In Reply to: The truly pessimisstic me posted by porceleindoll on April 10, 2004 at 03:15:59:
I think it is important to recognize both sides of this issue. Yes, religion has often been used as an excuse to harrass, torture, kill, dominate, hurt, etc. But it does have certain positive qualities/ benefits. For example, a sociological study (I forgot the name of the scientist who conducted it) showed that Protestants commit suicide at higher rates than Catholics. If you live in the U.S., you realize what an impact Protestantism has on a person- it stresses the importance of the individual. Catholicism was better in this sense because it helped a person feel that she/he was part of the community. A lot of religions help people not to feel isolated/ detached from the world. Also, religion can help because it often stresses qualities that can benefit the society as a whole. The Quakers were a good example of this. Lastly, religion can help you because it provides a way to explain the unexplainable. Rituals are not always bad; they can help one to pass through different life stages, etc. The problems with religions surface when a group believes that their's is superior to all others and wants to impose their beliefs on others. This is possibly why we have terrorists, clinic bombings, murders, wars, etc. These are not just becaause of religion, but because people wanted others to believe what they believe.