Could religion actually allow people to be justifiably unethical? Why or why not?

Question

Could religion actually allow people to be justifiably unethical? Why or why not?

Answer 1

yes look at the crusades for the christians and right now for islam

Answer 2

It is the Christian way is it not?

Answer 3

Any ideology can be manipulated for those seeking self justification and a "pass" on their unethical behaviour:

For example, many Fundamentalist Protestants believe that once they are saved they cannot reject that salvation and God has to let them into heaven no matter what evils they do,even if they do not in any way repent of the evil or plan to do those evils again.

or some Muslims believe that they can do anything to those who oppose Islamist expansion and some thing that suicide bomber murderers will go right to Paradise

Every religion I know of condemns unethical behaviour( at least some particular list of unethical behaviour)

Irreligious ideology like atheistic Marxist-Leninism (and Nazism)seems to have outdone m any religiously organized/labelled groups( with the exception of jihadism,maybe, and some others) in justifying mass murder and enslavement.

Answer 4

Yes.

I see hate filled bigots spread their ignorance using the bible as justification all the time.

Answer 5

I don't see how. The measure of being ethical is to do what is best for the greatest number of people with the full realization that their will still be someone who is less than fully happy.

God's advice (no matter the religion) has always been to do what is good as much as possible so I dont see how religion (if followed ethically) could be used to be unethical.

After seeing some of the responses already, I wanted to add this: People who say that religion has caused a lot of bad things to be done is incorrect. What has caused problems (like in the Crusades for example) is man's interpretation to make their "religion" fit their own agenda. The leaders of the Crusades were not "Christian" in their thinking. In otherwords, they were doing "their" thing instead of God's thing. Christians who are thinking and behaving as Christians do not seperate or offend. That is MANS way of thinking.

Answer 6

Perhaps in their own minds. Man easily deludes himself. Yes, it is not uncommon to see this happen. Yet, maybe we look at the wrong source to make our assessments. To make a valid judgement of any Faith one must look to the few that truly have Wisdom within that system, not the many who as of yet just simply do not comprehend.

Great question! Blessings!

Answer 7

unfortunately people do use God for doing what they think is right in their eyes.  Like the people that bomb abortion clinics.  That was wrong, and they justified it by using God as their excuse.  Revenge in mine sayeth the Lord, God will justly take care of the wrong doers in His timing.

Answer 8

What Gorgeoustx said.

Answer 9

Well, Christians slaughtered thousands of innocent Muslims during the Crusades, in the name of God.

Sounds pretty unethical to me any way you slice it.

Answer 10

Do you read the newspapers?  There are plenty of people who believe that their religious justifies anything.

Answer 11

Some religions justify bigotry and separatism. I would consider this unethical.

Answer 12

I think that possibly, because they have this religion that supposedly, if you follow, you're automatically justified in your actions, you have no reason to be following what others think is ethical.  Of course, I follow my own morals and ethics, not those of others.

Answer 13

Yes & No; it depends what kind of religion is unethical justifiable and which is ethically justifiable.

GOD BLESS YOU!

Answer 14

Yes...one of them being slavery.  The OT of the Bible condones slavery and the NT teaches you how to treat your slave.  The slave masters in the 1800's thrived on that fact.