Humans have invented religion as an organized form of worship to God or Gods. Has religion served for the betterment of humanity or has it served as a means to justify our actions?

Surely, one needs to read about the Crusades to understand the brutality of organized religion. And one needs to go no further then two months ago to hear people justifying the decapitation man in the name of religion.

So is organized religion good or bad? Should it be controlled to the point that it's toothless in any form other then worship? Should it be outlawed? Or should it take a major part in peoples life? In fact, should it dominate our actions?

Without religion or culture the Greeks would never have risen to the glory they did.

Religion re-inforces certain types of ethics and morals so humans don't fall off the rails.

I totaly disagree... Greeks were great as long as religions of the current form didn't exist... since Christianity started playing a major role, Hellinism declined..

It's a very big conversation that we can start here and i have no time and no mood for doing this now.. i may comment later... i generaly stand against religions...

Good and necessary to have religions, but they were always badly used. (of course to control ppl and/or pass to them the beliefs about certain maters). In many cases religions can drive a community backwards…

I also agree with Dourios.

Religion has been manipulated and distorted so as to achieve control over mankind. To control man with the fear of a "vengefull God" in case they do not obey. (Do you truly believe God is that ruthless? Would a parent destroy a child for doing wrong??)

Thus the few elite in control in the world today and yesterday use religion as a method to get their way and for their gain (mostly financial).

Never mix religion with politics and don't try and change or convert others to your beliefs. Keep it within the 4 corners of your home. That's what I think.

I agree as well
Hellenism got into Golden Age under 12Gods. Basically its the free spirit that each religion allows. Christianity doenst allow this in a great factor.

Name the achievements of the Greeks during these years. Infinite! Then think of Byzantium. How many hundred years was it the superpower? And what inventions and creations were achieved? Dont rush to say GreekFire and so… the fact is few in comparison to what was done during “free spirit” of 12theism…

Yes may there was more achievments during the ancient times, but again the most of achievments of the ancient time occure during the 5th Century B.C. and ofcourse the achievments has nothing to do with the Religion. Also we must all keep in mind that if there was no Christianity, today there will be no Greece. During the ottoman Rule The religion played a major role for the awakeness of the nattion. Kolokotronis as well as the other Heroes of the Greek Revolution ussed to say "Για του Χριστού την πίστη την Αγία, και της πατρίδος την Ελευθερία" which means "We are fighting for the Holy faith of Christ and for the Freedom of our homeland". Also the priest with the "Krifo Sholio"played a major role for the freedom of our nation
Brothers everyone is free to believe where he wants, but lets dont start by accusing Christianity or the Ancient religion. Hellenism was great in ancient times, then the decadence came, and we occupied by the Romans. Also Hellenism was great during the Byzantine Empire (when in Europe was the dark ages) but then agian the decadence came and we occupied by the ottomans.

Religion can be both good and bad. Good in the sense of given structure and order to a society like moral and ethics.

Bad if it limits people's in their in their way of life or by bringing too much taboo on things. Also if it is stopping progress and inciting hate.

But we must not forget in the end its not the religion doing things, its people themselves, cowardly hiding behind religion as excuse.

So it seems more logic to question whether the people of religion are/where good or bad instead of the religions.

Thats correct. To ask if religion is good/bad is like asking if a gun is good or bad. Depends how its used. On a personal level its more good than on a mass level IMO.

I also want to clarify how the crusades were so brutal, especialy in north, central and south Americas, but the Byzantines had very little to do with crusading brutality, and in the case of the Americas genocides they had nothing to do with it (even if they haddent collapsed by then, they would still have nothing to do with it.)

But it is very important to note the saving role of christianity to Hellas during the occupation.

The Crusades were beyond brutal. Whenever I hear any Christian take an arrogant point of view that Christianity is "better" or more "civil" then Islam, I only need to point to the Crusades and the Inquisitions.

And when i hear about Christianity saving Hellinism i point to the 300.000 people that were asking God to save them inside Constantinoupolis instead of joining those few thousands that were fighting the Turks on the walls...

Ancients were saying that "Along with Athena you should move your hands too".. Christians were saying that whatever Gods will is, will happen and waitted for the inevidable.. nice way of thinking.. very convinient..

Bethat as it is, for me there is no question that if these wasn't christianity, there would be nothing to hold us together for 400 years. Look at the Africans in America, they lost all sence of being African (in less than 200 years, not 400), not because the were away from home, but because they had no common language or belef to bind them together.

There is a thin line.



Now that we know the need for religion is not a need for irrationalism and transcendence. I think like "If religion prevents your rationality,then it s not a religion more...Such as my religion Islam doesnt provide me to track on irrationalism. So I have no problem with religion.

With all these pieces of the puzzle coming together (religion,world...), it seems clear to me that the rationalist and humanist movement cannot limit itself to debunking and explaining.





regards.