Do human need religion?

[~Tyson~]

Without religion, we wouldnt be humans.

Not entirely true, humans and their ancestors have been around long before religions has been established.

[Anders™]

Not entirely true, humans and their ancestors have been around long before religions has been established.

I believe he's referring to morality.

[~Tyson~]

I believe he's referring to morality.

Well if that is the case I'm sure religions has contribute a fair amount of ideas regarding morality, ethics and the likes - whether you agree with the ideas or not.

[MIHARU]

i guess religion is good and well a matter of self choice. what or who you believe in doesn't make you better than other just makes you aware of things you should and shouldn't do. its like a guide for leading a better life. but then again some ppl who dont have a religion are decent.

[The Voice]

The USA is the most religious of the industrialized nations. Lot of good it does.

Cue the next shooting spree.
Or abortion clinic bombing.
Or Penn State.


But remember, boys and girls, be afraid of the Muslims more than anything else because they're ... well, the wrong religion.

1. What parts of the Christian religion have been just a tool for explaining phenomena we didn't understand, but which, I assume you think, we now no longer need?

2. Nazi Germany had laws and education. So while laws and education can be good in some regards, they can also be harmful in other regards.

The idea of "religion" has been used as a tool by humans to get people to do bad things, so have "education" and "laws."

1. The Bible.

2. Laws can be bad, but education never is. Most Germans in the time you're referring to were clueless about what was actually happening.

3. See reply #2.



On a side note, if a belief in eternal torment stops you from going out and hurting people, I'm all for you believing in it.

[Anders™]

The USA is the most religious of the industrialized nations. Lot of good it does.

Cue the next shooting spree.
Or abortion clinic bombing.
Or Penn State.


But remember, boys and girls, be afraid of the Muslims more than anything else because they're ... well, the wrong religion.

You have a rather ****ed up image, if you don't mind me saying.

Muslims in the US are looked down upon because of one particular event... Ring any bells? No?



I'm not condoning this, however I cannot blame anyone when they look down upon a group of people because one of them has caused them great harm. It's human nature, really.

1. The Bible.

2. Laws can be bad, but education never is. Most Germans in the time you're referring to were clueless about what was actually happening.

3. See reply #2.

1. The bible should never be looked upon as a scientific journal.

Read: What is the Bible?

2. You can use education (knowledge) to brainwash a human being. (duh?) Brainwashing comes in many forms; normally through educational means. The chinese do it all the time.

Contrary to your belief, poor education can be very bad.

3. See reply #2.

On a side note, if a belief in eternal torment stops you from going out and hurting people, I'm all for you believing in it.

This, as satire you might have put it, is a very interesting subject. The good that religion does, is never mainstreamed. A great way to brainwash someone into hating things: show all the negatives.

[ZPanea]

The USA is the most religious of the industrialized nations. Lot of good it does.

Cue the next shooting spree.

Anders Breivik, a Norwegian, killed 77 people a few months ago. James Holmes killed 12.

Or abortion clinic bombing.

Uh, there have only been a total of four bombings of abortion clinics. While that may be four too many, it's a bit ridiculous to list it as though it's a common thing.

Or Penn State.

George Monboit, a journalist for the British media outlet The Guardian reports on abuse in Texas and then notes:

"...before we start feeling too superior, we should remember that systematic injustice towards children is common to many nations. Consider these cases, all from the past few decades: the theft of babies and forced adoptions in Spain; the teenage girls pressed into slavery in Ireland's Magdalene laundries; the ***ual abuse in its industrial schools; similar institutional abuse, also by Catholic priests, in many parts of the world; ***ual abuse and beatings in Welsh children's homes; the British children told, wrongly, that they were orphans and exported to Australia, Canada and other Commonwealth countries; the assaults by staff in privately run child jails. It seems to me that such abuses have three common characteristics."

To single out the USA for its bad behavior can only be done if you're ignorant about what's going on in the rest of the world.

But remember, boys and girls, be afraid of the Muslims more than anything else because they're ... well, the wrong religion.

Actually it's because certain sects believe as a matter of doctrine that religion may use the force of the sword. While Christians may have used the force of the sword throughout various times in history, it has never been a part of the religious doctrine.

1. The Bible.

You'll have to be more specific. The Bible, for example, says to love your neighbor as yourself. So are you saying that this is just a tool for explaining phenomena we didn't understand, but which we now no longer need?

2. Laws can be bad, but education never is. Most Germans in the time you're referring to were clueless about what was actually happening.

Sorry, but you're about 4 months late to this debate. I already responded to the "German's were clueless" tripe. As I said four months ago:

Even if I grant that the majority of Nazi Germans were unaware of the concentration camps, it isn't a poor example; for, the majority of Nazi Germans were still aware and a part of the gross racism and militarism.

Education can be a bad thing if part of the education involves teaching bad things. Furthermore, education isn't by itself going to cure anyone. James Holmes was a PhD candidate. He had more education than you, I'm willing to bet. The German people who were militant racists, even if not aware of genocide, weren't uneducated buffoons.

