When people ask me what my problem with religion is, one answer is not enough

[enwiabe]

Reposted from reddit, this is the sort of damage that religion causes in the world. A truly dangerous weapon that makes good people do evil things, and allows evil people a vehicle to exponentially grow the damage of their wicked actions.

http://i.imgur.com/mpQA0.jpg

[aes_999]

You do know that not every religious person does that right?
Really, what's with the hate with people who are religious?

[enwiabe]

You do know that not every religious person does that right?
Really, what's with the hate with people who are religious?

Tell me where I said that? That is a very blatant straw man attack. I don't hate religion, I despair for the damage it does to humanity. It teaches people to be unaccountable to their peers and facilitates them in hurting others because they think they have a god-given right to do so.

[nacho]

thats like hating kitchen knives though

edit: not the slightest bit religious.

[aes_999]

To enwiabe: I see your point there. I agree
its really hard sometimes to deal
with overly religious people.

But I can tell you, not everyone who's religious
is like that.

[JellyDonut]

Reposted from reddit, this is the sort of damage that religion causes in the world. A truly dangerous weapon that makes good people do evil things, and allows evil people a vehicle to exponentially grow the damage of their wicked actions.

http://i.imgur.com/mpQA0.jpg

+100
And those are just the acts in recent times

[playsimme]

It's sad that it's only the extremists who are publicized which give religion a bad name. Definitely though I know some religious people and they are the nicest people I've ever met.

[Zahta]

Your Just looking at what religion has caused over history, Being religious does not always cause problems. In many religions those who are religious teaches them peace & honestly as well as controling their anger, but also aswell as accepting other religions. If you havn't noticed the religious people are always the calm ones, dispite what religion their from christianity,  islam or buddhism.

[Zahta]

& yes only  extremist are  only publicized. Those extrremist that are publicized are actually the ones who go over board and practice their religion wrong. e.g thinking "jihad" in islam  is the right thing when your not allowed to kill innocent people for no reason what so ever.

[shinny]

It teaches people to be unaccountable to their peers and facilitates them in hurting others because they think they have a god-given right to do so.

That's pretty much the reason I state when people ask me why I'm a bit iffy with religion. I'm generally not very vocal about it and am quite tolerant - mostly because pretty much all of the religious people I personally know are actually lovely people, but on a larger scale it clearly causes problems. Religion is highly subjective and any prolonged argument with religious people will show this quite clearly (does 'it's not meant to be taken literally' ring a bell?). Basically, I find that anything that subjective which is applied to overrule one's innate sense of logic in decision making to be a problem waiting to happen. People often blame it saying it's not religion's fault if something bad happens, and that it's the individual's fault in a manner similar to the arguments made against computer games causing violence and whatnot. I think the distinction needs to be made that in the case of video games, the majority of people do not resort to such violence because an underlying decision making process still exists. In the case of religion though, as I've stated, this is more or less overwritten by one whose foundations are undoubtedly with good intentions, but can be skewed by subjective interpretations. When it comes to permitting such subjective interpretations, nearly anything can be justified. While perhaps over-simplified, a nice quote from Steven Weinberg is 'Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.'

[playsimme]

Nobody seems to notice the good that stems from non extremists yet when one obviously deranged group does something people are quick to blame the whole religion in its entirety. The world will always have good and bad, regardless if religion exists or not.

[shinny]

The world will always have good and bad, regardless if religion exists or not.

Refer to my quote above.

[ninwa]

a nice quote from Steven Weinberg is 'Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.'

that is an amazing quote

[JellyDonut]

In the case of religion though, as I've stated, this is more or less overwritten by one whose foundations are undoubtedly with good intentions, but can be skewed by subjective interpretations.

I think the problem exists because the bible places the word of god at the peak of human morality. It's hardly surprising that someone would take the violent and archaic verses of the bible as law and act on it.

[matt123]

Reposted from reddit, this is the sort of damage that religion causes in the world. A truly dangerous weapon that makes good people do evil things, and allows evil people a vehicle to exponentially grow the damage of their wicked actions.

http://i.imgur.com/mpQA0.jpg

Religion when in the presence of Fanatical extremists = corruption.

Please I advise that you enlighten and broaden your knowledge of the "Baha'i Faith".
A religion which actually contradicts your statement. The Baha'i Faith is a religion based upon world peace and unity and the oneness of mankind.
If you get some spare time , I suggest you may find it an interesting Read .