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benefits of religion.
52 Answers
are there any?
can anyone tell me what benefit religion has on our lives - other than simply believing it it.
what practical day to day use is it?
what does it give us that we could not achieve if religion have never existed...
what would change in our lives if it just vanished tomorrow and had happened?
we know its existence is not required to make us good people.
charity would still exist without it.
i cant really think of anything that relies solely on religion for its worth and that would make the earth a worse off place if it wasnt there...
any ideas?
cheers
can anyone tell me what benefit religion has on our lives - other than simply believing it it.
what practical day to day use is it?
what does it give us that we could not achieve if religion have never existed...
what would change in our lives if it just vanished tomorrow and had happened?
we know its existence is not required to make us good people.
charity would still exist without it.
i cant really think of anything that relies solely on religion for its worth and that would make the earth a worse off place if it wasnt there...
any ideas?
cheers
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modeller
naomi I didn't say it was the driving force but rather acted as driving force.
As you say there there may be other forces involved. If I could put it another way how many of these things would have happened without the religious element.
16:10 Sat 20th Oct 2012
And how many of these things would not been made necessary if not for the religious element and its historically detrimental influence upon and philosophically disparaging attitude towards human progress?
naomi I didn't say it was the driving force but rather acted as driving force.
As you say there there may be other forces involved. If I could put it another way how many of these things would have happened without the religious element.
16:10 Sat 20th Oct 2012
And how many of these things would not been made necessary if not for the religious element and its historically detrimental influence upon and philosophically disparaging attitude towards human progress?
That maybe perfectly true but its irrelevant to the question.
joko asked what are the benefits of religion etc. ? He repeatedly asked for definable benefits other than giving comfort.
I could quote the other side of the coin from the crusades onwards but that
is not answering his question.
As an Atheist I don't believe in any God but I can recognise the practical help that those organisations offer millions around the world. I have received their help and observed it.
joko asked what are the benefits of religion etc. ? He repeatedly asked for definable benefits other than giving comfort.
I could quote the other side of the coin from the crusades onwards but that
is not answering his question.
As an Atheist I don't believe in any God but I can recognise the practical help that those organisations offer millions around the world. I have received their help and observed it.
modeller
That maybe perfectly true but its irrelevant to the question.
joko asked what are the benefits of religion etc. ? He repeatedly asked for definable benefits other than giving comfort.
I could quote the other side of the coin from the crusades onwards but that
is not answering his question.
As an Atheist I don't believe in any God but I can recognise the practical help that those organisations offer millions around the world. I have received their help and observed it.
21:39 Sat 20th Oct 2012
If the same institution that provides help is the very same institution that contributed to an environment that made such help a necessity, such a consideration is entirely relevant to the question. There are no one sided coins.
That maybe perfectly true but its irrelevant to the question.
joko asked what are the benefits of religion etc. ? He repeatedly asked for definable benefits other than giving comfort.
I could quote the other side of the coin from the crusades onwards but that
is not answering his question.
As an Atheist I don't believe in any God but I can recognise the practical help that those organisations offer millions around the world. I have received their help and observed it.
21:39 Sat 20th Oct 2012
If the same institution that provides help is the very same institution that contributed to an environment that made such help a necessity, such a consideration is entirely relevant to the question. There are no one sided coins.
Religion has no practical day to day use apart from keeping people calm, and in order. Its a panacea for the masses, people in need, need to believe that there is something better. people are happier to think, that when they die, they are going to ascend into heaven and live forever, not that they are going to be buried, eaten by worms and turn into fertiliser for the next generations. personally, i think that the god that everyone worships, has a pretty warped sense of humour, when there are so many evil people walking around ,living comfortable lives, and the decent folk seem to get all the Sugar.
Modeller, //how many of these things would have happened without the religious element.//
That’s true, but shouldn't we look a little deepet and ask why? There’s no doubt that religious organisations have done, and still do, some fine work (and some not such fine work), but until very recently, adherence to religion was the norm – it was expected – and prospects were grim for anyone who rejected the status quo, so it’s impossible to say whether or not, without it, schools and hospitals would or wouldn’t have been founded – but I suspect they would. I mean, imagine if religion had never existed at all. Don’t you think the genuinely altruistic would have recognised the needs of their fellow man, and done something about it? It seems to me that, in the main, these things have been done not by individuals, but by groups of individuals, and I think that’s the crux of the matter because most groups revolved around religion in some way. These days people are free to believe as they will and, therefore, things are very different – and there are plenty of non-religious charitable organisations in existence that bear that out.
^^ That’s for Wildwood too.
