Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an atheist I believe that Christianity is the only reason why slavery has been widely abolished and women and minorities have equal rights; so yes, I believe that we are better off with religion, specifically Christianity.

Did you know that Christians in the South approved of slavery because the Bible did?

Of course.

Did you know that today there are more slaves on the planet than ever before in human history?

Did you know that slavery predates written records and has been practiced by nearly every dominant successful society known to human civilization until white Christian men banned it?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As an atheist I believe that Christianity is the only reason why slavery has been widely abolished and women and minorities have equal rights; so yes, I believe that we are better off with religion, specifically Christianity.

Did you know that Christians in the South approved of slavery because the Bible did?

Anonymous wrote:As an atheist I believe that Christianity is the only reason why slavery has been widely abolished and women and minorities have equal rights; so yes, I believe that we are better off with religion, specifically Christianity.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not religious here and grew up without any.
I think there is an educational component to some religions. There's a lot of world history there, as well as issues of ethical behavior.
But it all depends on how the texts are presented. An American evangelical probably isn't going to have as strong a grasp of the Bible as a Roman Catholic. And very likely wouldn't understand the dynamics of all the European wars of yore.
I also agree that religion engenders community due to the regular gatherings of attendees.

Religious texts, not just the Bible, are full of life's complications, conflicts and tragedies. The Roman and Greek myths were full of them too. I think those stories give people context for their own life events.
I say all this, again, as a lifelong outsider to the world of religion.

I've long been intrigued by why Christianity exploded amongst the Koreans. It's been a vassal state for much of its history and a culture mostly adapted from its Confucian neighbor. Maybe lack of a home grown identity is why they are spiritually hungry. Don't know.

That said, I read that contemporary "Wellness" culture is the new religious format.

My friend lived/worked in Korea for a decade and told me that many of the “christian” religious types were much closer to cults, like the moonies. I’m not sure what it says about a culture if half the population is atheist/non religious and the other half are in literal cults.

Anonymous wrote:Not religious here and grew up without any.
I think there is an educational component to some religions. There's a lot of world history there, as well as issues of ethical behavior.
But it all depends on how the texts are presented. An American evangelical probably isn't going to have as strong a grasp of the Bible as a Roman Catholic. And very likely wouldn't understand the dynamics of all the European wars of yore.
I also agree that religion engenders community due to the regular gatherings of attendees.

Religious texts, not just the Bible, are full of life's complications, conflicts and tragedies. The Roman and Greek myths were full of them too. I think those stories give people context for their own life events.
I say all this, again, as a lifelong outsider to the world of religion.

I've long been intrigued by why Christianity exploded amongst the Koreans. It's been a vassal state for much of its history and a culture mostly adapted from its Confucian neighbor. Maybe lack of a home grown identity is why they are spiritually hungry. Don't know.

That said, I read that contemporary "Wellness" culture is the new religious format.

Anonymous wrote:Religion has added beauty and meaning to the world and provides markers throughout our lives, e.g., baptism, Bar Mitzvah, religious marriages and funerals. Meanwhile, differences of opinion about religion have caused wars, prevented or ended marriages, etc.

Overall, Do you think that we’re better off with religion, or would be better off without it?

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.

Good analogy, except that some people don't need the buffet bar at all. Unlike food, which all humans need to live, religion is not necessary for human survival.