What is usefulness of religion?

Question

Religions divided people, it causes homophobia, it causes hypocracy, it causes hate .

Answer 1

It is not about religion that causes us to gave salvation. It is about worship to God and humans. God has a set way that he wants to be worship. This is not what is popular but what is the will of God. So if the religion is not promoting the will of a God it is useless. 

Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of the heavens, but only the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. 22 Many will say to me in that day: ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them: ‘I never knew you! Get away from me, you workers of lawlessness!’

First we need to find what is the will of God. For information go to WWW.JW.ORG.

Answer 2

Religions do not divide families and the other things in mentioned in your sentence are the the things that cause hate.

Answer 3

besides being a good business, its a way to support what the ego has created in order to keep hate real and sacrifice real so that some part of you will always feel an element of shame for something you did not do for the benefit of receiving a gift that has already been given before time ever was....yes, God is perfect Love, none of this world is Gods creation, this is a collective creation of separation that isn't even real, to know what God is, is to know what Jesus meant by " ONE ".

Answer 4

In every good, there is bad; in every bad, there is good. Like fire, which gives life, but fire also takes life. It is how people use fire, or religion.



You already knows the bad of religion but there’s is also good. Like a dying person who is afraid of the unknown, believing they are going to heaven, they can die peacefully. Or, the grieving who believe their loved ones is in a better place, feels comforted. It may be that the afterlife is a lie, but people needs consolation and hope.

Answer 5

It was designed for all that you mentioned and more. Especially it was intended to be used on the weaker and simple minds who would believe it, then they would be easier to frighten and control believers, as it has been used.

Answer 6

Only a complete idiot would say "love your neighbor as yourself" divides people and causes hate.

Answer 7

God said nothing about spiders I think and I still don’t trust them . Because I was thought that then then I took it on myself to trust them 2 years ago and it took time to build a relationship but I was suppressed and the first time I tried I couldn’t touch it so ? I’m 24 

Answer 8

True religion reveals the will and teaching of God to His people. False religion forces the ideas of its human founder onto the people who practice it.

Answer 9

SURE! -- if you only look at negative outcomes AND blame religion (not people or cultures) for them -- then SURE.



For instance -- if I look at certain minority groups who have a high level of crime and incarceration and then blame their high rate of crime and prison  ON their ethnicity or race  -- then YES I can use that to say "what's the point?"



But wouldn't I be a bigot and a racist and be completely missing the REAL reason?

They don't commit crimes at a higher rate then other populations BECAUSE they are a minority or part of that group.



So here are my thoughts on this question...



1) Utilitarian Perspective -- Doesn't this question kinda 'assume' a certain utilitarian viewpoint of religion? - That it is a created thing like a hammer or a stoplight  and if it fails to serve a purpose, we should dispose of it, like junk?  Doesn't the question assume that religion was only created for a purpose and if it no longer serves us any purpose we should get rid of it? The question seems to drip of a certain consumerism and materialistic view of the world.  IF however, we question the consumerism and materialism that we've been raised with -- see beyond those views - then we may not even see religion in this way (as just another thing to discard)



2) Religion is not the cause of Homophobia. We see many religious cultures with many varying views on human sexuality. We can not say that homophobia is the result of religion, alone.  A) Society developed along with religion - so there is no time to compare a cultures view of homosexuality before religion and then after religion. It is simply NOT how societies developed. From all signs - religion is kinda baked into human psyche. (more on that later)  B) There have been societies where their predominant religion saw homosexuality as the only TRUE form of love -- love between 2 men was viewed as the purest kind of love in Roman culture. There are other cultures where their religion did not place as much stigma on homosexuality - so this blows your idea that religion creates homophobia out of the water. It would seem like there is a cultural component as well or at the very least that only SOME religions have prohibitions against homosexuality.



3) Homophobia label overused -- A lot of people over use the term homophobia. They mean it in a colloquial way to mean 'anyone who doesn't think homosexual sex acts are perfectly normal and good.' -- TRUE homophobia, like any 'phobia'   is a fear of or extreme hostile reaction to homosexuals. If I merely disagree with certain sexual acts such as pedophilia or homosexuality or beastiality -- I am not phobic -- I disagree and think it is not proper.

So even in religions who place prohibitions on certain moral acts -- I have never found a single one that teaches phobia or hate.  Individual people may have phobias or hate - but religions, do not. 