That’s true, but shouldn't we look a little deepet and ask why? There’s no doubt that religious organisations have done, and still do, some fine work (and some not such fine work), but until very recently, adherence to religion was the norm – it was expected – and prospects were grim for anyone who rejected the status quo, so it’s impossible to say whether or not, without it, schools and hospitals would or wouldn’t have been founded – but I suspect they would. I mean, imagine if religion had never existed at all. Don’t you think the genuinely altruistic would have recognised the needs of their fellow man, and done something about it? It seems to me that, in the main, these things have been done not by individuals, but by groups of individuals, and I think that’s the crux of the matter because most groups revolved around religion in some way. These days people are free to believe as they will and, therefore, things are very different – and there are plenty of non-religious charitable organisations in existence that bear that out.
^^ That’s for Wildwood too.
Some excellent positive answers to Clanad here. Well done , folks.
I'll add my sixpenn'orth:
While it is clear that all evil committed in the name of religion is committed because of that religion, it is by no means true that the good done in the name of religion is caused by that religion. I believe that most people are good anyway (as witness the number of charitable atheists).
My wife is a Christian and does good things via the Church. But it is absurd to suggest that if she saw the light tomorrow and becams an atheist she would cease to be the kind, caring woman she is now.
So no, I don't think that religion serves any practical purpose. If all religions were to disappear tomorrow there would still be as much charity in the world and far less evil in form of murderous fanaticism, secular wars, child brainwashing by loony sects, and so on.
I'll add my sixpenn'orth:
While it is clear that all evil committed in the name of religion is committed because of that religion, it is by no means true that the good done in the name of religion is caused by that religion. I believe that most people are good anyway (as witness the number of charitable atheists).
My wife is a Christian and does good things via the Church. But it is absurd to suggest that if she saw the light tomorrow and becams an atheist she would cease to be the kind, caring woman she is now.
So no, I don't think that religion serves any practical purpose. If all religions were to disappear tomorrow there would still be as much charity in the world and far less evil in form of murderous fanaticism, secular wars, child brainwashing by loony sects, and so on.
Wildwood, I agree, there are an awful lot of organisations out there that do a wonderful job, helping people in many ways, if religion didn,t exist, these organisations would no doubt still exist. The people that run them and volunteer are good kind people. You dont have to be religious to be a kind, caring person. X
i agree that there are many many charitable things doen in the name of religion, and so to are many done regardless of it
so it seems from this, that there is absolutely nothing that religion brings to our lives, that could not exist without its existence - except comfort.
religion then basically amount to not much more than a great big hug, head pat and a "there there there"....
so it seems from this, that there is absolutely nothing that religion brings to our lives, that could not exist without its existence - except comfort.
religion then basically amount to not much more than a great big hug, head pat and a "there there there"....
One bitterly cold night in Dec. It was 3am in the morning I was one of a group of soldiers standing in a dark bombed out railway station. We were bitterly cold and pretty miserable. We had had nothing to eat or drink for hours but then out of the darkness came a group of Salvation Army women
carrying jam jars of hot tea . That was the best jar of tea I have ever had in my life. I don't know where they had come from as the whole area had been blitzed but they had found some way of getting to us.
Make of that what you will but to me that was a practical example of help from a religious organisation.
carrying jam jars of hot tea . That was the best jar of tea I have ever had in my life. I don't know where they had come from as the whole area had been blitzed but they had found some way of getting to us.
Make of that what you will but to me that was a practical example of help from a religious organisation.
God’s Word, the Bible, is the source of true benefit to which you always can turn for guidance when you have to make important decisions. Rather than becoming wise in your own eyes, heed the advice: “Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding. In all your ways take notice of him, and he himself will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5, 6)
But you got to be humble and willing to be taught, and avoiding the self-willed and independent spirit of the world so prevalent today.
Yes, you cannot avoid reaping what we sow, and it is only fair and just that we have to bear the consequences of the decisions and choices you make.
So simply professing to believe the Bible and belonging to a church. No, “Happy are those hearing the word of God and keeping it!” explained Jesus Christ. His words show what being religious really means. It includes hearing God’s word—either by reading the Bible or listening to it being discussed—and obeying what it says. This is what brings genuine happiness. (Luke 11:28 ) the decisions you make now mean the difference between life and death.
But you got to be humble and willing to be taught, and avoiding the self-willed and independent spirit of the world so prevalent today.
Yes, you cannot avoid reaping what we sow, and it is only fair and just that we have to bear the consequences of the decisions and choices you make.
So simply professing to believe the Bible and belonging to a church. No, “Happy are those hearing the word of God and keeping it!” explained Jesus Christ. His words show what being religious really means. It includes hearing God’s word—either by reading the Bible or listening to it being discussed—and obeying what it says. This is what brings genuine happiness. (Luke 11:28 ) the decisions you make now mean the difference between life and death.
As a long time advocate of non-religious advancement can I please point out one good point as far as the question "can anyone tell me what benefit religion has on our lives - other than simply believing it it."goes. I grew up knowing many older simpler people from a different age who derived great confort from it, be it in death or times of great need.
That doesn't mean that I agree with them, or share their views, but it did serve a purpose of sorts.
That doesn't mean that I agree with them, or share their views, but it did serve a purpose of sorts.
