I don't think I've ever asked a religious question on Askville during my time here but here's one that has been?

I don't think I've ever asked a religious question on Askville during my time here but here's one that has been....... .......rolling around in my head recently. Hopefully it is tame enough that it won't cause a breakdown in civility in the DB or anything. I know religious questions can be contentious on Askville but I'm going to take a chance anyway.

With that in mind.......Do you have an opinion or thoughts on what the world might be like today if we had no forms of religion, at all, organized or otherwise? What significant impacts to society, if any, might take place if religion was not a common practice and passion in millions of peoples lives? Asked by Bluefreedom 39 months ago Similar questions: asked religious question Askville time Society > Religion & Spirituality.

Similar questions: asked religious question Askville time.

I have thought about this Though I am a Christian, I am willing to reason that IF, we are the body of Christ, and it is our hands and feet that carry HIS love and compassion to a hurting world, then it stands to reason as well... ... that all the evil and cruel things that occur in this world are indeed carried out by the hands and feet of people. As a grand father tells his grandson that there is an angel on one shoulder and a demon on the other. The child asks which one will live and the grand father tells him, "the one you feed."

It appears to me to be merely a choice. Though in my religion is is taught that the good you do are the things that GOD has ordained you to do, and in light of Cain kiling Abel, our inherent nature, if we’re to be considered as evolved from apes, and subject to survival of the fittest / only the strong survive, then I lose some of that optimism in humans as a species capable of acting in the interest of others on the whole. Todays economic dilemma speaks of our greed.

Without a moral compass, without religion, with all it’s pros and cons, I believe we’d be less civil. Yes people die because of religious beliefs. People die because of genocide that has nothing to do with religion.

People will die with and without religion. But people kill, not religion. Abuse and manipulation of ideals is certainly utilized to influence people in an opposite direction from the original teaching / ideal.

Sources: just my humble opinion EternalOptimist's Recommendations Sowing and Reaping A Fearless Heart: Convicted Not Condemned Amazon List Price: $15.56 Used from: $12.90 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (based on 27 reviews) .

Imagine there's no heaven. We would have a pragmatic, logical society. When questions arise, such as how did life begin, and why do the seasons change, we would have the constant quest for knowledge driving us to search for the TRUE answers, rather then simply placating us with made up religious ones and expecting everyone to believe them or be damned.

Without the oppression of random morality, We would have rational ethics. Morals are made-up arbitrary rules that are the result of religious dogma- some may make sense, some do not, others are downright harmful to society. Ethics are more rational.

They are based on initial assumptions, such as human rights and progress from there. We would have TRUE charity, not religiously motivated pseudo-charity. It is not helping your fellow man if you don't give them a bowl of food unless they listen to a surmon.

While we would still have divisions based on race and culture, and the hatred that results, but it would lack the intensity of religious hatred. It is one thing to think another group of humans are inferior, it is quite another to think they are a demonic plague that God wants you to wipe off the face of the earth. Video Imagine there's no Heaven, it's easy if you try.No hell below us, Above us only sky.

Imagine all the people, living for today. Imagine there's no countries, it isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too.

Imagine all the people, living life in peace. You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one.

Imagine no possessions I wonder if you can No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people Sharing all the world You may say that I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only one I hope someday you'll join us And the world will live as one.

Religion is about power and men... Since humanity emerged dripping from the primordial soup it has needed some explanation for life. We had a need for meaning, help, assistance and some supernatural control of our existence. Primitive man has offered sacrifices to many differing deities for good crops, for their women to be fertile and so on.

There became the specialist in asking/preparing/offering these sacrifices. That was the priest of that time. He gathered power and control.

He became a part of the heads of tribe and could give direction to those in charge. This has continued on over ions. The birth of Christianity produced it's own hierarchy of power and control which continues to this day.

Religion and conforming go hand in hand. You will be punished if you don't do this or believe in this or do this a certain way etc. It has developed into an obsessional grab for control over people's lives. Religion is deeply ingrained in your culture.

The more fundamental, the more superstitious and silly it becomes. But it can still have a stranglehold on those who are weak, uneducated, needy and obsessive. Religion can separate, define, divide, conquer, cause hatred, wars, death and destruction.

It can infiltrate governments and control populations. It can be very destructive. Each believer has his own truth or a version of it.

It is more about the believer than the truth or the religion. I think there would be less angst in society without religion. I think there would be more harmony, less division, more communication and sharing and less ostracizing.

I think nations would feel more likely to extend a hand in friendship. The walls of hatred would not exist or be so prominent. Religion is just another thing to fight over, build walls to separate people, define our differences and cause tribulations.

