Wednesday, September 17, 2008

#3 - Influence of Religion

Has organized religion been more beneficial or detrimental to society?

85 comments:

Ernesto said...

For me, religion has been both beneficial and detrimental to society because it is good for people to have something to believe and fight for. But, religion has brought the disagreement between many races and practices. Also religion has been the cause of many wars or disputes in humanity .

Anonymous said...

Organized religion has been detrimental to society as a whole, because it has braught many conflicts and controversies between opposing religions. This has been the cause of many fighting, and more seriuos conflicts throughout history.

Anonymous said...

Ernesto, I disagree with you, organized religion isn't good at all, because it is what causes the conflicts in many areas of the world. Also, you may think it is good because people respect what it says about not killing, etc. But all this is out of fear of going to "hell", and not coming from their own desire.

Elaine Carlson said...

Religion is a very wide context. It is very contradictory as can be seen in history, but there are many reasons why it can be possitive, and many that can be negative. Having a organized religion is beneficial, because it can shape people's mind to believe in a more common view. For example: If people just took the idea on their religion, everyone or at least most would have a different view and rituals.

Tony said...

Religion is a pilar stone of human civilization. It allows people to unite for a same purpose. The blind belief on a higher being is a quality humans have which allow us great achievements. By having faith on your religion you will be able to accomplish great things, but it is also know that certain leader of a religion have twisted the meaning for own gain and corruption. They take advantage of people's blindness and use it for own gain. The purity of a religion is not common, but when there is one it is great and will surely bring out the best of people.

LyanneSantana said...

I belive that religion brought both, pros and cons. Religion brought many groups together but also separated many. For example in the middle east the problems with the jews and the muslims. These two religions hate themselves and have created many wars and separation of lands. Also, many communities are brought together by religion, like this country.

LyanneSantana said...

Salvador, I agree with you but there are many benefits that have come because of religion. countris are organized by them and groups that were once separated are now together.

Elaine Carlson said...

Salvador I disagree with you, religion can be detrimental, but the reason why people don't follow an organized religion is what is causing some people to think that other religions are unacceptable, and in the end cause conflicts.

Cristina said...

i think that an organized religion is a beneficial thing for alot of people. i think so because if people wouldn't have a organized religion, how would they know what to follow or praise.

Arantxa Chahin said...

I believe that religion is both beneficial and detremental. Beneficial because the religion give people someone to belive in, it gives people hope that there is something greater than just earth. Also it give people a reason of why we are here on earth!Different groups of religion is also detremental because it creats a big diversity of believes and ethinicity, which bring many problems in the world like wars. Also racism, and discrimination.

Ernesto i think you are right.

Samantha Lehr said...

I believe religion to be very beneficial. Religion not only gives someone something to believe in and fight for and cherish, but it also has influenced many cultural aspects, such as music and art, literature as well.

Anonymous said...

While that may me true Lyanne, it has braught more problems than it has braught benefits.

Ernesto said...

Salvador, I know that religion has caused many disputes and fighting. But it is also good for people to believe in something beacause if not, life wouldn't have a clear point.

MariaCristina said...

In my opinion, religion has been both beneficial and detrimental to society. Many religions relates to certain people with certain beliefs giving them hope, while there are some extremists who use religion as an excuse for killing. Imagine a world without terrorists, but then again, how would this world hold on without something to believe in?

Samantha Lehr said...

Salvador, i have to disagree with you because i do not believe it to be the fault of religion that these conflicts emerge because everyone is different and are always coming up with their own opinions, if it were not religion it would be soemthing else. Religion may be the subject of the conflicts but it is not the reason that the conflicts happen.

Tony said...

Elaine it is right that a religion has brought many disputes, but that disputes have been mal interpretation of religion. In our modern world we have studied through out time that there have been wars because of the ignorance and intolerance. I believe that modern world needs to be more involved in their religion, because religion will make us do things more for the society than for personal gain.

