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is religion dangerous?
- Thread starter Scholar24
- Start date
sandandfoam
Veteran Member
What was that?
Smoke
Done here.
Regardless of the causes of those wars, they would have been impossible without the enthusiastic participation of millions of Christians. In each war, Christian clergy were happy to proclaim the righteousness of the cause of whatever side they were on. None of them was fought to force anybody to convert to Christianity, but in all of them the main cause was the struggle of Christians to dominate other Christians. Religion doesn't kill people, but religious people do, with great gusto. If there were no other danger in religion (and there are plenty), there would still be the great danger that most religions make it easy for people to believe in the righteousness of their own bad behavior.
Smoke
Done here.
That supposedly is crucial, though isn't it? It doesn't seem to be true on the ground.
logician
Well-Known Member
I believe it should be obvious.
Ratiocinative
Member
I was pointing at that page because it lists the number of deaths in the Crusades, but we can look at democides as a whole if you want. Nearly all democides, ~98%, are committed by totalitarian or authoritarian governments. There are no religious motives in these crimes, simply greed and a lust for power, as I said several times already. If you want to suggest that everything a person does is a result of their religious beliefs, then be my guest, but the vast majority of these dictators were atheists so it's not a good argument to make if you're trying to prove that religion is dangerous. It also has been show in studies that religious involvement increases healthy and safe behavior, while decreasing violent and risky behavior among children:
http://www.youthandreligion.org/publications/docs/RiskReport1.pdf
http://www.josh.org/notes/file/Teen-How_Religion_Affects_Teens.pdf
I would agree with the heart and soul of your statement if there were ever a Utopian civilization created by an atheist. Atheist beliefs cause wars and conflicts as often as religious cultures. Communism is a prime example.
Misuse of anything seems to be what is dangerous including atheism. The ancient Greeks had plenty of gods and religions but seemed to prize "decorum" above all these.
A
angellous_evangellous
Guest
Never assume that what is obvious to you is obvious to someone else.:yes:
The world is coming to what it has always been. There has always been believers, none believers and atheist all equally making their beliefs dangerous to society. No one group has a monopoly on extremism. That having been said, there can be no doubt that extremism makes whatever it touches dangerous but not religion itself.
Not true! Religion is dangerous in the wrong hands. If you can't cope, rethink your position, and perhaps you will experience an epiphany. Maybe you will find God.
Are there times that it is good to accept things as these are? In learning to think, maybe we need to learn when to accept and when not to accept. There would be less fights this way.
This definitely indicates that ignorance in religion is a bad thing. It does not prove Christianity is bad.
Yep, it will. But if you are talking about extreme Muhammad, you might want that type of thinking to be more prevalent. I wonder what Muhammad is thinking as he moves into France, England and Western Europe. I don't think he is looking for oil.
Wow what a loaded question! But even a butter knife is dangerous in some hands.So is ideology emanating from secular political ideas such as facism, nationalism, imperialism, nazism etc. All the isms that in the past century brought so much grief but were not confined to that century. i.e. The Napoleanic wars the Roman conquests etc. Maybe in the context of religion it also boils down to people of good will and people of ill will and whether or not the goals of those people are spiritual or temporal. All of the afore mentioned ideologies had unjust temporal (secular) gains as their final objective. I guess lots of things are dangerous. By temporal gains of course I mean the control and domination of land, resources and or people and while temporal is an older term it is by definition secular.
That is why we should talk. I live on a mountain top in Appalachia and am just now learning to tie shoes. All I know about Muslims is that extreme Muslims want to blow my mountain top to hell. There was something about our being the Great Satan. Here's your chance to tell me it is not true. I want to believe you because I know love is a better way. Whose side is God really on? Why should I not fear you? I suspect you do not want to be feared. Stick a blow against prejudice here and now. We will help you.
Sure, there have been many wars caused by atheist and many that have not been heard of. In all cases of war, religion or atheism was not the cause of war. In all cases war has been due to ignorance and lack of decorum. To argue for or against religion based on war is not wise.
logician
Well-Known Member
This is simply is untrue, the Crusades were strictly wars about religion.
Storm
ThrUU the Looking Glass
That's debateable.