Has Religion Done More Good Than Bad For Humanity?

Has Religion Done More Good Than Bad For Humanity?


I am asking this question with little knowledge of religion, in the attempt to see both the pro's and con's of religion through this thread. Thinking about this topic all that could really come to mind on a global scale were negitive events like religious wars. However looking at local level a lot of good has come to communitys and individuals from religion in my personal experience. So, more educated Ats members on religion let me know what you think.

Which religion?

Considering the vast differences between cultures, it's unfair to clump something such as the Inquisition "Missionaries" with Buddhist Monks.

I guess focus on the big 3, Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism. if that makes it easier, to be honest i dont know all that much about the subject so bare with me here

Originally posted by bgaty
I guess focus on the big 3, Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism. if that makes it easier, to be honest i dont know all that much about the subject so bare with me here

i would say the religions themselves have not done as much in public interest as they have to hurt relations, cause stress, create divisions, spread ignorance, etc. however there are many important contributions that people of the aforementioned faiths have made, that perhaps were inspired and/or facilitated by their religion... then again, maybe not.

Religion to me, is another type of group-think, which is never a good thing. Having faith is different. For example, do you consider a Gnostic a Christian? I would, however the Gnostics haven't hurt anybody, while the Catholics certainly have - historically speaking.

[edit on 6-3-2008 by scientist]

reply to post by scientist


Hey thanks for the well thought out reply, you bring up a comparison of group think and religion. I also agree with you on faith, being not so religious myself doesn't mean I dont have faith. I have a question about gnostics, from my limited understanding isn't it more of a mindset or belief which goes along with religion? or is it more of it's own religion? So summing it up you believe individuals who take part of religion do the good, while the bad happens as a collective body?

I believe that when we view the horrors that happen in the absence of religion, such as in Soviet Russia and in Maoist China, we must realize that while religion is imperfect, the alternative is usually far worse.

Ill say religion has caused more confusion than clarity of truth, not necessarily bad. even the monks of the east agree religion creates sided beliefs, as would Jesus.
Religion is a term coined when spirituality gets crammed into a political box.

go figure, we got math from the vedic scriptures, we get a history of that descent from the others written since then.

Im not saying there isn't validity in religion, its just something you need to have divine intervention to understand.



[edit on 6-3-2008 by psychedeliack]

Can you really blame those things on the absence of religion? what about ww2? the american civil war? these are just a few events that come to mind. Its not like most of the parties in ww2 were not religous. Germany and the United states are both widely christian, but they didn't seem to have a problem killing each other on a massive scale. I could be wrong, but thats my take on it. Forgive me if i am totally wrong

Edit: when talking about Germany and US, only referring about ww2 not civil war. The civil war is another good look on how people will go to war with their own countrymen, much less people from their own religious background.

[edit on 6-3-2008 by bgaty]

See? You're not speaking clearly. You are using the term "religion" when what you are really talking about is "Organized Religion".

Religion is a group of people at a certian population that share in like spiritual belief systems.

So that if you addressing spiritual beliefs as "religion" it's clear the answer is yes...

However what I believe your talking about is the structured pratice of orginized religion with its dogmatic idologies and such. It's only in the context of "orginized" religion that someone gets put up as a "head" and thus depending upon that person or group that acts as a head "bad" can come from a belief system.

I can assure you that as real as your understanding of reading my word now is so too is the reality of the origin of creation in all the known and that "force" that can be labbeled "God".

In that context at the end product as a whole "religion" is been Good.

[edit on 6-3-2008 by Incarnated]

Originally posted by Incarnated
See? You're not speaking clearly. You are using the term "religion" when what you are really talking about is "Organized Religion".

Religion is a group of people at a certian population that share in like spiritual belief systems.

So that if you addressing spiritual beliefs as "religion" it's clear the answer is yes...

However what I believe your talking about is the structured pratice of orginized religion with its dogmatic idologies and such. It's only in the context of "orginized" religion that someone gets put up as a "head" and thus depending upon that person or group that acts as a head "bad" can come from a belief system.

I can assure you that as real as your understanding of reading my word now is so too is the reality of the origin of creation in all the known and that "force" that can be labbeled "God".

In that context at the end product as a whole "religion" is been Good.

[edit on 6-3-2008 by Incarnated]

I understand the first half, but the second half you lost me. Would you care to translate into a more simplistic version so i can better understand your post? thanks

reply to post by bgaty


Having a Spiritual belief system that is personalized and running within the realm of reality according to the given understandings is a good thing because God is real.