MariaCristina said...

CRISTINA: It is true, it has been beneficial, but what about all the killings and terror that have been going around the world for ages due to religion? I think you should consider that too.

Anonymous said...

So Ernesto you say you believe that without believing in god you can't do anything. I disagree. On the conttrary, without the restraints caused by the fears that religion causes we actually have far more liberties than you would think. And not only that but certein things that one wouldn't be able to explain but for a miracle, you would be able to understand why it exactly happens.

Cristina said...

MACRI!
ok.. it is true about what you are saying but we cant stop following our religion because some of the religions are messed up. that dosen't stop us from following our religion!

Ernesto said...

Well Salvador if you believe that it is totally bad that then I'll respect your opinion. Even though I feel that religion has also brought good things to society.

marcel said...

Religion, i believe that has been a very good and at the same time bad thing to the world. i say this beacause, religion make people realize that somebody out there does exist and gives you the hope and faith of everything in life. God, for example, is the reason for many people to stay alive and to dont give up. Also religion has been a great problem to the world. This has brought many inconviniences and wars between countries.
Maria Cristina: i agree with you since, as i said before it has been both good and bad, and also we wouldnt appreciate good without the bad. :)

Elaine Carlson said...

Yes, Antonio I consider what you are saying, what you mentioned is also one of the beneficial reasons why it is better to be organized on some levels of religion. If people could have the same view towards their religion they won't cause this ignorance problems, like you said.

MariaCristina said...

CRISTINA: Um.. I didn't say you shouldn't follow your religion.. I just said that you should also consider that religion has had a bad influence in society...

MariaCristina said...

MARCEL: Thanks for agreeing. I also agree with your argument, about how religion brings hope yet it brings problems too.

Memo said...

I believe religion is benificiary and detrimental. Riligion give people hope and pushed them to move foward. without religion we wouldn't be afraid of doing things, nothing to control us and religion make us have limits. But at the same time behind religion their are interested and personal reasons. Religion have moved wars and money, new religion have started just because a king wanted to marry again for the secound time and the church did not allowed him so a new religion started. Without religion there wouldn't be any reason to fight any reason to believe.

Ana Gonzalez said...

I believe religion is both detrimental and beneficial. it's detrimental because there is always a conflict between them in terms of believing in gods, there are wars, and countries figting because of land. But, it's beneficial because as Ernesto says it gives people something to believe in.

Marcos Jose Rodriguez said...

No ARANXA, Religion is not bad just because culture diversity brings war. Even thought religin gives people some faith, and in my case, convinces me that, part of my family that is now dead, rests in heven, and is not just dead. It isolates you from reality. You keep beleaving in something that makes no sense, but that you want it to make sense.

Manuel Perez said...

I definitely agree with Ernesto. Religion has never been bad itself, even if conflicts have been held over it throughout history. Imagine that the world had no organized religion, and that every community had a different set of beliefs, no matter how similar they were. It wouldn't matter wether religions were organized or not, there would still be conflicts over them, and more so because of all the differences. Also, consider this: organized religions have helped unite societies for years. What would we be now if no one could agree on getting together for anything because of religious differences?

Samantha Lehr said...

Marcos: for some people religion is there reality, it doesn't isolate them, it brings people together. And why does it not make sense. It makes perfect sense, it gives people something to believe in, it gives them hope, how does that not make sense?

JavierAude said...

I believe that organized religions are bad for many reasons. Orgainzed religions has made the world divide into defferent ethnic gruops, and has created racism. If the all reasons for wars could be summed up into three they would be money, land and religion. Organized religions has been the cause for most of the global conflicts in the present and has been in the past.

Ana Gonzalez said...

Salvador i disagreee with you religion is not that bad as you paint it and say. religion gives people a motive and although it brings war as you say, you also have to see the good part it has.

Memo said...

