cityStatic
Seasoned Veteran
[youtube]DMqTEfeqvmM[/youtube]
Is religion the root of all evil?
- Thread starter cityStatic
- Start date
SilverWolf
Familiar Face
I don't think religion in and of itself is real. I myself am a religious person. I think PEOPLE can take religion and twist it to their own personal agenda--and often do. It's not the Christians fault that the crusades happened--it was the politics of the time and the corrupt individuals in charge.
Just like today, when I hear so much Muslim and Islam bashing. Not all Islamists and Muslims are terrorists--the extemists are.
With any religion you will have extremists, and with any religion you will have corrupt individuals. That said, MOST people who are religious do try to follow a code of ethics, and are not out to kill or convert everyone they come across.
That said, there will always be those who use religion to make money, gain power and influence, etc. It's not religion itself that is the problem; it's the greed and lust for power that many of us human beings possess.
Just like today, when I hear so much Muslim and Islam bashing. Not all Islamists and Muslims are terrorists--the extemists are.
With any religion you will have extremists, and with any religion you will have corrupt individuals. That said, MOST people who are religious do try to follow a code of ethics, and are not out to kill or convert everyone they come across.
That said, there will always be those who use religion to make money, gain power and influence, etc. It's not religion itself that is the problem; it's the greed and lust for power that many of us human beings possess.
InfiniteJest
Paragon
Theres a pretty solid argument for religion being the root of all evil, especially considering almost every war fought has had religious undertones.
D
Deleted member 1609
Capitalism and religion are definitely two major causes of the evil in the world. Before you say it, I'm not a communist; I believe in democratic socialism with a secular state.
If you do good things throughout your life because you want eternal reward, then that's doing the right things for the wrong reason. Religion does not cause morality. The countries in the world with the least homicides also have the lowest percentages of people who describe themselves as religious (e.g. Norway, Sweden). In the United States, the "Solid South" has churches on every street corner and God all over their state constitutions, but they also have the most homicides in the country. This doesn't show that religion is linked to murder, but it shows that religion does not make people make moral choices in their lives. The few people who actually do make moral choices in their lives because of their religion, however, are doing the right things for the wrong reason. People should do good things because they're right or because they want to help people, not because they want eternal reward.
If you do good things throughout your life because you want eternal reward, then that's doing the right things for the wrong reason. Religion does not cause morality. The countries in the world with the least homicides also have the lowest percentages of people who describe themselves as religious (e.g. Norway, Sweden). In the United States, the "Solid South" has churches on every street corner and God all over their state constitutions, but they also have the most homicides in the country. This doesn't show that religion is linked to murder, but it shows that religion does not make people make moral choices in their lives. The few people who actually do make moral choices in their lives because of their religion, however, are doing the right things for the wrong reason. People should do good things because they're right or because they want to help people, not because they want eternal reward.
The Reverend
Paragon
hey snobo, im a socialist/pirate (pirate party follower). Anyway, people can believe what they want to believe, i was raised a catholic, im not very religous though, as long as religion doesnt cause harm to anyone, i couldnt care less. But sometimes it does, exttremists are stupid people and in my opinion, should be caused the same amount of pain as they have caused others. 😛
Extremists will exists with or without religion, it's the same thing as blaming violence on video games or rap music. I don't think people doing good things in the name of religion are doing anything different than anyone else. People help others to make themselves feel better, not for any other reason so it's as 'wrong' when it comes with religion as for a non-religious person.
Also high five profx, I'm going to register as a pirate in around 2 years, lucky me I've lived in the two states that have official pirate party chapters in the states 😀
Also high five profx, I'm going to register as a pirate in around 2 years, lucky me I've lived in the two states that have official pirate party chapters in the states 😀
D
Deleted member 1609
I really couldn't care less about religion, though. I just want it to stay out of my government.
I certainly support the principles of the Pirate Party. Copyright laws need serious reform.
I certainly support the principles of the Pirate Party. Copyright laws need serious reform.
TheNavigator
Up-and-Coming Sensation
No of course.. I don't believe in that..
When religion calls for peace, when religion calls for no killing, when religion calls for forgiving, then of course no..
When religion calls for peace, when religion calls for no killing, when religion calls for forgiving, then of course no..
D
Deleted member 1609
Religion doesn't call for peace. The Bible is a book of genocides.
The Reverend
Paragon
im not religous but that is not true at all.Snobothehobo said:
D
Deleted member 1609
I beg to differ.profx said:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/god_cana.htm
I'm not saying that all Christians are murderers. I'm just saying that religion isn't as peaceful as its followers would have you think.
The Reverend
Paragon
its not as peaceful as it looks, but saying that the bible is a book of genocides is a bit ignorant. I agree that christianity is misleading though, i was raised a catholic, i never understood how god could exist, smiting you down but being forgiving at the same time- it just doesnt add upSnobothehobo said:
You know, there is one argument I always use for religious debates.
And that is, God must really be a bitch for letting all these wars go on. And the supposed judgement day, What kind of a God would kill EVERYONE, okay THAT is genocide.
Personally I don't like to get into religious debates so I would like to stay out of it. I'm just throwing my 2 cents in.
And that is, God must really be a bitch for letting all these wars go on. And the supposed judgement day, What kind of a God would kill EVERYONE, okay THAT is genocide.
Personally I don't like to get into religious debates so I would like to stay out of it. I'm just throwing my 2 cents in.
No.
There are some crazy people who warp religions to fit their own twisted beliefs.
In the past, there were many religious wars, true. But now, the way I see it:
Greed is the root of all evil. Politics causes war aswell.
Look at Iraq. Nothing religious about that war. It was for oil (greed). In Afghanistan, not religious it was political (Bin Laden).
Today even. A crazy man in Oslo murdered many people. Wasn't driven by religion to do it (even though most people wrongfully blamed Muslims, which disgusted me today...) it was political.
When you look at the biggest wars, how many are started by religion and how many are started by a nations greed or politics. That should answer the question.
😉
There are some crazy people who warp religions to fit their own twisted beliefs.
In the past, there were many religious wars, true. But now, the way I see it:
Greed is the root of all evil. Politics causes war aswell.
Look at Iraq. Nothing religious about that war. It was for oil (greed). In Afghanistan, not religious it was political (Bin Laden).
Today even. A crazy man in Oslo murdered many people. Wasn't driven by religion to do it (even though most people wrongfully blamed Muslims, which disgusted me today...) it was political.
When you look at the biggest wars, how many are started by religion and how many are started by a nations greed or politics. That should answer the question.
😉
That's a very ignorant comment. Simply, WW1 and WW2 were not religious wars. The belligerents may have had a religion, but they weren't fighting because the enemy had a different religion.dante1217 said:
To say "religion is the root of all evil" is quite ignorant as well. People like Bradley John Murdoch (Australian court case) did not advocate a religion yet committed atrocities which were pure evil.
That's a very poor argument which can simply be counter-attacked with: if God has a morally good reason to allow such things to happen then how can we as human beings judge what God does. (Note this is for arguments sake, and with the assumption of God existing as the claim infers the existence of a God).CharlieScene said:
Still incorrect. In the Encyclopedia of Wars by Charles Phillips and Alan Axelrod, they document 1763 wars of which 123 have been classified to be religiously aimed. This amounts to only 7% of all wars.dante1217 said:
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