Does Religion Do a Good Job Promoting Morality?

[3.14]

no most religions are bad at promoting morality but good at promoting conformity wich has as side effect: generalizing morality in good/bad

[darkendless]

Religion promotes morality, but the morals often differ causing inner bickering. If religion could decide on common morals they would be successful, but until then they're just as bad as politicians.

[tomspug]

"Promoting morality" doesn't necessarily mean that religions are doing a good job, if you get my meaning. The US Government promotes morality all the time by telling us what is good for us and what is bad for us. The drug war may have good 'intentions', but does it actually accomplish its actual goals? If it's goals are to get people to hate drugs, then fine. But if their goal is to STOP drugs, it's not very effective.

So... to answer your question, if religions only care about telling people how to live their lives, they are succeeding. But if their goal is to actually embed morality into the culture, well, does it look like they are succeeding?

[crystalonyx]

Man's laws promote morality, religion promotes religion.

[science_is_my_god]

Religion promoting morals is like someone donating clothes to a homeless shelter just to get a tax wright off.

[DallasApple]

Originally Posted by Sunstone

Do religions do a good job promoting morality? Do religious people tend to be more moral than non-religious people? Are religions in any way necessary to establish or promote morality? Do religions pretty much just follow the morality of the times, maybe lagging behind the times a bit?

I think you can be moral either way..or immoral either way..Religion or not..

And besides that..who is defining whats moral and not?

Sometimes? Defining something immoral can be immoral in itself to many..Or vice versa..Defining something moral..can be immoral to many...

Sometimes we mostly agree..(those are the good and moral times)

Love

Dallas

[Jayhawker Soule]

Religions do a very human and oft times noble job of promoting morality.

[Scuba Pete]

Do religions promote morality? No. People within a specific religion promote morality, amorality or immorality based on their concept of their religion. A particular religion may codify that reality, but it is entirely up to the individual to understand and accept that version of morality as their own.

Take religious based hate. We are told by many of the Religious Right that we should hate Gays, because they believe God hates Gays. For me, the hate of any person is simply immoral. My stance makes me singularly unpopular among not only these people, but also among an entire gamut of people who feel that hate is OK. Heck, even some atheists rather dislike me for this stand.

However, no matter HOW the Religious Right twist things, the premise of Christianity as preached by Jesus was love and tolerance. How then can the religion of Love and Tolerance seem to give rise to so much animosity towards a group of people? Individuals. Individuals trying to make sense of their own individual prejudices, will twist the religion to their most unholy agenda. Yes, there may be many individuals, and they may even make up a "moral majority", or at least they seem to at times. But that's not religion's fault. Religions do not start wars: people do. Religions can only codify conduct and/or beliefs, but it is up to individuals to interpret/understand those ideals.

[The Voice of Reason]

Originally Posted by tariqkhwaja