Organized Religion: The Root Of All Evil

[Neo Deist]

I am of the belief that organized religion is the root of all evil. Many of the atrocities that have been committed over the course of time have a religious undertone to them. Countless times the phrase "in the name of God" has been tossed around to justify acts of violence.

Most religions have a period of time in which they were the aggressors and carried out heinous, violent acts of barbarism. From the Christian Crusades into the Holy Land all the way up to the radical Islamic terrorists of today. Religion is a cultural issue, and when two different cultures collide, the end result has a tendency to turn violent. Such is the nature of humans.

Quite frankly I am tired of all the holy wars, the suicide bombings, the beheadings, the retaliations, and the Romanesque Coliseum interest in such violence. The radicals on all sides would serve the planet better if they would all just off themselves and leave the rest of us in peace. Live and let live.

 

[Brickjectivity]

I am of the belief that organized religion is the root of all evil. Many of the atrocities that have been committed over the course of time have a religious undertone to them. Countless times the phrase "in the name of God" has been tossed around to justify acts of violence.

Overly simplistic. Wars wouldn't happen if there were no organized religions? Sure they would.

Most religions have a period of time in which they were the aggressors and carried out heinous, violent acts of barbarism. From the Christian Crusades into the Holy Land all the way up to the radical Islamic terrorists of today. Religion is a cultural issue, and when two different cultures collide, the end result has a tendency to turn violent. Such is the nature of humans.

Not so. What most religions have are time when they are used politically. One or two religions may be political in nature but most are not.

Quite frankly I am tired of all the holy wars, the suicide bombings, the beheadings, the retaliations, and the Romanesque Coliseum interest in such violence. The radicals on all sides would serve the planet better if they would all just off themselves and leave the rest of us in peace. Live and let live.

From the mistaken assumption that religions always cause wars you conclude that religions are evil. You hide the nature of humankind and the fact that wars happen without religions. Wars are convenient for those people who benefit from them, but people in most religions don't benefit generally from war. Instead it is those with political authority who stand to benefit from victory. Your enemy is not religion but political power, but you either don't see that or can't admit it.

 

[Neo Deist]

Overly simplistic.

Not really.

Wars wouldn't happen if there were no organized religions?

Never said that.

What most religions have are time when they are used politically. One or two religions may be political in nature but most are not.

Religion and politics go hand in hand.

From the mistaken assumption that religions always cause wars you conclude that religions are evil.

Again, not what I said.

You hide the nature of humankind and the fact that wars happen without religions.

I hide nothing. Humans are destructive by nature, regardless of the catalyst.

Wars are convenient for those people who benefit from them, but people in most religions don't benefit generally from war.

Duh! But that does not stop the bandwagon effect.

Instead it is those with political authority who stand to benefit from victory. Your enemy is not religion but political power, but you either don't see that or can't admit it.

I admit that if everyone was a deist and just chilled out, forums like this would not exist.

 

[Katzpur]

The radicals on all sides would serve the planet better if they would all just off themselves and leave the rest of us in peace.

Yes, they would. but you appear to be equating all religious people with radicals, and that's an unfair generalization to be saddling the vast majority of us with.

 

[Neo Deist]

Yes, they would. but you appear to be equating all religious people with radicals, and that's an unfair generalization to be saddling the vast majority of us with.

Unless you are a radical terrorist or took part in the Crusades, I think you are safe from the generalization.

 

[George-ananda]

No, I do not see organized religion as the root of all evil. Many Christian values for example, have been used to help the world. And Christians and Christian charities have done a lot of good. It is not religion but the evil in men's hearts that has caused the most unnecessary suffering.

 

[Brickjectivity]

Religion and politics go hand in hand.

They don't need each other with one or two exceptions. *edit adding:* The focus should be keeping them separate, in my opinion.

 

[Neo Deist]

No, I do not see organized religion as the root of all evil. Many Christian values for example, have been used to help the world.

They have also been used to hurt the world. That is why I mentioned the Crusades. Countless men, women and children died by the sword of the European knights/soldiers. Let's not even get into the brainwashing that goes on in some Christian churches, filling people full of nonsense and using fear mongering/guilt trips on the masses.

And Christians and Christian charities have done a lot of good.

So have many atheistic charities that have nothing to do with religion.

It is not religion but the evil in men's hearts that has caused the most unnecessary suffering.

Which is often under the guise of religion.

 

[Vinayaka]

I don't really see the relationship between genocides and religion. Atheists claim religion is the culprit, pointing to the crusades or Islamic terrorism, and theists claim atheism is the biggest culprit pointing to Stalin or Mao. In reality there is always a lot of other stuff going on like power, land control, ethnic hatred over centuries (Rwanda, Sri Lanka) , money, and more. So it's complicated. In my faith it is probably best explained by the concept of anava, which roughly translates to primal ignorance, or darkness, and few are immune from it, atheists and theists alike.

