. without the cop-out attitude of a religion.

 

[BogeymanX]

Religion isn't the problem. Extremism is. Dogma is. Religion has a positive effect.

Agreed, fully. It's really another dimension of the human condition- taking it away is taking away a part of humanity

TOTALLY!