Samantha: a disagree with you. I believe that religion has shaped around culture adn tried to be part of the people. Religion has got into people way of living,but at the beginning of life religion was no part of it. religion started because people had doudts and the interets have used tose fears to promote their personal interest, and with time religion has become intitutions and organizations.

Arantxa Chahin said...

Marcos religion does make sense.... everything the bible says brings answers to many peoples problems. and in life if you loook at the war that is going on now and at the history of the world you can see that they have occured because of the diffrence in belives and religions.

Marcos Jose Rodriguez said...

No LYANNE, religion, makes culture diversity. But leads to war. Religion is something that is not true, but that you want to believe. Just so that it explains many thing that you don't understand. It isolates you from reality and just makes life more cruel, when you get to see it.

LyanneSantana said...

Ernesto, I completely agree with you, religion brought many wars and conflicts in life, but it's also the most wonderful thing to belive. Just imagine life without God.

Adriana said...

Religion has been a problem eveywhere throughout history. People have diferent ideas and beliefs and that is what brings problems in religion. An organized religion is more beneficial than detrimental, because it has the same ideas and beliefs, instead of every single person coming up with a different idea and maybe many disagreeing with the others idea.

JavierAude said...

Marcel: I do agree with you in a way, religion has brought hope and faith to everyone. Yet people wouldn't have to depend on these as much if it weren't for all the religious conflicts in the world. These religious differences have created many disagreements between people and nations.

Coki said...

I believe that religion has brought good and bad things to this world. it has shaped the life of billions of people and most people live their life by this. now, i also believe that it has brought many more bad things. it has brought poverty because many people used to be taxed by the church and it was unfair. religion has also provoked major wars and batlles in which millions of human beings have died. religion has brought many controversies and death. ifyou look throughout history, the major causes of war have been because of: power, money, land and religion. :D

MariaCristina said...

MANUEL PERE: I don't completely agree with you because even though it's not the religion itself that cause the problems, is the influence of it that makes extremists. AND due to the different religious communities all around the world, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF SEGREGATION because of their different religious beliefs.

LyanneSantana said...

Well Marcos, I TRULLY DISAGREE with you. Religion is the most wonderful thing that life can bring you. God is religion. Just because you cant see him it doesnt mean that he's not there.

LyanneSantana said...

Well Marcos, I TRULLY DISAGREE with you. Religion is the most wonderful thing that life can bring you. God is religion. Just because you cant see him it doesnt mean that he's not there.

Samantha Lehr said...

Memo, religion has always been apart of life, people have always had to believe in something.there are so many things in the world that are unexplainable, if they didn't believe in something they would have went crazy.

marcel said...

JAVIER. i know, this has brought many inconveniences as i said, but that doesnt take the fact that religion is very positive thing. and that there is no reason why religion should not be avoided. and no, just because religion has broght many problems doesnt mean that, that is the reason why they have that amount of faith and hope.

Coki said...

i agree with salvador on his opinion about religion, i am with him in that, but you have to also realize that it has also brought good things like union between nations and other.

Adriana said...

Javier! i completely DISAGREE with YOU!... Relgion has brought many wars because of people not tolerating. But that problem can be solved when people start tolerating the ideas of the others. Religion has also brought wonderful things, for many people a reason not to give up in life.

Manuel Perez said...

This is all very true Maria Cristina, but the real question here is wether ORGANIZED religions are god or bad. It is true that all this happens because of organized religions, but the same would happen without them. It is all religion, organized or not, that causes this. I still believe that religion has been essential to bringing societies together and making the world the way it is now.

Teacher Yorch said...

Ana: But, why do we HAVE to believe in something?

Marcos: Why doesn't it make sense?

Manuel: What about socialists and communists? It is true that it has not worked, but it has never been put to good use. In their minds it is not necessary to have a religion.

Adriana: But it doesn't have to just be religion that causes those problems, what about social and cultural differences?

Coki: But how many people who shape their lives with religious standards actually take it in completely?

