Is the belief in God ultimately harmful to society? (user search)
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  Is the belief in God ultimately harmful to society? (search mode)
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Question: Is the belief in God ultimately harmful to society?
#1
Yes
 
#2
No
 
#3
Not sure
 
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Partisan results

Total Voters: 50

Author Topic: Is the belief in God ultimately harmful to society?  (Read 7461 times)
patrick1
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,865


« on: May 09, 2012, 12:38:27 PM »

I would say yes, provided the believers actually think that whatever god or gods they believe in want them to perform certain actions and act certain ways. Sure, that could include good things as well as bad, but it gets people to act based on the commands of a specious authority which they are generally encouraged not to question rather than thinking about what actions they should take and determining them based on sound reason and logic. Even if the particular instruction happens to be a good one, it sets a bad precedent and could affect how they think and act in a bad way down the line.

With deists and anyone else who believes in gods but don't think they have been instructed in a specific manner, any harm is largely negligible as it will normally at most affect only the life of the believer in some minimal fashion and not significantly affect others. There's still potential for consequences, but I think it is far less.

This is a slightly tangential to the OP, but do you really think that humans are a reasonable and logical species though? I certainly haven't seen much evidence of this from groups of believers and non believers alike.  I don't think this is any sort of excuse or get out of jail free card for hatred preached or practiced mind you but I think it is an important prima facie jumping off point for discussions like this.  So then is it really religion that is the suspect or that we are just kind of hard wired to be prats to each other and ourselves.
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patrick1
Junior Chimp
*****
Posts: 7,865


« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2012, 12:39:49 PM »

Ah, another fine display of pseudointellectualism on the R/P board. What a shock!

Is "compelling" pretentious now? Or is it "secular"? But I still don't understand your opposition. I really don't. Do you think something is wrong with certain kinds of people using more-complex-than-average vocabulary or syntax?

Nathan- I shall come up with it, give me a little bit.

Al, missed his cuppa and I can only assume it is raining out. He will get less grumpy when he dries out.
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