4) Misunderstanding the Source -- I would argue that because things like hate, hypocrisy, division, and homophobia exist in equal measure (I'd argue MORE) outside of religion -- the entire idea that 'religion causes these things' -is either untrue OR at the very least, extremely suspect. It is MORE likely that these things exist within humankind and that religion is misused as a justification.

We can BOTH agree that IF a religion actually taught these things -- then we should condemn that religion. But not condemn ALL religions.

I think we can both agree that IF a person exhibits (true) homophobia, hate, or hypocrisy that they are NOT following the tenets of their religion. IF, however we could find in religion those teachings - then we could both condemn THAT.

RIGHT?

________________________________



Before you allow yourself to think that 'religion' (all religions) cause these things -- I'd encourage you to look a bit deeper into WHAT these religions ACTUALLY teach, what their doctrines are, what their core message is, and what the average believer of that religion ACTUALLY professes and does on a daily basis. 

_______________



Lastly, I would say that on the basis you just outlined, we could insert Government, Culture, and even Family Life itself -- because I see the very same things you dislike coming out of individual families, from certain cultures, and definitely from politics. 

Answer 10

Religion is what people do to please their God, according to their understanding of what their God requires of them. Most religions claim to be a system for people to use to gain God's approval. Most religions do, indeed, divide people and families but for hate and hypocrisy, you can only blame the corruption within individuals. That's because in every religion you will find some who are full of hate and who are hypocrites while others are full of love and are not hypocrites. It is not the religion, as such, that is the problem, but how people can manipulate and abuse religion for their own ends. 



In Christianity the Bible states, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." James 1:27. You surely would not find any fault with that? Such religion is practical and useful.

Answer 11

False premise.



But I will offer the mathematical fact that religious people are not the ones who hold the all time world record for murder - that distinction belongs entirely to atheism.

Answer 12

Firstly, just because most depictions of Christianity on TV are of fundamentalist bible thumping Evangelicals, that doesn't mean that's what the majority of mainstream Christianity is about. Many Christians (probably even most Christians) these days have no issue with homosexuality. There are many practising Christians who are themselves gay. On the other hand, there are also plenty of homophobic people who are not religious, and who are hateful, racist, etc etc.



In the West, the Church fulfils many important functions. Christian organizations make up the largest contribution to charitable causes, by a long way. Christian values are the basis of our Western culture and Western civilization, including the concept of individual rights: based on the idea that every human being is created in the image of God. Ironically, another principle that our Christian heritage has created is freedom of religion, that it is up to an individual to choose the path of Christianity or not. Unlike some other religions and cultures where conformity is enforced and unbelievers are even punished.



Also, Christian values have created a sense of cohesion in the West, and though we live in a more secular age now, society is more divided than it's ever been. It needs a glue to hold it together. I'm not saying we should pressure people to believe or go to church or whatever, it should always be up to the individual, but Christianity has always been a glue in Western societies. Even if the majority of the population are not believers, at least they know about things like the Parable of the Good Samaritan, or the Prodigal Son, or the Beatitudes. Those are values that everyone can believe in and get behind, even atheists. The key is that those seminal texts provide archetypes for a society to refer to, and articulate the values they represent in a really powerful way.

Answer 13

-With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.-



Steven Weinberg, quoted in The New York Times, April 20, 1999 US physicist









Third, according to the most recent compendium of history’s worst atrocities, Matthew White's Great Big Book of Horrible Things (Norton, 2011), religions have been responsible for 13 of the 100 worst mass killings in history, resulting in 47 million deaths. Communism has been responsible for 6 mass killings and 67 million deaths. If defenders of religion want to crow, “We were only responsible for 47 million murders—Communism was worse!”, they are welcome to do so, but it is not an impressive argument.









Fourth, many religious massacres took place in centuries in which the world’s population was far smaller. Crusaders, for example, killed 1 million people in world of 400 million, for a genocide rate that exceeds that of the Nazi Holocaust. The death toll from the Thirty Years War was proportionally double that of World War I and in the range of World War II in Europe (p. 142).

Answer 14

Tommy, where's your tolerance? Where's your compassion. I see your hate, not theirs.

Answer 15

If you are saying that "Religion" causes a Believer to fear or disapprove of homosexuality, you might want to research the term , "Homophobia" and "Believer" before you go down that dark and lonely road.



I have no reason , as a Christian to hate anyone who is not a Believer in God.  In fact, many "Once Homosexuals" think they are Believers and Christians, and some have even returned and converted and found their way back to heterosexuality.  And that can only be accomplished with the one true God of the Bible. 