3. See reply #2.

Reply # 2 doesn't refute the fact that education and laws have been used to do bad things. North Korea's education system is used to do bad things. So have a great many education systems throughout the history of the world.

[The Voice]

You have a rather ****ed up image, if you don't mind me saying.

Muslims in the US are looked down upon because of one particular event... Ring any bells? No?

I see that sarcasm has officially died on Chat-Ave. Either that or you have a lot of trouble detecting it.

I was making a point about "one particular" event somehow outweighing years of terror by ... everything else I listed that's been happening for decades in this country. The notion that we should fear Muslims when we could get riddled with bullets while going to work is silly.

1. The bible should never be looked upon as a scientific journal.

Read: What is the Bible?

I don't have to read that. I've read the Bible. Quite closely in fact. Those people (and even their "god") believed in a flat Earth. Need I say more?

2. You can use education (knowledge) to brainwash a human being. (duh?) Brainwashing comes in many forms; normally through educational means. The chinese do it all the time.

You're confusing education with propaganda and misinformation.
If you're not being taught facts, you're not being educated, you're being fooled.

Contrary to your belief, poor education can be very bad.

Contrary? That IS my belief.

This, as satire you might have put it, is a very interesting subject. The good that religion does, is never mainstreamed. A great way to brainwash someone into hating things: show all the negatives.

And a great way to brainwash someone into believing things is to hide all the negatives.

After all, as a regular church-goer in my youth I never heard a single pastor tell us the biblical tales of Moses ordering the r*pe of children, or prophets cursing little kids and bears tearing them apart. Those things were always ignored as we skipped to more ... convenient sections of the "good book."

[Ishy Jebin K]

Yes. The End. You are all going to hell anyway so why do you care. Ps. Happy late Eid Mubarak!!!

[The Voice]

Uh, there have only been a total of four bombings of abortion clinics. While that may be four too many, it's a bit ridiculous to list it as though it's a common thing.

Those bombings ... and the Olympic Park Bombing in Atlanta. And abortion doctors being shot. And nurses being blown up. And the klan. And slavery.

Religion is quite the motivator. You'd be amazed what people will do when they think "god" is commanding them to do it.

I assume you believe in a god? Tell me, if your deity ordered you to kill would you do it or not?

And please, no cop-out excuses like "God would never do that" because the scriptures plainly say otherwise.

George Monboit, a journalist for the British media outlet The Guardian reports on abuse in Texas and then notes:

"...before we start feeling too superior, we should remember that systematic injustice towards children is common to many nations. Consider these cases, all from the past few decades: the theft of babies and forced adoptions in Spain; the teenage girls pressed into slavery in Ireland's Magdalene laundries; the ***ual abuse in its industrial schools; similar institutional abuse, also by Catholic priests, in many parts of the world; ***ual abuse and beatings in Welsh children's homes; the British children told, wrongly, that they were orphans and exported to Australia, Canada and other Commonwealth countries; the assaults by staff in privately run child jails. It seems to me that such abuses have three common characteristics."

To single out the USA for its bad behavior can only be done if you're ignorant about what's going on in the rest of the world.

You have managed to completely miss my point.
The point I was making is that the USA is the most religious, yet simultaneously the most violent of all the first-world nations. It's not even close.

Anyone who maintains that we "need" religion is ignoring the facts.

Actually it's because certain sects believe as a matter of doctrine that religion may use the force of the sword. While Christians may have used the force of the sword throughout various times in history, it has never been a part of the religious doctrine.

The doctrine is what the churches decide it is. Show me a million Christians and I will show you a million different interpretations of Christianity. Just look at all the denominations. The Klan has their version. Then the Baptists.

byw do you know why there are Southern Baptists and Baptists? Because the Southern Baptists broke away because they believed in slavery (the Bible does condone it after all).

I guess the holy spirit touches everyone differently.

You'll have to be more specific. The Bible, for example, says to love your neighbor as yourself. So are you saying that this is just a tool for explaining phenomena we didn't understand, but which we now no longer need?

The Bible says lots of things. Some are good, others are horrible. But we have progressed to the point where we no longer need to rely on the myths of Bronze-Age, Middle East goat-herders, don't you think?

Education can be a bad thing if part of the education involves teaching bad things. Furthermore, education isn't by itself going to cure anyone. James Holmes was a PhD candidate. He had more education than you, I'm willing to bet. The German people who were militant racists, even if not aware of genocide, weren't uneducated buffoons.

I never said they were buffoons. But to suggest that they were fully aware of just how bad things were is laughable. Why would the allies lead the German people to the concentrations camps and show them what was happening if they already knew?

Reply # 2 doesn't refute the fact that education and laws have been used to do bad things. North Korea's education system is used to do bad things. So have a great many education systems throughout the history of the world.

Laws? Sure.
Education--and I mean REAL education and not propaganda--is something all of us should seek.