NationStates Jolt Archive

GOOD
1. Gives faith to people without anything else to believe in. This belief drives them on and aids them in their everyday lives.
2. Gives society a form of morality and attempts to enforce this morality through teachings.
3. Can create peace in the form of religious alliances (Christians with Christians and so on).

BAD
1. Its theories are no longer applicable to a modern day world.
2. It theories are simply invalid and illogical when compared to science.
3. Religion can be a tool of the state for influencing the people.
4. THE BIG ONE - religion causes strife and wars.
5. Religions divide rather than unite
6. Religion often becomes an excuse for violence.
7. Religion can inspire dangerous fanaticism.

These are some basic starting points. You should chose your view in the poll and then explain it. Introduce new points to the fray or argue with those listed above and their validity.

Religion, in my opinion, is bad. I am a Taoist which is not really a religion, it is a philosophy. I think that religion is a belief and because of that belief people are willing to kill for it or die for it. Having ideas is a much better approach. No one will kill anyone else over an idea they have. No one will start a holy war on whether people think the chicken or the egg came first. And what is more people won't start violent cults on ideas. They are usually a combination of religions or some tired old sci-fi writer wanting to make more money. I am not against people of great faith. But people who are religious shit me. People who want to share their religious convictions with you rarely ever want to hear yours. Plus, people won't knock on your door to share their idea with you. They'll just publish it in a book or a magazine then let you make your own mind up. That is the great thing about ideas as well, they can change. You don't have to be set to a bunch of rules just because some book tells you to. You can base your ideas on what people have to offer. Listen to the Pope, read the Doadejiing, talk to the Dalai Llama. You can just scrap ideas you don't like and accept the ones you do.

Religion is bad because it's just another system of control.

It is an interesting question, but ultimately useless. We should not question whether a religion is benefits society, but rather question to see if a religion is TRUE.
Belief in a lie might make you feel comfortable (ignorance is bliss), but I prefer knowledge and suffering to stupidity and suffering without knowing why.
Also, I do not see how religion is often tossed off as 'out-of-date.' Discard ideas if they are false, not because they are unpopular.

It's good if your are in a twelve-step program.

Religion has both good and bad.

If a religion helps an individual to discipline his/her life, then it is very good.

If a religion compels an individual to harm themselves or others, then it is a tool for evil.

The religion that I follow is called Thelema. The Law of Thelema states:

Do what thou will shall be the whole of the Law
Love is the law, love under will.

But I suppose that the poll question was based on the many sects of judeo/christianity. I couldn't stand for someone to tell me what to do based on "faith" If it isn't logical then I want nothing to do with it.

As a leader in my "congregation" (we have a different nomenclature) I will never tell a member that they can't do anything in their private lives. I may point out that it wouldn't be a good idea. And I would stop them if they were to attempt to commit violence on another. But if they are doing nothing to affect another's Will, then carry on.

Just my two cents.

i think if you're religious, that's fine.

just don't force it on me, that's all i ask. after 12 years of Catholic schools i can't stand being told that i'm automatically going to hell even though i'm actually a decent human being (alright, alright...MOST of the time, i'm a decent human being).

I think religion is bad but i am an atheist and a Homosexual in America and right now that's the high piroty on the Christian hit list. Sigh, i wonder if any of us we get to be treated as humans and not "abomdations[sic] to god".

I think religion is good, but that it should be a personal thing. I don't believe that people should follow one religion with specific leaders that tell them things and they're expected to believe it. People who want to do that are welcome to it, but I myself would never follow a religion like that. Not because it's necessarily wrong, but because when you stop thinking for yourself you may lose the ability to see if it goes wrong.

I think religion is bad but i am an atheist and a Homosexual in America and right now that's the high piroty on the Christian hit list. Sigh, i wonder if any of us we get to be treated as humans and not "abomdations[sic] to god".

Not all religions are like that, you know.