However when people as a group, (religion), start focusing on the ritualized phyical aspects of the spiritual belief system, and they lose focus from the true nature of the "spiritual reality" then the religion becomes toxic.

We can use "Christianity" as a model for understanding.

Christ was/is real. The Christ being defined as an understandable extention of the original "creator god", and being the "original child". The Christ, our creator's chosen being comes to this little planet. He delivers the message. However it is in the humanizing of the understandings where the "christ ians" become toxic. They start yelling at the world they they are the rightous ones. This is a lie. However they feel because they've taken a sunday bath and misunderstood a couple of lines of text that they are "saved". This "Salvation" established within the confines of thier own mind, not being in reality, gives them "free licence" to act badly and do damming things to their own soul.

However the "salvation" is real in the context that if you see what you've done wrong and feel bad and then stop doing it you are free.

Let us look at a charactor. Bill was a bully. Bill went out getting drunk and starting fights. Bill one night got beat down. Bill though oh lord save me. Bill then became a christian. Bill takes the sunday bath and makes the confesion. Bill feels he's saved and rightious. SO Bill begins to bully "nonbelievers".

Bill has changed his bad behavior from a blind agression to a focused agression. Bill didn't change the agression.

reply to post by scientist


To tell you the truth some religions do not teach bad ideas such as to kill. People mistranslate the meaning of that such religion. More to that is that the Quran takes you to the right path and Islam tells you what to do in such situations such as when someone tries to fight you. Islam teaches peace and tranquility. But like I said there are people that mistranslate the belief in some religions.

While religion isn't as bad as many say it is, some aspects are rediculous. People use religion as a reason to persecute homosexuals for the condition that they cannot control. I think the problem is that people pick and choose which parts of the bible and religion to follow and omit the parts that don't allow them to control anyone else. Take for instance the bible verse: Judge not lest ye be judged and the measure you use to judge will be measured to judge you. Many people pass judgment on others without a second thought because of race, religion or sexual preference. People are what make religion inherently evil.

I think religions that promote peace and love such as Buddhism and sikhism aren't that their bad for humanity. But then there are religions such as christianty which promote love and peace. But in the bible it's describes as men are bove women and you can have a slave. To be honest all religions have the same basic preaching, although i can't remember what it is.

having grown up immersed in the Catholic and Christian dominions in America, i noticed religion conditions most people to believe its their nature to hurt others in society and its okay as long as you 'confess' and pray to a God above for forgiveness, and for most sects, to accept 'Jesus' as your saviour.

that way no matter what you did on Earth, if you repent and accept Jesus in your heart as your saviour, you will be forgiven by god and given a chance in eternal peace in heaven.l

i seen most people live thru a cycle based on the above belief system. in young age they party, steal, fornicate, lie, cheat, abuse, spend,waste, and even kill! despite being taught and perhaps believing in the above. usually only much later in life ie midlife they become more acticely religious and are often born 'again' and are suddenly strongly apposed to all the things they deem sinful and are quick to look down on others in society who still do anything like those things. they seem to feel superior and clean-slate.

all in all the sin vs forgiveness & salvation train of though in people's life profression is quite immature, irresponsible, and harmful to humanity because it rewards people for doing bad to others when they know better all along, they go to confession [eroodically or are born again and have God wash away their sins unltimately,
instead of have a simple cause-and-effect belief system; karma's a bish and what goes around, do onto others as you would have them do onto you, from the get-go not in your old age or in your death bed full of regret and please for Godly mercy.

I am a little confused as to how people in this thread are separating organized religion from spirituality, Spirituality stems from the religions taught and is within them. Where spirituality is concerned it is the path of the secrets to knowing God and HIS People in a more personal manner. And laws are the laws God gave us to live by. Both are in fact religion, even if you forsake the laws part of any religion, you are still following what religion teaches about the path of knowing God. It is an integral part of religion and the reasons thereof.

Most if not all good in this world stem from religious ideal and religious teachings. All codes of moral systems we have first came from religion. Your constitution in the US is good, but it was based in part on the good things the founders found taught in religion. Same with the UN charter.

How many atheists go to the soup kitchen to donate their time, effort and money compared to Christians, Muslims and Jews? How many soup kitchens are run by atheists?

Almost any charity in the world was first founded due to religious ideals and teachings.


Yes, many men have twisted and abused religion for power, and many have died as a result of this twisting.

But in the end, there has always been a much greater good in religion than there has been bad.