Positive aspects of religion.

[MrFun]

Ok, know how extreme fundamentalists can try to use religion as a weapon against other people. Not to mention other past, historical crimes committed in the name of God such as the Crusades, witch hunts, and homophobia.

But there were also positive contributions made by religions of all types:

1) Christian monasteries preserved our knowledge of the ancient world. Who knows how much we would know today had it not been for Middle Ages monks?

2) Muslims in the Near East also were responsible for preserving the knowledge of the ancient world.

3) Hundreds of millions of people have found some kind of security and stability in one form of Christianity, Judahism, Islam, or other form of religion. That does not mean that moderate religious people are dumb, or have renounced scientific progress.

4) Religions have sought to provide a means for stable families through various ceremonies that celebrate the different stages of an individual's life, as well as the family's life.

I'm sure there are other positive contributions from the various religions that I forgot to mention.

[Caligastia]

How about increased spirituality?

[KrazyHorse]

Humour hint for Mr. Fun:

I opened this expecting to see a blank page.

[BeBMan]

Re: Positive aspects of religion.

Originally posted by MrFun
I'm sure there are other positive contributions from the various religions that I forgot to mention.

Gothic cathedrals

[MrFun]

Yes -- spirituality is definitely important.

But spirituality can also be completely separate from religion. For instance, I have a spiritual belief in God and Jesus Christ, but I do not belong to any Christian denomination.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Frogger
Humour hint for Mr. Fun:

I opened this expecting to see a blank page.

surprise

[orange]

Human Sacrifice

[MrFun]

Originally posted by orange
Human Sacrifice

If you want to create a separate thread for the negative aspects of religions, go ahead.

[BeBMan]

Oh, and doesn´t the idea of the equality of humans derive from the christian idea that humans are equal in the face of God?

Edit: I think there are similar ancient ideas in that direction too, but they don´t appear that much influential...

[KrazyHorse]

Actual Roman reproductions of acts of bestiality from mythology in the Colosseum

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by MrFun
Yes -- spirituality is definitely important.

But spirituality can also be completely separate from religion. For instance, I have a spiritual belief in God and Jesus Christ, but I do not belong to any Christian denomination.

That's great, I am the same way, but some people feel more secure within the confines of organised religion, and although it can be stifling for those like us who prefer to think for ourselves on religious matters, at least it affords them a limited opportunity for spiritual development.

[Caligastia]

Originally posted by BeBro
Oh, and doesn´t the idea of the equality of humans derive from the christian idea that humans are equal in the face of God?

God loves us all equally, and we are equally important to him, but that does not make us physically or mentally equal. Unequal races etc is all part of God's plan. It teaches us to love others even if they are not on the same level as us.

[Bereta_Eder]

Religion is numbing like smoking a cigarette after a long time.
That's its main virtue IMO.

Other positive traits is the feeling of someone benevolent looking after you.

All these require that you buy the whole idea though.
Major drawback.

[DanielXY]

Hm so any other good things, dispite filling the history book or providing some reason to celebrate (although most rituals are boring, and come down to "lets eat and drink")?
Ah right forgot about those imposant buildings to look at... (... pretty ... but I rather want to keep my tax-money in the pocket...)

[Ramo]

Orgies