Imagine, No Religion
Fewer conflicts, safer women, and a lot more peace
Religion, like any other complex social and cultural phenomenon, can have both positive and negative impacts. While it often promotes community, morality, and a sense of purpose, there are instances where it can lead to negative outcomes. Again, while certain positive aspects cannot be denied, almost all of them can easily be replicated in a secular environment. Here are some serious and harmful impacts associated with religion:
Religious Conflicts:
While the majority of wars and regional conflicts throughout history were not caused by religious differences, many were. Here are a few of them:
Israeli-Palestinian affair would probably not exist except for the Bible telling Israel that the “promise land” was all theirs. Accordingly, many of them, especially the Orthodox, view any compromise to give up part of the land would be a sin.
Crusades and Inquisitions.
Witch burnings.
Muslim Conquests.
Yugoslav Wars, with the fighting in Bosnia and Herzegovina being just one of them. This basically involved the Christians killing Muslims with the goal of complete extermination.
Muslim-Hindu conflicts in India, Pakistan, and elsewhere.
Sunni-Shiite conflicts in Iraq, and elsewhere in the Arab world, including the eight year war between Iran and Iraq.
Buddhist-Islamic conflicts in Myanmar and elsewhere.
U.S. Civil War. While much slavery throughout history was not due to religious differences, the Bible’s defense of slavery and the so called “curse of Ham” was used by the southerners as their right to have slaves.
Major division in America. While politics has a lot to do with it, so much of it is religion driven, and the lack of a unified country prevents a lot of good and progress from being accomplished. Skilled politicians easily manipulate religious people into voting for one emotional issue, without concern for other issues that would result in untold suffering by tens of millions of people such as striping away health care coverage to over 20 million people and the removal of vital safety nets.
Many human conflicts took place between worshippers of Roman and Greek mythological gods and goddesses believing that they were real. In fact, of all the gods created by humans throughout history, can anyone be certain which one, if any, is not mythical?
It seems that regardless of one’s religion or cult, there are always a lot of heretics to hate, torture, confiscate property from, enslave, or kill. The bottom line is that religion often is used to divide between “us and them,” and no one can possibly deny that it is often used to promote hatred, discrimination, and is a great tool used by many, to obtain power and money.
Promotion of Harmful Practices:
Medicine is often refused as some consider it a lack of faith.
Many people are easily manipulated into believing that if they give more money than they can afford, God will multiply that amount, regardless of whether their children need basic necessities today. Not all, but many pastors and evangelists exploit the concept of tithing and gifts for their comfort and wealth. Some even teach that giving money may cause God to save their wayward children.
Treatment for illnesses are often delayed as praying for healings are made.
Many women and young girls believe that their god given role is to submit, serve, and sacrifice careers and freedom to determine what life would provide them with greater fulfillment.
Men often view their role is to dominate and lead, and many love it.
When fear to obey an almighty god is implemented, it becomes very easy to manipulate and indoctrinate.
Assumption of Truth:
Since most religions and cults require their followers to exercise “faith” in its dogma and/or individual(s); given the lack of tangible and verifiable evidence, it can discourage the practice of critical thinking in other areas of one’s life. Every historical religion, cult, or god was believed to be true by their followers just as fervently as people do today. What made them all think that their god was the real one? Faith. Amazingly, most were indoctrinated by their parents to think just that, while no tangible evidence existed. Thus, exploring other information was discouraged, if not outright forbidden. Faith can make you believe just about anything you can think of. It completely lacks any basis or objective rationale. If “faith” is based on a book that has contradictions, errors in what it claims as science or history, or it advocates for slavery, genocide, among other atrocities, is it not an insanity to use it as an ultimate guide in making life decisions?
Religious Trauma:
Not only do millions of people have severe anguish, emotional pain, and nightmares over the belief that a parent, sibling, child, or friend is burning in hell, but many suffer from irrational guilt, shame, poor critical thinking skills, sexual problems, fear, chronic depression, among many other difficulties, including suicide.
Attempts to leave religion can be devastating as they struggle with leaving an authoritarian and dogmatic religion while coping with the damage of indoctrination. Thousands lose their entire social network including families, friends, jobs, and safety nets. Thousands of others cannot and should not endure the cost of “coming out” so they stay and keep their unbelief hidden.
Here is more information regarding Religious Trauma Syndrome.
Female Inequality:
No need to expound on this one. According to the Bible, the “first” woman sinned, even before she had the ability to know right from wrong, and not only was punished to suffer great pain during childbirth but was also to forever submit to the wishes and commands of her husband.
Even the Ten Commandments list wives in a list of property items not to be coveted.
The Bible, some call it “the Good Book,” in Deuteronomy 22:20–21 required new brides who lacked evidence of being virgins to be stoned to death.
Men were allowed as many wives and concubines that their heart desired. The wisest man on earth, according to the Bible, had 700 wives and 300 concubines.
As a punishment to David for committing adultery with Bathsheba, we read in 2 Samuel 12:11–12, that God arranged for his wives to be raped.
