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Religion is not the root of all evil.

ChristineES

ChristineES

Tiggerism
Premium Member
As I have repeatedly said, it isn't religion or whatever that have caused problems, but it is some of those people who follow them.
Good OP. :)
 
J

Jordan Robert Wilson

Atheist
Religion is not the root of all evil, but it is the root of a lot of it.
Religion in the western sense doesn't actually do any good. People can choose to be moral or immoral without the help of religion. For example, if you are just being charitable to please God, that's ok, but not really noble in the normal sense of charity. However, if you plan on harming people for God, that is bad. But the thing is, God can make people do things they wouldn't usually do, but if somebody wants to be charitable, they'd do it with or without God.
In short, religion can do good, but not the western sense of religion, because it is too much based in doctrine and tradition, rather than the more flexible eastern religions such as Taoism and Shinto.
 
T

thebigpicture

Active Member
Samurai said:
The followers of different religions have done many wrong deeds throughout history. Even in our time and age, it happens a lot of injustice in the name of religion. But the truth is that religion can be used positively and abused like everything else in the world. Some people are guided by religion, and become better people. But other peopleare misled by religion, and do wrong deeds. The problem is not religious texts. The problem is people who choose to abuse these texts to their personal agenda. For example, a person can use a knife to cut bread, which he gives to the hungry people on the street. Or he can use the same knif to cut himself in the arm, or abuse the knife by using it in a fight. As you can see, the knife is not guilty when it comes to how it is used. The knife is a harmless object. The person who chooses to abuse the knife, is the one who is guilty. If people do crazy things, you can not blame their religion. The followers must take responsibility for their wrongdoings. Whenever something bad happens in the name of religion, it is not the fault of the Quran, the bible or the Torah. You can not arrest the Bible, Torah or Koran. And no court in the world would accept this.

We can not deny that religion has been abused by humans throughout history. We can't deny that wrong and unjust actions have been done by people who claimed they were religious. And we can't deny that even in our time and age, people in many religious countries, particularly Arab countries, become oppressed by people who claim they are religious.

Witch Hunting, crusades and imprisonment of non-religious and people who were free thinkers, are examples of wrong and unjust actions that have been done by people who claimed that they were religious. In the past, many religious people tried to prevent freedom of speech, open debate, science and free-thinking in the society. The priests were afraid of losing power, authority and their wealth, so they oppressed people in order to maintain their unjust systems. But the fact is that none of the prophets taught the people to hate eachother, oppress each other, be violent towards each other, exploit each other, be unfair to each other, or do other evil acts. The Prophets teached people to be compassionate and peaceful. The prophets learned people to be generous, taught people to be fair, be moral, take care of each other, seek knowledge, and they wanted to unite mankind. So all the evil acts that happened in the past and still happens, in the name of religion, is against the basic and fundamental principles of religion. Some people claim that religion is the root of all evil, but that's a lie. No followers of religions have killed as many people as secular and atheistic ideologies like communism and fascism. According to history, more than 50 million people were killed by supporters of communism. Followers of Islam, Judaism and Christianity have not killed as many people as Communists have done. Therefore, if we use logic and reason, we will understand that religion is not the root of all evil, and that supporters of communism, fascism, and other man-made ideologies have been worse than the followers of different religions. The capitalist system alone has contributed to pollute more than all the religions combined. On the other hand, the religious Buddhists in the East, are some of the most peaceful people on earth. They do not start wars and do not pollute the planet like capitalist nations in the West. Buddhists show compassion for people and animals, and take care of nature.
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Religion is used to deceive people into submission. It is used as a way to control people.
 
jmvizanko

jmvizanko

Uber Tool
I disagree. I don't think that religion is the root of ALL evil, but certainly a lot of it. Why do you think there is no such thing as a Buddhist terrorist? Its because of the difference in what religions teach. Some are very benign, and some are quite the opposite. Religions instruct people what to do, commonly in every aspect of their life and behavior. How could anybody then not expect a vast array of different and strange beliefs out there to not produce a vast array behavior, with a lot of that behavior being bad or downright evil by most peoples' standard?