Ernesto & Samantha: When is religion good to fight for?

Salvador: But hasn't it at least brought peace in some situations?

Elaine: What if the common view is actually negative?

Tony: I agree with you on a historically context, but what about Buddhist monks? They don't have any material or financial gain, only spiritual.

Lyanne: But, don't the Palestines and the Israelis come from the same source, the same beginning?

Cristina: The Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans did not have a book to read and laws to follow, but they did know whom to follow?

Arantxa: Are most wars because of religious beliefs, or just covered up by the idea of religious beliefs?

Maria Cristina: Only terrorists are extremists? What about those who do not fight with others, but still are extremists?

Marcel: What about the cases of Islamic extremists that kill themselves BECAUSE of their god?

Memo: But Protestants did have a good reason for creating a new religion! What about them?

Adriana said...

Religion is not the only problem, that why I think that it is beneficial. Also cultural differences cause problems. SOME problems in history have been because of religion but not ALL. Besides that, people need a little of toleration to accept others beliefs.

JavierAude said...

Adriana in a way I do agree with you, if people were more tolerant many wars would have been avoided. Yet some cases due to the different religious scriptures have brought many conflicts about land ownage. For example the jewish in Israel. They expulsed the palestinian arabs away from their land because thier holy book said that the land known as Israel was their property, and you can't expect for palestinians to be tolerant about that. If one religion or one belief was set on the whole world conflicts like this could be avoided and dissapear.

wanda said...

I believe that religion has both beneficial and detrimental. For people, its sometimes good to have something to believe in, something omnipotent that will be there to always help them and provide them with what they need. It serves as a way of people to look-forward to life with a purpose. But on the other hand, not everybody believe in this. So conflicts have risen from religion; whether people need believe in it or not, and even in what god or omnipotent power they should believe in. Religion is a major causes of a world without peace. But it still brings hope to those who need it.

wanda said...

Marcos: religion does make sense. It gives people a purpose on life, and explain many things that are unexplainable to humanity. It is something to believe in, and gain hope in it. So it is true, because we are living in it.

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Anonymous said...

Mr. George, oyu are right, in some situtions it has brought peace agrrements, not fair or both parties, but peacefull agreements all the same, but it is also noteworthy that religion is actually the cause for many conflicts, an incentive if you will, or acts as a buffer between the two conflicting countries and they can't actually communicate completely well.

wanda said...

someone answer me:)

JavierAude said...

Wanda: I couldn't agree more with you. It is true many people need a believe or figure that will give them hope to progress in life. Someone or something that is omnipresent or omnipotent as you said. It is not bad to have a faith, yet sometimes your faith or religion doesn't necessarily agree, which brings up conflicts, such as the crusades.

wanda said...

JAVIER: hanks for agreeing in the first part. But also, about what you disagreed in, yes its is true. Conflict do arise from religion, but then, conflicts arise from anything. Money, resources, land... So without religion, conflicts would stil be going on in this world. Religion may have a cons, but it has a major pros: it gives hope to does who need it, and give something to rest on.

Anonymous said...

To all of those who said that religion was not the cause of conflicts: THE CRUSADES.

Carla said...

Organized religion has been more beneficial to society, yes it has brought disagreements and problems. But organized religion has been the base to the founding of our society,and without it things would be very different. It was what kept order and organization for many years, it was and still is gives hope for the people to continue to live a good life, and honest and respectable one.

Carla said...

Salvador: You say organized religion has been detrimental, but it was what kept order for many years, without it maybe even more conflicts and problems would have surged.

wanda said...

Carla: I agree with you bordis;)

Anonymous said...

Coki it may have braught union between nations, but it has caused more conflicts than unions.

wanda said...

I said the same

Carla said...

Wanda: Thank you Wandis, remember BRIGHT MINDS THINKS ALIKE ;)

JavierAude said...

