Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 13:34     Subject: Are we better off with religion?
Anonymous wrote:Since we have always have it, at least in the last several thousand years, we cannot know. It is not an easy "what if" scenario. Take USSR and China, both strictly anti-religious societies. Are/were they better off?


Not an easy question, but OP is asking for opinions. Hard to say if USSR and China would be any better with religion, IMO.

In Europe, religion is falling away, after WWII, but again, it's hard to say, IMO if Europe is better or worse off. I'd say better off, considering all the religious wars they fought in the past. But people will always find something to fight about.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 12:00     Subject: Are we better off with religion?
Since we have always have it, at least in the last several thousand years, we cannot know. It is not an easy "what if" scenario. Take USSR and China, both strictly anti-religious societies. Are/were they better off?
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 12:00     Subject: Are we better off with religion?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Use religion like a buffet bar, pick what you need or like and leave the rest. Don't try to overeat or try everything because its there.


This is the reason religion is a joke. I don't know how anyone lives with the hypocrisy of "picking what you like" while simultaneously supporting an organization that enables abuse, robs people of their rights, advocates for war, and drains the public coffers. And I'm not talking about any one religion - they all do it.

If you must believe invisible sky beings, fine. Do it quietly. Do not allow your delusion to ruin the lives of others.


+1
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 11:58     Subject: Are we better off with religion?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:What good has believing in myths ever created?


Religion can create a lot of good:
Community. Shared purpose and values. A sense of belonging and responsibility for others.

Religion isn't the only way to create/find those things, but it is a way.


Yes but the price paid for those things, which incidentally we would have found another way to have if we didn’t have religion, is way too high. Most people only look a the “nice” tenets of religions but the insidious harms and the obvious more overt harms are not worth having those few benefits.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 10:37     Subject: Are we better off with religion?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Pouring super special water on a baby to absolve them of sins its own god gave to it is “beautiful” and “meaningful”?



Nothing “beautiful” and “meaningful” about pouring water on a baby, but the ceremony being passed down from generation to generation might be special to people and simply mark the welcoming of a new person to our world.

There are secular ceremonies that do the same thing.

Is there? What’s the secular equivalent of ridding a newborn of all its sins?
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 10:28     Subject: Are we better off with religion?
Anonymous wrote:Pouring super special water on a baby to absolve them of sins its own god gave to it is “beautiful” and “meaningful”?



Nothing “beautiful” and “meaningful” about pouring water on a baby, but the ceremony being passed down from generation to generation might be special to people and simply mark the welcoming of a new person to our world.

There are secular ceremonies that do the same thing.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 10:24     Subject: Are we better off with religion?
Anonymous wrote:Use religion like a buffet bar, pick what you need or like and leave the rest. Don't try to overeat or try everything because its there.


This is the reason religion is a joke. I don't know how anyone lives with the hypocrisy of "picking what you like" while simultaneously supporting an organization that enables abuse, robs people of their rights, advocates for war, and drains the public coffers. And I'm not talking about any one religion - they all do it.

If you must believe invisible sky beings, fine. Do it quietly. Do not allow your delusion to ruin the lives of others.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 09:14     Subject: Are we better off with religion?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We are better with it. Society is collapsing. Religion at least gives morals and values to live by. What do we have now.


Bullsh*t.

Religion is one of the main reasons we are in this mess, and the Bible is a highly amoral book.


the Bible has good stuff and bad stuff. Unfortunately, a lot of people count on the Bible for moral advice and it is a terrible source for that.
Anonymous
Post 03/26/2025 08:02     Subject: Are we better off with religion?
Anonymous wrote:We are better with it. Society is collapsing. Religion at least gives morals and values to live by. What do we have now.


Bullsh*t.

Religion is one of the main reasons we are in this mess, and the Bible is a highly amoral book.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 22:17     Subject: Are we better off with religion?
Anonymous wrote:What good has believing in myths ever created?



Dunno. Am thinking now of the greek and Roman myths. Do we know of instances where they did good or harm?

I wonder about them because they were so far before the modern science that we have now.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 17:39     Subject: Are we better off with religion?
Pouring super special water on a baby to absolve them of sins its own god gave to it is “beautiful” and “meaningful”? Lol.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 17:33     Subject: Are we better off with religion?
We are better with it. Society is collapsing. Religion at least gives morals and values to live by. What do we have now.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 16:50     Subject: Are we better off with religion?
After things fell apart in our nation’s capital and I lost my job, I started going to church again

It feels good. I like being around others who believe.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 16:04     Subject: Are we better off with religion?
Better with it.
Anonymous
Post 03/25/2025 15:44     Subject: Are we better off with religion?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:It’s not religion itself, it’s the people and how they interpret it. If we took away religion, you’d still have abuse of minors, wars, judgmental people. None of that would go away if there were no religion. I think we are better off as a society with religion in that it serves as a community for many, it fills in the gap for charitable aid, it provides moral guidance and personal accountability.


Yes, BUT, religion also allows people to do harm in the name of religion. That seems very bad. There are plenty of non-religious people who are good people who do good things without religion.

People do bad things in the name of all sorts of things. Bad people are not exclusive to religion.