But religion isn't doing it intentionally. I think most people start a religion because they are insane on some level and actually think they are supposed to.
 
waitasec

waitasec

Veteran Member
Jordan Robert Wilson said:
I disagree. I think that religion is detrimental, but I don't think I'd say it is used to control people.
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i'm not sure where you live, but here in the states hot button issues (things like same sex marriages, pro life and islamaphobia) is a way to wrangle up the religious to vote for a certain party...
in that way, i think it is used to control people.
 
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J

Jordan Robert Wilson

Atheist
waitasec said:
i'm not sure where you live, but here in the states hot button issues (things like same sex marriages, pro life and islamaphobia) is a way to wrangle up conservatives to vote for a certain party...
in that way, i think it is used to control people.
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Hmm...maybe you're right, but I don't see its main purpose as control, that's just been taken advantage of, I think.
But yeah, I see what you mean. I should've phrased my answer better.
 
T

thebigpicture

Active Member
ChristineES said:
I don't agree with that at all. It can be used to deceive people and to control people at times, but definitely all of it and not all people.
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We just disagree because I truly feel that religion was specifically initiated to control people. I'm not saying spirituality, but religion.

Jordan Robert Wilson said:
I disagree. I think that religion is detrimental, but I don't think I'd say it is used to control people.
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Religion has been the source of so many wars, arguments, relationship break-ups...It has been more harmful than not.

Don't get me wrong, if it weren't for religion, I feel the world would be a lot worse in some ways. But on the whole, religion has been the main source of discord amongst people. It has been the most deceitful of all deceptions.
 
McBell

McBell

Resident Sourpuss
thebigpicture said:
We just disagree because I truly feel that religion was specifically initiated to control people. I'm not saying spirituality, but religion.



Religion has been the source of so many wars, arguments, relationship break-ups...It has been more harmful than not.

Don't get me wrong, if it weren't for religion, I feel the world would be a lot worse in some ways. But on the whole, religion has been the main source of discord amongst people. It has been the most deceitful of all deceptions.
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Isn't that akin to blaming the matches for the building burning down?
 
S

Samurai

Member
thebigpicture said:
We just disagree because I truly feel that religion was specifically initiated to control people. I'm not saying spirituality, but religion.



Religion has been the source of so many wars, arguments, relationship break-ups...It has been more harmful than not.

Don't get me wrong, if it weren't for religion, I feel the world would be a lot worse in some ways. But on the whole, religion has been the main source of discord amongst people. It has been the most deceitful of all deceptions.
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Without religion there would be no renaissance in the west. Do a google search: Islam and renaissance.
 
J

Jordan Robert Wilson

Atheist
Samurai said:
Without religion there would be no renaissance in the west. Do a google search: Islam and renaissance.
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Religion slows progress. Had religion not existed, and science been the primary resource in which we use to conclude as to what we believe, we would have advanced much, much earlier.
 
Storm

Storm

ThrUU the Looking Glass
Jordan Robert Wilson said:
Religion slows progress. Had religion not existed, and science been the primary resource in which we use to conclude as to what we believe, we would have advanced much, much earlier.
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Unsubstantiated opinion, given that you have no alternative for comparison.
 
J

Jordan Robert Wilson

Atheist
Storm said:
Unsubstantiated opinion, given that you have no alternative for comparison.
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Then isn't his mere opinion, too? Why have you jumped on my post?
And anyway, there is evidence. Certain religions use cruel methods in convincing people of their truth. This is not progress. Progress, in my opinion, is a world in which we can all form our own, unique opinions, not be executed for apostasy.
 
Storm

Storm

ThrUU the Looking Glass
Jordan Robert Wilson said:
Then isn't his mere opinion, too? Why have you jumped on my post?
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Probably, but yours was the one I saw. I haven't been following this thread. Whose opinion are you referring to? thebigpicture's?

And anyway, there is evidence. Certain religions use cruel methods in convincing people of their truth. This is not progress. Progress, in my opinion, is a world in which we can all form our own, unique opinions, not be executed for apostasy.
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Religions do nothing. Certain followers of certain religions do. That's because people suck sometimes, regardless of religious affiliation.

So, no. That's not evidence that "religion slows progress."
 
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