But just because I may not agree with who you choose to lay next to, doesn't make me or you a bad person....It only makes the homosexual a sinner in God's view.   And If a sinner chooses to live out their sexuality in such a manner that is not acceptable to God, that is on their heads. 

Answer 16

Religion was created to control people, or to help them try to be good enough to go to heaven (and that's stupid). No one can be good enough. I know I'm not.

Goodness isn't earned... it's a gift: but only if we let Jesus take away our "sin".  

Jesus hates religion.  It was one of his greatest traits.  He stood opposed to the "religious" way of trying to please God. Instead, he said he came to ABOLISH religion and give us a way to have a direct, intimate relationship with our Creator.  No longer would we have to go through institutions, rituals and religious organizations to come to God. Instead we can now "dial direct" and have a relationship with God through Jesus. How wonderful! :)

That's why I do my best to be as "irreligious" as possible and stress the fact that I support the Christian FAITH, but not the Christian RELIGION. 

That's why the Jesus of history so attractive to me.  He never came to start a new religion, but to show us how we can come directly to God through him. 

It's up to you whether or not you want to follow this man; He invites everyone.  If you don't want to, He walks away without you.



PS. Religion (and politics) killed Jesus.

Answer 17

Religion is the guide to live better, worship God and gain paradise with divine forgiveness.

Answer 18

Much depends on the religion, of course.

The most prevalent, and most pernicious, materialism, has all the traits you mention.

The antidote is a living relationship with Jesus.

Christianity, of course, is not a religion 

Answer 19

That’s a good question:  Please see the Bible’s answer to the question:  “Do You Need Organized Religion?”



Click link below: https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&docid=102012329&srcid=share

Answer 20

Religion can make people fear to hell. And when you fear to hell, you Will doing good. That's what i feel.

Answer 21

Gullible people who will do what u want if you say it is god's will.

Answer 22

To be in a club, that's better than your club, and even though we use the same books to justify our clubs, my club is better than your club.

Answer 23

  The true religion unites people. You can learn more about the true religion if you go to JW.org.

Answer 24

Dicard "religion". What you said  is true!  Start reading your Bible and pray to Yah "Our Elohim" for direction and guidance,  if you arereally sincere then He will answer your prayers and lead you into the true way. It takes time, dont expect it to happen immediately! The more sincere you are and the more you seek Him then He will eventually reveal all truths from the Bible to you.

Answer 25

It's good for controlling people.

Answer 26

Religion is a way for people to gain guidance. Atheism is no different. The true religion is here to help us survive what Adam did to us (John 3:16; Romans 5:12). 



As for "homophobia", are you sure you are not talking about reality? Because homosexuality is a man-made thing. People who could not contain their sexuality decided to take any sex they could get. Though there are rare occurrences where someone is born with a birth defect that causes them to not be interested in the opposite sex, it is still no excuse for homosexual acts. Each person has their own imperfections to deal with (Matthew 16:24). But everyone has the ability to serve Jehovah faithfully (1 Corinthians 10:13; 2 Corinthians 4:7). If you were to take a proper look at homosexuality, you would see why Jehovah does not want people to do it (1 Corinthians 6:9, 10).

Answer 27

Unfortunately people attach to the BS in religion. Every religion will have their own made up cast of fictional characters and fictional plots. Only seeing the fiction is where the hate  and division come in. The lessons on love are forgotten. Nothing wrong with love. Religion was created to help man live in peace. Somehow people cling on to the stories that were fabricated to motivate them to be good. Heaven, hell, eternal life, god/s, Jesus, etc. ...all BS to motivate you.

Answer 28

Before the Age of Exploration began, it was used to control the people in an empire. But after East met West and fostered multiculturalism, its only remaining use today is to make money.

Answer 29

In the past, Religion was a useful way to bring the community together and to give 'meaning' about life, charity, etc.  Unfortunately, it is now an antiquated concept and needs to die.

Answer 30

Religion is living by the truth. And the truth cannot divide or cause hate.

Answer 31

Religion have a relationship with Jesus Christ is all u need to go to Heaven 

Answer 32

3 things. . .. . . . . 

Answer 33

None that I can detect.

Answer 34

As worthless and shitty as it is it still puts meaning into life. And the funny part is that you can also put meaning into life without religion. That's how dumb people are.