As John Lennon said, "Imagine no religion! " Sources: Personal Opinion..

Fanatism eliminated............... I imagine it would be a plus for some societies. Others are controlled by the fear of Hell! It's all in the brainwashing done since their young age.

I was raised without religion. Born in 1943 in Sao Paulo, Brazil of German/Austrian parents. We were discriminated by the Catholic church that at that time decline to baptize us and the Italian descents.

Dad had been very religious, Catholic upbringing in Germany and he grew up in Brazil. He was mortified with the church's decision and wrote off religion in our household. Interestingly he was an architect, specialized in Gothic church designs.

Priests and Bishops would visit our house to hire him for remodeling of churches. Many times I remember a Bishop extending his hand for my brother and I kiss to his ring and my father's hand quickly separating us and not allowing it. He never forgave the church.

Mom (Austrian) was agnostic and everything suited her fine. My parents were way ahead of their times. They always told us to make a difference.

Help people, be an animal right activist, be kind and have empathy for your fellow men and we did. Honesty, kindness and loyalty were high on the priority list. I don't know or care to know what religion would have done for me.

Probably I would be more accepting of the challenges in life.... Is God sending that to me? Would come up. When we lose someone I observe that the religious people find comfort in their religion but they are unable to explain how come an all good and so forgiving God subjects so many innocents to hardships.

I believe today's society drifted away from religion. The younger generation no longer sits quiet and now they question everything and good for them. When I was working I had interns working for me.

Two fellows, college students were having an argument. Both were brought up by strict Irish parents that demanded church attendance every Sunday. The young men were disagreeing.

One accommodated his parents attending although he no longer believed. The other lied saying he would go to church later in the day. He would dress up and go to a local park sit on a bench for that hour.

The deceiving his parents was troubling his colleague. They did not have the courage to break the parent's heart, was claimed. In the 60's in Brazil the Catholic church would warn the poor to be carefull because the Americans would be coming to "kill" their babies with birth control pills.

Poor Planned Parenthood trying to make a difference. The ship Hope would anchor down in the poorest areas and the people from the slums were so afraid of them. The church manipulated them.

They were so very poor while their 365 churches in one single state of Bahia had gold incrusted on their walls! The care packages sent by the Americans with food and dry goods for the churches soup kitchens would end up in the hotels stores to be sold at great profits claiming that the reason was because the poor could not read English. In the name of religion many committed acts that they should be ashamed of.

Sources: my opinion .

Forgive me for sounding Machiavellian ...but I think society would degenerate and devolve in this same kind of war-mongering spirit that comes with the negative side of religion. Religion, at its heart, is a giant set of explanations for "why" - why do we live? Why do we die?

Why do we get up and work hard in the morning? Why to we obey orders? Why do we not just stab the guy next to us to death?

Why is life cruel? Why do we need stained glass? ...etc.If some form of organized reiligion had never evolved (or if someone could make a wand and make it disappear), people would still need their "whys" answered.

If there's no god(s), then they'll turn to man. Start worshipping rulers and tyrants who provide them with answers, solace, and purpose. And we would fight for these rulers, just as now so many people fight in the name of their religion.

And if I'm wrong and people didn't turn to a ruler, they'd turn to someone/something else. Society as a whole can't function without a greater purpose. People by nature are dumb, panicky animals.

And we'd act that way until someone/something showed us the light. And then we would follow it/them/him/her to the end of the earth.So the answer is, we'd still be idiots. Just idiots with a lot fewer buildings of worship.

Or Amy Grant cds. Sources: PenguinSage's theory .

I don't want to know when I ASKED my Askville question, I want to know when someone last RESPONDED. " "Has anyone ever asked a question on askville and not got any answers? " "What do you do when you see a question on Askville that is obviously meant to be asked elsewhere-such as Amazon.Com" "In Askville, how do I search for a question that may have already been asked?

" "Is there something wrong with Askville? I have to ask this question even though I already asked 2, see details please..." "Has a question ever been asked on Askville which wasn't anything more than a question mark?" "Has anyone on Askville ever asked a question in Gibberish? " "What was your all-time favorite question on Askville?

" "Your 'Change category' does not work. You put my 'computer' question into 'Religion & Spirituality. '" "Who asked the first ever question on Askville?

I don't want to know when I ASKED my Askville question, I want to know when someone last RESPONDED.

What do you do when you see a question on Askville that is obviously meant to be asked elsewhere-such as Amazon.com.

I have to ask this question even though I already asked 2, see details please...

Your 'Change category' does not work. You put my 'computer' question into 'Religion & Spirituality.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.