Carla: I disagree with you. Organized religion has been responsible to many atrocities such as murder and torture. I only agree with you in the aspect that religion has given hope and faith to may people. Yet religion has been the main reason for most wars and conflicts in the present and past world.

Anonymous said...

It might have kept order for one group of people Carla, but every religion has it's counterpart, and they fight each other almost daily.

Arantxa Chahin said...

Well Mr. Ruiz not all wars are because of the diffrence in religous beliefs... but most does start as religous beliefs and later is used to cover up what their actually doing. Most of the time they use it as a reason of for soldiers to fight. So also most wars are covered up by the idea of religous beliefs!!

Moises said...

Religion isnt something nessesary for everyone i belive its really not, because i dont know if theres something out there and if there is i dont belive its a man like everyone says like a god.

Ana Gonzalez said...

Mr. Ruiz you don't have to believe in something it's not mandatory but when you believe in something that something motives you to keep going.

Manuel Perez said...

George, socialists and communists may not believe in religions, but look where that has gotten them. It is only one of the many reasons that many communist governments have failed to maintain their power. Smart governments know that religion is useful for uniting people and securing their faith.

Manuel Perez said...

George, socialists and communists may not believe in religions, but look where that has gotten them. It is only one of the many reasons that many communist governments have failed to maintain their power. Smart governments know that religion is useful for uniting people and securing their faith.

marcel said...

Marcel: What about the cases of Islamic extremists that kill themselves BECAUSE of their god?

mr.ruiz: well, in this case religion has brought a negative influence to people, but that doesnt mean that God doesnt help others, by saving their life. there might be people who might go to the extreme, but you have to expect that since this world is very wide and people have their own point of view of life and God. Although people do this, i still believe that God has been the reason for many people to live their life as they should.

jacopo said...

in my opinion I believe it has been beneficial because it helps organize the society. It has become something in which people can believe and rely on: and this gives them a good state of mind.

Moises said...

javier:i agree with you in the part that says religion is one of the main causes for wars its good because it gives hope but its one of the main problems in the world.

Elaine Carlson said...

Mr. George, people are guided to a common view by the authority of that religion, for example priest tells us, the catholics, what should we believe in. If the common view is negative, well that may be a reason for religion to be detrimental then. But most cases of that, is that people interpret our corrupt their views.

Carla said...

Javier: Well Javier I am sorry to see that you are so closed-minded just because some have died. Thinks about what would have happened, the atrocites that would have been comitted if their wouldn't have been someone or something their to put order. Yes some people died, but people always do its just inevitable, and if not even more people would have died!

Ana Gonzalez said...

Jacopo I agree with you in the way that it organizes but, it also disorganizes the society because people start fighting because of different things they believe.

Carla said...

Salvador: But there many organized religions not just one, and if each group is in order then there would be less disagreements. Yes there are disagreements and fights as you say, but maybe if there wasn't religion to fight about people would some other topic such as politics. Its just in there nature and religions has kept it a little more organized and discreet so that there is fears and caos.

Carla said...
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jacopo said...

MOISES:I desagree with you because in order for society to be organized people need to belive in something. People do suff because they have a goal if they dont have a goal society wont be organized.

Coki said...

you are right, not everyone takes it in completely, and about a 70 percent of the people do not take it in completely, but they are religious and will follow most of the ideas.

Cristina said...

MR. RUIZ
yes, but they could also have been following nothing, based on something that someone wrote. if they had a holy book or something the could be more sure of their religion. they werent smart enough to ask about the religion or from where it came from.

MariaCristina said...

TEACHER GEORGE: Not only terrorists are extrimists. There are many ordinary people who take religion as a way of life. Both for good and for bad. They exagerate their views towards religion, converting them into fanatics. And everything in excess is harmful.

MariaCristina said...

MOISES: It is true, that's why we must rely on faith. But do you think it has been good or bad for society?

Coki said...

yes salva, i believe too that it has brought more conflicts but it has been worth it, because the advances have been almost excellent.