Is Religion helpful or hurtful

[Bluesman]

Well... is religion (in general) helpful or hurtful, and is it a good thing or bad?

In my opinion, religion is good as long as it is non-violent and isn't hateful. Religion offers a set of moral to live by, standards for your life, and depending on what you believe, an afterlife. If nothing else, religion will make it easier for you to be a good person. I'm not saying that atheists can't be good people, but I'm saying that it's harder for them to be.

Please don't turn this into a debate about specific religions, just about religion in general. Let's have a good argument.

[Amnesiac]

Overall, religion is probably counter-productive. The hatred and ignorance that's spawned from it is hampering scientific progress and tugging society back to an ancient moral agenda. A "set of morals" is no longer necessary for one to be a "good person," since modern society has established a much more reasonable set of morals than religion can offer. Religion encourages discrimination and social conservatism, two things that aren't compatible with society today.

Is it possible for someone to be both religious and reasonable? Of course. However, the negative aspects of religion are enormous, so much so that they outweigh its positives (charity, for example).

[insanity]

well it depends on the religion. religion can be helpful alot of the time, it helps the people who follow the religion but if someone else disagrees with someone thats when it becomes harmful, cause then they fight

[Death]

People say that religion is about love, but seriously, it causes more conflict than anything else. Now, I don't mean to be offensive here, but I've seen a lot of twats on the internet (not specically this site), and a lot of them are spewing nonsense which I can only assume is, influenced (to say the least), by religion - such as gays burning in Hell and atheists lacking morals, and many more which I don't care to mention.

Now, I've seen many stupid atheists too, but I have to say I've personally seen it more in religion; and that's taking the larger amounts of religious people into account too. Another thing I find prudent to mention is that atheists have less reason to try to millitantly spread it than religious people do (and hardly ever do so in comparison). Some religious people selfishly believe that those not following their religion will be doomed and they therefore find it necessary to preach on others to follow them (i.e. Jehova's Witnesses), which is pretty 'hurtful', if you ask me.

I know that religion can be good for some people, but as my signiture says, who needs it? You can be moral without it. Besides, isn't it better to be moral because you are simply a kind person who has good interest in the world than be moral because your god says so and you follow/fear him?

[Bluesman]

People say that religion is about love, but seriously, it causes more conflict than anything else. Now, I don't mean to be offensive here, but I've seen a lot of twats on the internet (not specically this site), and a lot of them are spewing nonsense which I can only assume is, influenced (to say the least), by religion - such as gays burning in Hell and atheists lacking morals, and many more which I don't care to mention.

Now, I've seen many stupid atheists too, but I have to say I've personally seen it more in religion; and that's taking the larger amounts of religious people into account too. Another thing I find prudent to mention is that atheists have less reason to try to millitantly spread it than religious people do (and hardly ever do so in comparison). Some religious people selfishly believe that those not following their religion will be doomed and they therefore find it necessary to preach on others to follow them (i.e. Jehova's Witnesses), which is pretty 'hurtful', if you ask me.

I know that religion can be good for some people, but as my signiture says, who needs it? You can be moral without it. Besides, isn't it better to be moral because you are simply a kind person who has good interest in the world than be moral because your god says so and you follow/fear him?

Lots of good points here... after all religion has caused a lot of wars. And as you mentioned a lot of religions do try to be forceful. As someone who is religious that's just not right. What someone chooses to believe is their business... no one else's. These threads are always interesting to me... a lot of times it seems like I'm VT's only conservative and it's interesting to see the logic behind others' beliefs.

[Sage]

There is nothing good religion has done that could not have been brought about by irreligious means.

[The Dark Lord]

Religion is now irrelevant, yes in the past it has been responsible for some great things, but it is now a barrier towards greatness

[Bluesman]

Religion is now irrelevant, yes in the past it has been responsible for some great things, but it is now a barrier towards greatness

I realize that there are other paths to greatness, but I do not see how religion is a barrier?

[The Dark Lord]

I realize that there are other paths to greatness, but I do not see how religion is a barrier?

Religion breeds bigotry and ignorance, it is the reason why women and gays are seen are inferior by some sections of society

[Bluesman]

Religion breeds bigotry and ignorance, it is the reason why women and gays are seen are inferior by some sections of society

Ok... I still agree that religion is more helpful but you do make a good point.

[Amnesiac]

I realize that there are other paths to greatness, but I do not see how religion is a barrier?

Social conservatism. Religion is the reason why millions and millions of people oppose things like evolution, equal rights for homosexuals and atheists, secularism and progressivism in general.

