How does organized religion/faith benefit the world? Can we get rid of it? Should we?

[dbergan 0]

So you're saying that without religion, humanity would never have made it very far from the ooze because they wold never have been able to overcome the moral chaos resulting from the lack of a religious, objective standard?

 

Sorry, not buying it. It's not hard to see a society coming to grips with some basic, morality-based laws based on observing the detrimental effects of behavior. There is definitive wrong and right without religion. Saying tha humanity would be unable to recognize without religion was the part that seemd arrogant to me.

 

Nope, not saying anything like that at all. I do think it is possible for society to act morally without religion.

 

Here's what I am saying:

1) Morality is objective, not subjective. There are subjective elements that get confused with morality, like whether or not a child who out-of-the-blue smacks another child should be spanked or given time-out. But no one thinks that the child should be rewarded. Even though the details may be handled differently across the world, our core values are objective: People should be responsible. People should not judge others based solely on prejudice, etc. People should respect other people's property (ie don't steal). etc.

 

2) To say that morality is objective means that it is universal, eternal, and unchangeable.

 

3) To admit that there is something (what we call morality) that has all the properties in (2) is basically to admit that there is something supernatural... something that people call God. If there is no God, then humans have no purpose, and therefore no morality. How can it be wrong to kill another man, if we are all devoid of purpose? Without purpose, a man dying is no different than a snowflake melting.

 

I hope that helps... I know it's kind of a confusing discussion... but my point was just that the statement "morality is objective" logically entails the notion of a creator God. My point was not that having churches in town establish the moral fabric of our species... which is the position that some other people in this thread seem to be taking. To me, while church does have some good and should represent the good, I also know way too many stories of the bad to try to argue a net benefit.

[brinett9 0]

The invisible man in the sky thing is good.

 

Especially the part about killing people who believe in a different invisible man in the sky or don't believe in any invisible man in the sky.

[cday 0]

Without getting into a God or no God debate, the prospects of a world where no one thinks they have any higher power to answer to, frightens me.

 

If no one believed in a God or God-like master, the world would be filled with criminals, thugs, and people who stick up for guys like Barry Bonds.

 

If religeon is really all bullshit, but it keeps some of it's believers from leading a life without morals, than I'm all for it.

 

what the fock ..

 

i didn't click on this thread because i thought the title was dumb and it would be an idiotic discussion. thanks for proving my right by post #2.