Answer 35

The only usefulness of religion is that it makes some people be good because they're scared of judgement. But, it also causes a lot of harm.  For example suicide bombers that think there's virgins waiting for them in heaven.  Or priests that aren't allowed to have a wife so they molest kids. Oh, and it makes money and controls people.  It definitely causes more harm than good. It's actually fascinating that people believe in religion.  You'd think the fact that religions conflict with one another would be a clue that they're all BS. 

Answer 36

In the Bible it talks about "The Spirit of the Anti-Christ "...



Bishop Sheen comments on a more recent Recognition of Such...





"Signs of the anti-Christ:



He will come disguised as the Great Humanitarian; he will talk peace, prosperity, and plenty, not as means to lead us to God, but as ends in themselves. 



He will write books on the new idea of God to suit the way people live.



[He will] induce faith in astrology so as to make not the will but the stars responsible for our sins.



He will explain guilt away psychologically as repressed sex, make men shrink in shame if their fellowmen say they are not broadminded and liberal.



He will identify tolerance with indifference to right and wrong.



He will foster more divorces under the disguise that another partner is “vital.”



He will increase love for love and decrease love for persons.He will invoke religion to destroy religion.



He will even speak of Christ and say that he was the greatest man who ever lived.His mission, he will say, will be to liberate men from the servitudes of superstition and Fascism, which he will never define.In the midst of all his seeming love for humanity and his glib talk of freedom and equality, he will have one great secret which he will tell to no one; he will not believe in God. And because his religion will be brotherhood without the fatherhood of God, he will deceive even the elect.





He will set up a counter-Church, which will be the ape of the Church because, he the devil, is the ape of God. It will be the mystical body of the anti-Christ that will in all externals resemble the Church as the mystical body of Christ. 





In desperate need for God, he will induce modern man, in his loneliness and frustration, to hunger more and more for membership in his community that will give man enlargement of purpose, without any need of personal amendment and without the admission of personal guilt.





 These are days in which the devil has been given a particularly long rope. "

Answer 37

Decent people must oppose perversions. Deviants push their perversions on us, we must resist them.

Answer 38

Ur correct 100 percent 

Answer 39

To GOD?  



NOTHING but lose of souls!



To men?



Control to fill up the collection plates!

Answer 40

it keeps the peasants quite/occupied and

out of the way

oh yes  

Answer 41

Religion is about power and politics at its very heart , nothing more.



It uses fairy tales and stories as devices to establish it credibility and establish its own existence.It is a way to control the masses as well direct and control their thoughts and deeds.The catholic church at its very core is nothing more than a Organised crime family that used to control Kings and emperors, populations and assets across the globe whilst committing atrocities   against people who would not bow down to their will.Christianity was spread by the sword not by the message.

Answer 42

All those things you just said would still exist without religion. There will always be bad people who corrupt things.

Answer 43

depends on the individual tbh.



you could argue the same thing about wealth and money, it leads to greed and envy in society.



irony is, religions if practiced and followed correctly and interpreting ones text with a bit of common sense and intellect,  can be fine and are a good guide to how to live your life in today's age.



trouble is, if you give something as delicate and complex as a Bible, a Quran or whatever to a complete idiot he is bound to misinterpret stuff and then justify it because 'it was in the holy Bible'.



Problem is not the religion(s)



its us.

Answer 44

When mankind believes formal religions have no purpose, they have paved a pathway toward Satan.

Within a short period of time, the majority of humanity will slip-back into a prime-evil dark age.



 

Answer 45

From what I’ve known. Christianity is the most peaceful out of all “Religion”, I wouldn’t say Christianity is a religion, it’s more of relationship with God the father, by having the Holy Spirit we have relationship with God the father. Catholicism in my opinion is a religion because they follow the Vatican and do things aren’t written in the Bible. 

The only two “Religion” which are peaceful are.

1.Christianity 

2.Buddhism



The reason I put Buddhism as number two because I can tell you, the good needs to outweigh the the bad therefore forgiveness for others is not in full in comparison. E.g. if Hitler killed 100 million people, Buddhists believe he have to live for atonement forever, even if he became good and do a bunch of good, it’s never enough even until death he must pay even in hell. Whilst Christianity your sins can be forgiven by the change of your heart rather than your good deeds, you turn away from sin and instantly you are child of God once born again with the Holy Spirit. Christians believe we are all sinners on this earth and that no human are perfect nor good. Therefore death can swoop us at any moment, so when it’s out time, it’s our time!