[The Dark Lord]

Ok... I still agree that religion is more helpful but you do make a good point.

The main positive about religion is that it is a good discipline in principle, but so many religious people are so hypocritically that they aren't really religious. It has also shaped our culture, but now it is irrelevant where equality is (rightly) valued about religion.

Can anyone give an example where religion is helpful to how they live their life?

[Bluesman]

The main positive about religion is that it is a good discipline in principle, but so many religious people are so hypocritically that they aren't really religious. It has also shaped our culture, but now it is irrelevant where equality is (rightly) valued about religion.

Can anyone give an example where religion is helpful to how they live their life?

For me religion gives me a set of morals and principles to live by... you always have the sense that "God knows what you're doing" so typically you do a lot less "bad things". Of course this can backfire and just make someone rebellious and a terrible person as well.

[Amnesiac]

For me religion gives me a set of morals and principles to live by... you always have the sense that "God knows what you're doing" so typically you do a lot less "bad things". Of course this can backfire and just make someone rebellious and a terrible person as well.

Can't you adopt society's secular set of morals instead? I can see how the "religion provides morals" argument would have worked hundreds of years ago, but it doesn't apply today.

[Bluesman]

Can't you adopt society's secular set of morals instead? I can see how the "religion provides morals" argument would have worked hundreds of years ago, but it doesn't apply today.

It's simply 2 different paths. You can attain morals through society or through religion... I just find it easier to stick to the morals that were formed because of religion because you will have a belief that bad things will happen to you if you don't.

[Amnesiac]

It's simply 2 different paths. You can attain morals through society or through religion... I just find it easier to stick to the morals that were formed because of religion because you will have a belief that bad things will happen to you if you don't.

That's a pretty weak argument. In religion, you're following an outdated set of morals and wasting entire days inside a building reading some contradictory book so some ambiguous all-loving God won't send you to farcical wastebasket of souls for eternity. On the contrary, by obeying society's morals you can still be a good person without having to use fear as an excuse for being that way. Also, disobeying many morals set by society can get you put in prison (such as murder).

[Bluesman]

That's a pretty weak argument. In religion, you're following an outdated set of morals and wasting entire days inside a building reading some contradictory book so some ambiguous all-loving God won't send you to farcical wastebasket of souls for eternity. On the contrary, by obeying society's morals you can still be a good person without having to use fear as an excuse for being that way. Also, disobeying many morals set by society can get you put in prison (such as murder).

Still, with your argument the religious way of attaining morals and the secular way of attaining morals are equal, and neither one is better or worse.

[Amnesiac]

Still, with your argument the religious way of attaining morals and the secular way of attaining morals are equal, and neither one is better or worse.

Except that religious morals are, as I said, outdated and encourage discrimination against gays and atheists.

[The Dark Lord]

For me religion gives me a set of morals and principles to live by... you always have the sense that "God knows what you're doing" so typically you do a lot less "bad things". Of course this can backfire and just make someone rebellious and a terrible person as well.

Seriously? for me religion's principles are treat others as you want to be treated unless you are female, homosexual or muslim. Anyone who thinks God is watching over you and therefore you adjust your behaviour is a little bit silly

[Bluesman]

Seriously? for me religion's principles are treat others as you want to be treated unless you are female, homosexual or muslim. Anyone who thinks God is watching over you and therefore you adjust your behaviour is a little bit silly

Treat others as you'd want to be treated no matter what, and if they are homosexual or muslim you inform them that according to your religion you believe that what they're doing is wrong. If they don't want to listen you stop talking... that's the way that Christianity was intended to work, however, nutcases like Westboro Baptist Church have really taken that side of Christianity out of the focus.

[Alaph]

Both, but more bad than good.

[The Dark Lord]

Both, but more bad than good.

Why?

[Death]

Both, but more bad than good.

Care to elaborate? I'm genuinly interested to see what you have to say.

BTW, to whomever -repped me for claiming religion was about love (which I didn't do), good job with not reading my post.

[Magus]

BTW, to whomever -repped me for claiming religion was about love (which I didn't do), good job with not reading my post.
That made me laugh.

I am totally indifferent on this subject of religion being helpful and hurtful.

All I can say is: religion, sometimes, it did inspire people to constructively contribute in science(yes), art, culture, politics and society. Unfortunately, the downside was that, it was for a very brief moment, where religion again came back up as a roadblock for development(with each religion had its own eras of "good" and "bad").