Would the world be a better place without Atheism/Religious-ism?

by AK - Jeff 98 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  AK - Jeff

  My thread here: http://www.jehovahs-witness.net/jw/friends/197200/5/Atheists-Do-you-ever-talk-to-God has taken a decidedly new twist. One that has made me think it prudent to discuss a related matter.

  Would the world be a better place if all Atheism was gone? Would it be a better place if all Religion were gone?

  Please note that I have taken the question from the realm of attacking Christians or Atheists as people, to the realm of consideration of the relative concepts generally ascribed to each group. It is the concepts I would like to discuss, not attacking those who subscribe to those opinions.

  I personally believe that religion is the single most destructive element of mankind's' social evolution. It divides. It stimulates war and hatred and genocide. Not surprising, as this is the character of most the gods of religion over history, including, or perhaps especially, the Christian/Judeo God. Nothing amazing there, since much of the Christian/Judeo God was borrowed from mythological gods that seethed with anger, hatred, violence, incest, jealousy.

  Your opinions. And guys, let's keep it civil?

  Jeff
• 

  PSacramento

  Truth?

  I think that organized religion is something we can do without, that said, I think a "live and let live" approach from BOTH sides would go a long way to making the world a better place.

  I know you want to keep people out of the argument and focus on the concepts and principles, but the issue is that people ARE the problem.
• 

  OnTheWayOut

  Southpark did an episode in the future where all religion was actually gone and there were two factions fighting over what to call their sound belief in evolution. (Well, it went something like that.)

  If all religion were gone and science were in place, then I could see "The Big Bang" or "DNA" becoming the thing of worship.
  
  If all non-belief were gone, the world would be just as it is today except there would be a few less factions to fight over belief. We would still have Jews killing Muslims, Muslims killing Jews, World War started in Christian lands, stuff like that. The Soviet Union would have been the same, but allowing at least one belief above others.

  Now if the concept of worshipping anything, particularly the unknowable, were removed- then we might have something.
• 

  NomadSoul

  Hard to say in some aspects. I believe there would still be war over territory and humans would find another excuse to exterminate each other.

  On the other hand, religion has slowed down progress in very different fields of human development. I think without religion in human history our technology would be more advanced by now and maybe that knowledge is what could make the difference to stop us from killing each other.
• 

  journey-on

  Actually, Jeff, I think some fields of science are bringing things together in ways that will transform the way humanity looks at religion and "God" in general. It has all been an evolution, imo.....a search for answers to our existence...not just about how we came to be, but why we came to be.

  At one time science and religion were virtually inseparable, then they split totally in two, grew on their own individually, and now are coming back together in a new and exciting way. We are just on the cusp of this transformation.

  Religion as we know it will dissolve into a new kind of scientific-based spirituality where we understand the consciousness of the universe and how to work with it and within it.
• 

  AK - Jeff

  but the issue is that people ARE the problem.

  I don't think so. People are often acting within the vehicle of belief. When 'God' tells people to judge others, kill them if need be... although those opinions are carried out by people - the problem arises from the concept of 'God'. Most wars are fought in the 'name' of a particular 'god' for instance. Our cities were attacked on 9-11-2001 by those who believed they were acting on written orders from their 'god'. The zealots who carried out the mass killings in the 'Spanish Inquisition' did so at the stead of their 'god'. None of these atrocities can be excused as 'imperfect men' - an excuse proffered by the WTS as example to cover the rape of children inside it's religion.

  No - I think that left to their own devices - there would still be war - but the vicious 'righteous indignation' that often accompanies wars and atrocities carried out in the name of 'god', if absent, might allow men to come to terms much more rapidly. When one acts as if 'god is on my side' - bad things always happen - very bad things.

  Jeff
• 

  PSacramento

  Our cities were attacked on 9-11-2001 by those who believed they were acting on written orders from their 'god'. The zealots who carried out the mass killings in the 'Spanish Inquisition' did so at the stead of their 'god'. None of these atrocities can be excused as 'imperfect men'

  No argument there, organized religion was the cause of those things, but we can't also forget the atrocites of Stalin, Mao and Poh.

  There is a darkness in us all and that drakness needs to be understood, contained and if possible eliminated, be it via religion or the elimination of it, but as it stands right now, BOTH have way too much of it.
• 

  ProdigalSon

  It depends what you mean by "atheists". Most of the atheists I know don't reject the idea that there is a God, they just reject the god of the Bible, with good reason I might add.

  It seems you already know that all religions teach truths esoterically which is contained within their scriptures in the form of allegory, but the literal words are misleading and deceptive, in order to empower a priesthood. So Jeff, congratulations on being among the conscious.

  Would the world be a better place without religion? Lennon said it all in "Imagine".

  PS
• 

  teela(2)

  My take on it. It would be good to hear people justify there actions without reference to God, bible etc and then realize how stupid there behavior really is. Maybe then the world would be a better place if they have logical reasonable arguments for there actions.
• 

  tec

  I think people would find something else to fight over. I also think leaders would USE something else to push their agendas. But I do agree that organized religion is currently responsible for many atrocities - not all.

  Tammy