Religion has a lot to answer for. I don't think it will ever cease to exist though, ever. When people say "religion is evil" I think they are specifically referencing religious extremists murdering innocents, all over the world. Using religion to commit heinous acts of violence is evil. Therefore, those individual humans are evil, twisted and wrong. To me, religion is a big problem and people can use it to incite violence.
Everything that has influence in the world has a lot to answer for. Political idealogy has killed millions upon millions but you never here anyone saying 'all politics is evil', technology has been responsible for untold deaths through advanced weaponry and yet not many people would blithy say during a conversation that all technology is evil.
The difference is that a lot of people don't believe that religion, unlike politics or technology, is at all useful or helps people. Because when these people say that 'religion is delusion' obviously they're not religious and don't really see the point of it on any level. They clearly don't see the 'upside' like they do with those other things.
Human nature dictates that people will be shits to each other for lots of different reasons. And they will be nice to each other for lots of reasons as well. Religion sits on
both sides of that scale, good and bad.
Religion has done a lot of good in the world as well, and that shouldn't be forgotten just because somebody wants to use one religion as a stick to beat all other religions with.
I'm from Glasgow (AKA Northern Ireland lite) and for decades people have been murdered due to their respective Catholic or Protestant beliefs - which two main football teams from the city made even worse. Religion, to me, breeds generational hatred, violence and fear that keep many people, including myself and family, indoors when Protestant marches are on. So yeah, I tend to bash religion at times when it affects my day to day life.
Well I remember Northern Ireland very clearly and while there was religious divide and hatred, religion also brought families together. Communities would go to church after an attack- a beating, a bomb, a shooting, they would support grieving families and victims of terrorism, they would find strength through their belief, they would forgive those who hurt them because violence would beget violence, they would find comfort in this 'delusion' and it would make their lives just that bit easier.
Religion affected my daily life too, in both positive and negative ways- so I know the answer is so simple as a blanket statement.
GwenRaiden: All politics IS evil. I hate ALL politicians. And FYI, I didn't say religious people were delusional!
🙂 I'm glad religion gives people strength, I have many Catholic and Protestant friends but they're not offended by my views at all.
That would make you an anarchist then? Anarchists beleive in no societal structure beyond the family unit. No politics, meaning no government of any kind, that sort of thing? That's actually pretty interesting.
🙂
And for the record I'm not that offended by the 'all religion is *insert blanket statement* here' but I do get tired of it being wheeled out whenever the topic of Islam comes up. Religion does good, and it does bad. Just like most other things.
