Religion in itself is not evil
What is evil, however is when those who want power over others use the excuse of religion to perpetuate atrocities. Religion was, and still is a large part of people's lives, which still holds influence over many people. Therefore, people who want an excuse to exert power over others are going to use it as a tool, or rallying cry against those they wish to opress. In more recent times science and political beleifs have both been used to devestating effect to opress groups of others, you only have to look at the scientific "definitions" of lesser races used by white colonials and the reliance on the perversion of communist political veiws in the USSR. People who wish to have power over others will use any and all means neccisary to gather support to their cause. To blame religion for the fact that it has been corrupted to fit the designs of others is overly simplistic and not particuarly useful.
(Fredz A graveyard of hopes, a dump of ambition, Tue 24 Mar 2009, 14:02, 1 reply)

You could argue that in one sense
it is all religion, just with different gods.
(MichaelS wasn't picked again, Tue 24 Mar 2009, 14:17, closed)

You couldnt realy, no.
Especialy not if someone is arguing the entire "religion is evil" thing again. In my opinion, it's more to do with the beleiver than the beleif system, when someone is so genuinely certain in their mind that they are right about something, whatever that is, then pretty much any action can be justified as "working towards a better society" or "Saving their souls from damnation". The vast majority of religious people are far from the militant wankers who give everyone else a bad name. Mostly they try to live their lives just like everyone else, and to point the finger at them and blame their religion for evil acts makes about as much sense as pointing the finger at me and blaming my poltical veiwpoint of socialism for the stalinist purges.
(Fredz A graveyard of hopes, a dump of ambition, Tue 24 Mar 2009, 14:24, closed)

It's wierd, isn't it?
All these people climaing that religion is responsible for everything bad ever. It's almost like they're believing something without any evidence, but what sort of oaf would do that?
(davywavy, Tue 24 Mar 2009, 15:52, closed)

Thankfuly there hasn't been that much of it on this QOTW
But there's a certain irony in listening to athiests go on about the evils of religion and beleif, while they themselves seem so feverently sure of their personal opinions. Also, it does make me laugh when someone claims all religion is evil or whatever. I've been studying religion as a social aspect on and off for the last 6 years, and I've yet to come across a truly satisfactory definition of a religion.
(Fredz A graveyard of hopes, a dump of ambition, Tue 24 Mar 2009, 16:05, closed)