Does religion help people?

[Kalypso]

Let's take a step back from our personal beliefs for a second and look at the course of human history, and the way people are in relation to religion, science, logic, reason and philosophy. Does religion help people?

You first have to define 'help' people, which leads to the hardest question to answer, what is the meaning of life. For the sake of this debate, we are going to define help thusly:

Anything that elevates the lifetime and happiness in people or general elevates the quality of life of human beings is helpful to mankind. Additionally, the positive qualities of said influence must out-weigh its detrimental factors.

Now then, for sake of comparison, let's look at three other things quickly- Science, Logic and Reason. They all go together, because Science is driven by logical observation and reasoned conclusions.

Science helps people. The lifespan of human beings is more than doubled due to the effectiveness of Modern Medicine, we have an enormous plethora of devices to entertain ourselves, we have the ability to travel anywhere in the world in a day, and in general our society, standard of living and livelihood has been immeasurably helped by scientific advances. I don't think anyone would disagree, being that we are communicating on a very advanced piece of equipment.

To attack this vague question, I divide religious influence into two categories- Religious Morality and Religious Myth (Note that in the context of religious debate, Myth does not mean lie, it means a set of stories and beliefs thought of in visual terms represented in non-visual forms of communication).


Religious Morality
I would that overall it has helped humanity a great deal. Without laws or order, we would have no society, and religion has had major influence over the morality and laws of our past. While some morals seem nonsensical and out-dated by some modern standards (Such as the abstinence from premarital sex), they are by no means detrimental. Some standards, distributed largely by religion such as 'Do unto others as you would have others do to you' are widely helpful. That parable alone, known as the 'Golden Rule' leads logically to most modern laws, and explains objection to some modern laws (IE the prohibition of Marijuana, many say it is a victimless crime, and so long as it hurts no one what is wrong with it?). I would judge religious morality in history as largely helpful, and crucial to our development.

Most helpful religious morals are so ingrained in every culture today that religion is no longer needed as a conduit, however it is hard to judge whether or not it still helps.


Religious Myth
Here I stand completely opposite. Most religious myth only serves to stand in the way of progress. The concept of a God stands in the way of philosophical advancement, and keeps many people ignorant regarding many major questions in life*. Religious explanations of natural events only distracted people from their true causes, and may have slowed down scientific understanding and control of their causes**. Most of these myths seek to please people through ignorance, and I find that to be largely damaging. Additionally, these religious morals can corrupt modern legislation, such as religious policies in political debates. These and other reasons lead me to think religious myth is largely harmful to society today, perhaps in history it helped, but not today.
*= Whether or not this is bad is largely up for debate, I find it damaging
**= Example- Volcanic Eruption, if it were the volcano god being upset offering a sacrifice to it does absolutely nothing, however using a seismograph to predict upcoming eruptions saves peoples lives. That and the logical conclusion to not live next to a volcano.

You have to take both into consideration when judging whether or not religion is helpful. I would say, both combined, religion was helpful in history, but the myths have taken over what is potentially helpful. Religious myths and fundamentalism therein has lead to countless wars, problems and unhappiness in the world, and these myths do nothing to help us. They impede progress, and since religion is at its core a vessel of such myths, whereas a philosophy would carry the morals without negative myths attached.

You also have to answer whether or not you think people would be happy with your conclusions logical action, mine being the wheening of religion from society. I think, absolutely yes, people can be happy without an invisible man in the sky, and taking responsibility for their own actions and consideration of the world instead of ignorance of it would be largely helpful.


Trying to spark some debate in here.

 

[Digital Watches]

I'd agree with most of what you've said, except that religious morality is beneficial. To argue that religious morality forms the basis for beneficial modern laws is to deny the inextricable intertwinement of law and religion in the past. What I'm saying is: Laws as we know them would probably not have developed differently to the point of detriment if not influenced by religion. The only difference that the religious laws make is that they create a religious following that is reluctant to change or ignore any existing law for no other reason than that it is dictated by their religion.

 

[Kalypso]

I'd agree with most of what you've said, except that religious morality is beneficial. To argue that religious morality forms the basis for beneficial modern laws is to deny the inextricable intertwinement of law and religion in the past. What I'm saying is: Laws as we know them would probably not have developed differently to the point of detriment if not influenced by religion. The only difference that the religious laws make is that they create a religious following that is reluctant to change or ignore any existing law for no other reason than that it is dictated by their religion.

I'd see it more as a catalyst than a direct cause. Most religious beliefs we find wrong morally (Anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage, etc) come from Religious Myth, not religious morality. Some badly interpreted bible passage validates some *******es idea that gays deserve to be persecuted like dogs, not a core religious doctrine. Most core religious beliefs are present in all religions, which is the basis for the Baha'i belief that all religions are, in essence, the same thing with different Myths attached. Not all religions are anti-gay, but they all advocate the Golden Rule.

 

[applejack]

I think that Religous Myth can have positive affects. The Afterlife, for example, can help people accept the end of this life. For no matter how advanced medicine gets (at least for the forseeable future) it is at most a stall from death. The belief in an afterlife can let people die peacefully, and can make them believe their past actions have had purpose. From a purely scientific perspective however, all actions in life are irrelevant, as there is no punishment or reward.

I do understand that people also use religion to justify evil acts, the crusades for example where it was considered God's work to kill Muslims. But this is an illusion created by those in power to sway the people into doing as they want, Hitler used the Jews killing of Jesus to create prejudice against them. But those in power would still have done these acts, for money or power, they simply used people's belief.

The golden rule and ten commandments are guidelines for people to live their life, they simply say to be a good person. Anyone of any religion could follow most of the commandments (some are based in the religion, "thou shalt not worship a false idol").

 

[Digital Watches]

I think that Religous Myth can have positive affects. The Afterlife, for example, can help people accept the end of this life. For no matter how advanced medicine gets (at least for the forseeable future) it is at most a stall from death. The belief in an afterlife can let people die peacefully, and can make them believe their past actions have had purpose. From a purely scientific perspective however, all actions in life are irrelevant, as there is no punishment or reward.

1. I suppose for those willing to take comfort in a delusion, religious myth can have the singular desirable effect of providing them with a popular one.

2. All actions in life are irrelevant... to what? They're certainly relevant to other people and things that these actions have effected, and are often relevant to one's lifespan and quality of life. All actions in life are only irrelevant to the person who committed them after their death.

I do understand that people also use religion to justify evil acts, the crusades for example where it was considered God's work to kill Muslims. But this is an illusion created by those in power to sway the people into doing as they want, Hitler used the Jews killing of Jesus to create prejudice against them. But those in power would still have done these acts, for money or power, they simply used people's belief.

I submit that the existance of such a strong belief with clear punishments for not adhering to it makes it horrendously more possible to manipulate people into doing things that political pressure alone could not. This is the DEFINITION of religion being "detrimental" to society as a whole.

The golden rule and ten commandments are guidelines for people to live their life, they simply say to be a good person. Anyone of any religion could follow most of the commandments (some are based in the religion, "thou shalt not worship a false idol").

That doesn't make them the only guidelines, nor are the "rules" the only way in which religion is used. We're not debating whether religion in its purest form in ideal situations with all human interpretation and misuse eliminated is a good ideal, we're debating whether religion as it stands is a benefit or a detriment to humanity.