Is Religion Good or Bad?

Question

Has religion created more harm than good?

Christians have warred against heretics, blasphemers, other sects, and given just plain bad medical advice, etc.

Muslims kill other muslims, hate jews, chop infidels heads off, etc.

Religion has been cause for ritual sacrifice, enabled wars by proclaiming God was on their side etc.

On the other hand it has founded charity groups.

Which is it - more harm or more good?

Answer 1

Religion is bad and you have to know that Jesus Christ came to Earth to ban religion and religious behavior that was symbolize at that time with the Pharisees.

God wants a relationship not religionship

Answer 2

Good for local cohesion, charity and some social order.

Bad for truth, critical thinking and toleration.

Answer 3

Religion persists because it conveys a survival advantage on those who believe.

We can conclude it's not the cause of wars because Atheistic societies are just as warlike.

marconprograms is correct.  Religion is the psychological equivalent of a gun.  Religion doesn't kill people, people kill people.   Religion just makes it easier.

Now if you are a fuzzy minded liberal like Marx, that makes Religion bad.  

But if you have the slights grasp of Darwinian logic that makes Religion good, at least for the believers.

The gun analogy is good in another regard.  Religions are NOT created equal.  Victory usually goes to the folks with the best gun.

Answer 4

Religion brings out the best in people and it brings out the very worst.  It has inspired great art and challenged individuals to do great things.  How tragic when two armies are fighting and they both say that God is on their side.  How tragic that so much evil is carried out in the name of religion.

Answer 5

Like anything else, its all in how its used.  

Answer 6

It seems to me that it's mostly bad, but I suppose that depends on perception.

I think religion itself can't be good or bad, it's how people use it. Some people see religion as a moral guide, and use it to moralise themselves. Yet others devote themselves not to the teachings of their religion, but to the religion itself, and that causes conflict.

Religious teachings may not be all necessarily good. Or rather, they can be twisted so as to be used as weapons, or ammunition. It is not religion that does this, but religious leaders. This breeds ignorance, hostility among different religious groups, and ultimately leads to violence.

Religion is man-made, after all, and what is Man but a narcissistic, aggressive, hotheaded barbarian? All people ever do is find reason to kill each other. If not religion, it would be something else.

Overall, I think religion has done more harm than good to mankind. Or rather, Man has done harm to himself by creating religion.

Answer 7

christianity has since changed since the biblical times... now christianity is a society of (mostly) loving people.  crhistianity isn't just a religion, it's more of a relationship

i think that the answer to your question is that it's done a lot of harm in the past... but it's done a lot of good... besides muslims...

Answer 8

You've heard the phrase, ignorance is bliss.  That pretty much tells you that Religion is a good thing, altho delusional in its world view.  Religion and the belief in a higher being served an evolutionary benefit to our primitive barbarian ancestors.  As time goes on, however, it only serves as a blinder to Objective Reality...

Answer 9

Religion is like guns - it is a tool, and how it is used by people is what determines whether it is good or bad. It is good when people follow religion to do good works, and bad when people, sometimes the very same people, use it for bad works. Good or bad applies to the people, not the tool.

Answer 10

Relative to what, a single person or the world society.  Wars have been fought because of religion, but if the people involved truly just had strong faith war should not be an issue tied to religion. For individual people religion can be a wonderful thing, giving them purpose, joy and peace.  Then you have to consider that some people are suppressed because of others religious beliefs. For instance g*y people's lives are totally affected by Christian and Islam beliefs toward homosexuality.  I think religion as an ideal is good.  Unfortunatly it can turn bad.

Answer 11

Good or bad that is immaterial, but we need it for our intellectual development.

No intelligence can be developed without religion!

Answer 12

Look, my religion is one of the most hated in the world. Religion can give you faith. People that don't believe nor are faithful won't ever reach spiritual happiness. A religion helps you spiritually, because I'm a witness of Jahova, lots of people at school hate me, I can't celebrate birthdays nor holidays, i don't honor the flag of my country, and at school I have a lot of trouble with people that just can't understand 'cause they're unfamiliar with that. And you might wonder, why would I go throughout all of that? Because it's more than worth it. I've been so happy in the last months when I decided to give more strenght to my spiritual bond with God. Me and my father had  the worst father daughter relationship ever, but last week, for the first time, I didn't evade his hugs, and I wasn;t mad at him for his worst qualities. I consider this a miracle! That's why I think it's the one thing that helps you reach happiness in life Do you still think it's a bad thing. Well, just one more thing, please, don't ever deny God. Because he really is with you, he'll listen to you when no one else would. He's your friend, father and guide.

Answer 13

Its good provided we as humans think or take the positive outlook towards every other individual.

Answer 14

Religion is like any other thing in this world.  When used for positive ends, by positive people, it will have positive results, and the same is true for negative ends, people, and results.  

It is probably easier to argue that religion has caused more harm than good, but that is because one horrible event gets a million times the press coverage an awe-inspiring hopeful event would get.  Take the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center for example. 9/11 is now more associated with being attacked, terrorism, death, and destruction, but those same attacks brought forth untold heroism, charity, love, and compassion for others.  It is easier to dwell on the negative, than it is to see the positive.  

Overall religion is neutral, and people are bad or good.  Religion is just a tool used to foster or oppress, explain or silence.  There are too many unnamed actions in the name of God that brought forth war or peace to be able to say that religion is more harm than good, or good than harm.