Lot impregnated both of his daughters, yet the “Good Book” tells us that it was the girls who got him drunk and then raped him while he slept. 2 Peter 2: 6–9 honors him three times by calling him righteous.
Yet, preachers and apologists love to point to the few nice things the Bible records, but a man who claims to love his wife and occasionally beats her is not a loving and caring husband. Even Hitler displayed love for his grandchildren. Does a god who claims to love someone, but promises to torture him or her for an endless eternity know anything about love?
Hindrance to Progress and Suppression of Scientific Research:
When children are taught to just believe something and that something lacks any tangible evidence, it can stunt their ability to learn critical thinking skills which will be necessary in the many decisions they will be required to make. Childhood indoctrination is incredibly powerful.
Many evangelicals believe that the world as we know it is going to soon end, via the Rapture and/or Armageddon. Thus there is no need to protect the environment or support long term planning projects.
When people learn to believe things without evidence, the things they are able to believe are almost unlimited. Studies are quite clear that there is a strong correlation between those who are very religious and those who believe crazy and bizarre conspiracy theories, such as QAnon, climate change is a hoax, America was created by God as a Christian nation, slavery had benefits for the slaves, Covid vaccine is not only dangerous, but some believe that it is the “mark of the beast.”
To teach children that the earth is less than 10,000 years old and that humans and all species of animals were created in one week, and that fossils proving otherwise were planted by the devil, causes them to disrespect and distrust Science despite the many benefits it gives us.
A vivid example was a conversation I recently had with four high schoolers who were being home schooled: three boys and a girl. They were very polite and courteous when I asked them if I could ask them a question. I first indicated that my generation, the Baby Boomers, did a lot of damage to the world and that their generation was maybe the last to fix things. My question was what were the two or three most important risks that they saw going forward. All four were in full agreement that the main dangers were the people who supported gender change and the government taking money from the rich and just giving it to the poor. That is indoctrination at the core.
Wasted Resources:
Untold billions of dollars are spent on buildings that may be used for only several hours a week. Think of the good that could happen if the money spent on mortgages, utilities, insurance, salaries, upkeep and maintenance, landscaping, snow removal, supplies, and the other ordinary expenses of running a church and its buildings were all used for education, health care, safe housing, reduction of poverty and world hunger, and numerous other important things.
There are many options available for the proven benefit of regular socializing with the group, some are even free. Thus the major reason many attend church can still be realized, and billions and billions of dollars left over. And many hungry children can have more food and medicines with the money their parents feel obligated to support their church. Many small churches can conduct services in a hotel or share buildings with other small churches, and the savings would be immense.
And let us not forget the billions of dollars received from followers that go to pay lawyers and settlements regarding the thousands of claims for sexual abuse and cover-ups committed by the leadership.
Blind Faith:
Let us not kid ourselves, all faith is blind faith by definition. If it had evidence, it would no longer be called faith. No one can be certain that their god is real and true. You can hope and declare all you want, but it is what it is, regardless of what you hope it is. Thousands of different so called gods throughout all of history have had devoted followers. Almost all became followers through their parents and/or culture. It is almost always just the random result of when in history one was born, and the geographical location of their birth.
If you were born in Saudi Arabia you would be a Muslim. If born in India, you would probably be totally convinced that the Hindu gods are real, and in America, you will call yourself a Christian and never spend any time investigating other religions.
The childhood indoctrination is almost always accepted as absolute fact, which is why more people spend more time researching what cell phone and smart TV to buy, than they do researching the historical and logical basis for the religion they were born into. If you already know the truth, why spend time analyzing it?
Regardless of the amount of faith one may have, it can never make something that is false, true. It can never move a mountain, not even an inch, nor can it ever regrow a leg or arm that has been amputated, despite the promises found in the Bible. Faith will never supernaturally fix a flat tire or fill a tank with gas, even though you believe that “whatsoever you pray for, believing, it shall be done.” If you happen to be stranded in an isolated place and no one happens to come by and it gets too cold, you will just die. The finding of lost keys, a headache going away, a cancer that is temporary removed by trained and hard working doctors, or a needed job offer, is the best proof that their God answered their prayer. Even goose bumps are enough for many. Seems to be a very low bar.
Conclusion:
I, a former evangelical zealot for many years, apologize for being harsh, but even the Bible says that the truth will set you free. Deny, rationalize, or even cuss, the fact is, religion, including Christianity, often promotes intolerance and exclusion, justifies the lack of empathy and compassion, such as to Muslims, immigrants, gays, doctors trying to prevent unnecessary deaths from Covid and other well intentioned human beings. It often advocates for environmental devastation, cultivates fear and guilt, promotes the financial exploitation of the poor while fighting to take their health care benefits away, and among other damaging things.
Here are other articles of mine expounding on the many flaws and problems contained in the Bible. If something is really true, no one should fear investigating it.
Ten Bible Stories Never Preached in Church
Bible Stories Never Preached in Church, Part 2