Without “Religion”, you would have Atheism and Atheism have killed more people than all Religion combined. Look up Stalin and find out for yourself. The more evidence, you can look up how China is doing to their people. The Religion that have killed the most people would be Islam, more than any other religion. We do need Religion and without it there would be no peace, only evil reigns. You could argue an Atheist is a good person but can you trust all of them not to do evil? I surely don’t see that anytime soon, after all we are made of dust and aren’t worth anything in accordance to the atheistic viewpoint. Do you see any peace in Communism? They take land of the poor, put people to sleep and make them go extinct, surveillance on everyone like they’re God, corruption to the highest level mounted by greed, and the list goes on. These are all evidence, of you look into Vietnam and how it’s development from when Ho Chi Minh was alive and now, you would see total destruction coming from Communism. To answer your question, Religion like Christianity and Buddhism can does benefit society. You know what is evil? It’s “Sin”, let’s take the LGBTQ community for example. There is a high number of suicide rate, STDs, Pedophile among these group (including the many priests exposed whom are likely LGBTQ themselves preying upon children), If you support this group then you are supporting sin and sin will continue to cause these problems for them in their community so technically you aren’t helping them. They need a way out of this sinful lifestyle and that can only change if they find purpose in “Religion”, I can’t speak for other religion but I know for a fact that Christianity (“means Christ Like”) can change a homosexual into a child of God with no desires for sin. I am not saying hi through a exorcism or those programme set out to drain their bank accounts. Christianity is about self and own admission, by reading the word of God they are transformed.



Good day. Atheism destroys. Christianity makes the world peace. Remember the father of Atheism Richard Hitchens said something to this line on his deathbed. 



“Without Christianity, there is no more civilisation in the western society”.

Answer 46

As an atheist, I believe religions can be useful in several ways. Religions provide a sense of belonging and community to those in need of such feelings. Religions have dogma such as having a protecting, caring deity watching over everyone that must provide comfort to anyone who chooses to believe the dogma. Who wouldn't want a friend at their side in troubled times?  If you actually believe it, it must be reassuring. If you are ever in any doubt, religions provide peer pressure and social engineering (sometimes without the participants being aware of what they are doing) to 'bring you back to the fold'. More usefully in my opinion, religions are organisations with structure and funding so they are well placed to co-ordinate charitable works. That is why I, as an atheist, am happy to contribute to religion-based charities who do actual good works. They can collectively achieve what I, as an individual, cannot ... and each atheist is a private individual. There is no atheist collective. Of course there is a counter-argument to all the good things suggested above but I suggest it would be incorrect to say that religions do not have their uses.

Answer 47

I stubbed my toe last night. I'm sure religion caused it.

Answer 48

It also causes wars, violence, killing, bigotry, racism... the list goes on!

Answer 49

YOUR ASSumptions are so wrong...Nobody fears them...we just know the truth and they don't. Also how is this useful to attack others while u dont even know how to spell ...You do not cap the 2nd thought after the comma...U apparently do not know how to make sentences..Pay attention at school...GOD CAN SAVE THOSE WHO PRAY AND REPENT...DO U GET IT NOW? HATRED and disagreement are not the same thing...wake up to reality!

Answer 50

It's not religion per se that does that, it's the mind of man. If there were no religions, people would find others ways to do those things.



It's like politics. It's a necessary function; it's not inherently bad. It's people's minds that make it bad. If people were good, politics would be good. Religion is the same way.

Answer 51

Hello, i add, everything is from a god, either religion or anything, thus anything is useful while it is logical, but the religion is from a god directly, but anything else is from a god indirectly, but although there e are supernatural subjects out of the religion but it sometime can't make the life pure while the religion make your life pure gradually and surely. but always name a god on anything.

Answer 52

lol. FALSE religions cause all that you mention above. But there is a PURE RELIGION.



Jas_1:27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.



This PURE religion is so rare TODAY with this last days generation, that ONLY a very FEW will find it. So FEW will find that NARROW and DIFFICULT path that leads to life everlasting, it is like God will take one out of a hundred thousand professing religious people.



Those who believe in Jesus, Abide in the Word of God, AND Love One Another will be the FEW who make it to happen. There will be much weeping and gnashing of teeth by this generation.