 

[George-ananda]

They have also been used to hurt the world. That is why I mentioned the Crusades. Countless men, women and children died by the sword of the European knights/soldiers. Let's not even get into the brainwashing that goes on in some Christian churches, filling people full of nonsense and using fear mongering/guilt trips on the masses.

.

Also, religion has give many people reason, stability and purpose to their lives. It gives them (correctly in my opinion) the hope and joy of eternal life and a grounding in times of trouble. That alone is more valuable than anything secularism could give them. Perhaps religion is the root of all joy and comfort.

 

[Vinayaka]

Also, religion has give many people reason, stability and purpose to their lives. It gives them (correctly in my opinion) the hope and joy of eternal life and a grounding in times of trouble. That alone is more valuable than anything secularism could give them. Perhaps religion is the root of all joy and comfort.

But George, the opposite is true too. Some people who have dropped religion have felt overwhelmed by the positivity that comes with getting out from under the dogma, as they saw it.

 

[George-ananda]

But George, the opposite is true too. Some people who have dropped religion have felt overwhelmed by the positivity that comes with getting out from under the dogma, as they saw it.

Some dogma perhaps, but not the core message of eternal life, brotherly love and spiritual grounding in times of sorrow.

 

[Neo Deist]

Also, religion has give many people reason, stability and purpose to their lives. It gives them (correctly in my opinion) the hope and joy of eternal life and a grounding in times of trouble. That alone is more valuable than anything secularism could give them.

Until they realize that they have free will, which means that God won't intervene and does not answer prayer...otherwise it is no longer free will. The "grounding in times of trouble" is a crutch that people have used for ages. Sure, it makes them feel all warm and fuzzy inside to think that some invisible, cosmic deity is holding their hand during that time, but if God were truly concerned, He could prevent that trouble in the first place and save everyone the headache.

Perhaps religion is the root of all joy and comfort.

You mean the illusion of religion.

 

[Vinayaka]

Some dogma perhaps, but not the core message of eternal life, brotherly love and spiritual grounding in times of sorrow.

I may be biased, because my father, one of the happiest people I've ever met, was an atheist. He still believed in brotherly love, and was a great neighbour. Some religious folk from my childhood OTOH, were sad and grumpy people. So unlike others seem willing to do, I personally can't generalise. Certainly both varieties, happy, and depressed, in both theistic, and atheistic views are here on this forum.

 

[George-ananda]

Until they realize that they have free will, which means that God won't intervene and does not answer prayer...otherwise it is no longer free will. The "grounding in times of trouble" is a crutch that people have used for ages. Sure, it makes them feel all warm and fuzzy inside to think that some invisible, cosmic deity is holding their hand during that time, but if God were truly concerned, He could prevent that trouble in the first place and save everyone the headache.



You mean the illusion of religion.

I am a pantheist myself (but I have the advantage of education and exposure not available to the average person in past centuries). However the Christian message (despite some dogmatic issues) is preferable (and in my opinion more approximates the truth) than the deist or atheist message. It gave people the joy of having more to live for.

 

[George-ananda]

I may be biased, because my father, one of the happiest people I've ever met, was an atheist. He still believed in brotherly love, and was a great neighbour. Some religious folk from my childhood OTOH, were sad and grumpy people. So unlike others seem willing to do, I personally can't generalise. Certainly both varieties, happy, and depressed, in both theistic, and atheistic views are here on this forum.

I think in general most people throughout time find the idea of heaven and eternal life to be subjectively better than the materialist view.

 

[Vinayaka]

Because I don't believe in heaven and eternal life, the Hindu that I am, I have no comment. If it works for people, that's good.

 

[Sunstone]

It is certainly true that in most of the early civilizations, religion and politics went hand in hand. Whether you're talking about ancient Sumer, Egypt, the Incas, or the Mayans, there is a clear relationship between religion and politics. It seems that the priests propped up the politicians by claiming that they ruled by right of the gods, while the politicians protected the priests. This relationship between religion and politics has echoed down through the ages and is still with us in most places in the world. So, if you want to look on the bright side, you can say that organized religion helped to politically stabilize societies enough for us to have civilizations. If you want to look on the dark side, you can say that organized religion helped to keep often oppressive elites in power.

 

[Neo Deist]

I think in general most people throughout time find the idea of heaven and eternal life to be subjectively better than the materialist view.

That is because people are afraid to think that death might be the end. They want to continue to exist, even if in a spiritual form. The concept of an afterlife is to comfort the living, not the dead.

 

[George-ananda]

That is because people are afraid to think that death might be the end. They want to continue to exist, even if in a spiritual form.

I agree with this. In my beliefs, our core is eternal God/Brahman so our true nature is eternal life.

The concept of an afterlife is to comfort the living, not the dead.

True, because the dead have no doubts.

My belief in life after death comes from my study of the full body of multiple subfields of paranormal phenomena.