Answer 53

When we use sound doctrine as the sounds of the doctrine make the doctrine sound we will all see "Religion" as "re" do the sound of "ligion" because it has no meaning for us to do to begin with. [that's why you think that] So.. try "re lie gion" and it does not work [sounds way off] because the sound of "ligion" that we use is already a lie telling us how to find the truth that logic is blind to]. So two for one [ligion and lie gion] makes the remaining answer..."Legion" [focus on the word "ligion" while saying "legion"..which by the way, is where we begin...that's why the verse says..."Satan is legion" see for others to know that gods truth [the word] means we are a "legion" of spirits that return over and over [re legion] that began at satan as ["beast" starts at one end and is sound doctrine as "be east" can only go the other way] as we cross out of wilderness to faith then cross to love and then back to god from Satan at the other end all in one word.. "Religion"tells the whole journey from evil back to God in one word.That's the opposite of their false thoughts that are the true reverse [of god] that goes back to god. [one truth is the "of" god and the other is god].. but the "of" god [word of god-spirit of god]has two sides to itself [good and evil as one tree] so we are fooled and blind going between two ends of the same way to think and neither end is god] [without re legion we would not reach god] [simple-it says re do ligion and only legion fits from all sides because that's what we do [return as the holy ghost until we believe in love as the holy spirit that then goes back to god to stay.] this is a legion of spirits that return again and again to evolve the spirit through many bodies. "the angel shew John the bride" [shew get in there] She as plural [s] of he backwards with "we" as his spirit [faith]  goes to be love next as the bride. [s-he-ew]- she with he as we-

Answer 54

In times of struggle that's all you have got. 

Answer 55

Religion does nothing. It divides people into us versus them groups. It emphasizes racism, sexism, classicism. It allows people to kill others without a second thought. 

Answer 56

Spiritual law and order, gratefulness to God for everything

Answer 57

Religion is useful to keep dumb people in line.

Answer 58

Which religion? The Supreme Court has even declared that Atheism is a religion!  All the way back in the 1960s! 

It is this religion of Atheism and devil worshipping that has and even wants HATEs! 



With GOD comes the real LOVE; that all others cannot feel! 

Answer 59

Hebrews 10:23 tell us some of the good about religion



 :23And let us consider one another so as to incite to love and fine works, 25 not forsaking our meeting together, as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, and all the more so as you see the day drawing near with out religion it would be hard to accomplish this Bible command also the Bible tell us how the organization of the congregation should be if everyone followed the direction given in the Bible there would be more unity and less people discussed with religion . You just have to find the religion that actually follows the Bible and embodies the love Christ showed

Answer 60

True faith based on the Bible and it's timeless principles of impartiality peace and self sacrificing love when practiced is always a force for good.

Answer 61

people are quite capable of being hypocritical , divisive, and hateful with or without religion. Religion simply gives people a forum to practice what is already part of their personality. 

Answer 62

Religion has it's usefulness for those who are still on milk about what God requires of us.  Once we have learned the basics then we can move on to the weightier things of how to please God in all that we do by reading the Bible and asking God to reveal the truth AS HE WOULD HAVE US KNOW.

Answer 63

The purpose of religion is for one group of people (royalty, clergy) to control other people.

Answer 64

Christianity is not charged by their leader to persecute homos, they promote brotherly love and neighborly love. They are willing to save your life and many are doctors, nurses, and paramedics. Many are soldiers and willing to go to war so you don't have too. I think we should keep them around until the atheists are big enough to take care of themselves. Your only 20% of the population.

Answer 65

There are apparently many who would not have morality if they had not found a god. Just read the many postings here to see their statements that if you don't have a god your can't have a morality.

Answer 66

It's a darn good $ maker for the Feeble

minded to stay in line & follow as Massa 

instruct them to do but nothing aside 

from that!



..................................................................

Answer 67

Religions are the best

People management tools ever.

~

Answer 68

Don't be silly.  Plenty of atheists are not homophobes, and plenty of religious people are highly tolerant of homosexuality.  



As for hypocrisy (correct spelling, by the way), do you seriously think that even if religion had never existed, there would be no hypocrisy in the world?   Hypocrisy is essentially LYING.  And since religions generally encourage telling the truth, the truth (no pun intended) is that WITHOUT religion there would be even MORE hypocrisy in the world.

Answer 69

All true. There is a certain placebo effect which is fine if you are into that sort of thing but the negative outweighs the positive. 

Answer 70

The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose...That's why you have to know God from the inside not outside to benefit.

Answer 71

God hates religion. He gave us his Holy Bible to put an end to all manmade religions - not to make yet another. 



It's "hypocrisy."