Quote:
Originally Posted by Ducimus
So i'd argue that religion actually plays an important part in society in keeping these people from acting like complete jackwagons.
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Historically, religion usually promoted a more advanced culture. One big issue was the majority of common people were uneducated. Great philosophers, usually non religious, believed religion, using tools of great fear and guilt were needed to control the masses. Great doctrines were created to terrorize people into following the creeds of the church. Course, the elite didn't want to educate the masses as a whole, so they needed other tools. Take the early christian church, hell wasn't a doctrine and hardly believed except for a few groups that had great pagan influence. When Rome decided it best go christian, it implemented the more pagan hell of eternal torture, made it doctrine and people lived right because they lived in great fear. I guess one could argue cultures of wealth and education have little need of religion.
Many of us here can remember growing in a more religious culture. I didn't grow up in a religious family, but culture taught us God was always watching us and we never got by with anything. This constant eye in the sky did have some effect even on non religious. We prayed in school, the 10 commandments were posted.
I think it's clear that as we've become secular, morals have terribly decayed. Even if religion is a mere placebo effect, it does work keeping people in line.
Lacking religion, the US education system failing, poverty growing, morally we seem to have gone to new lows. Course, we also know from the past, those that have great beliefs can sink to moral lows against people they disagree with. I had a very religious grandmother, can remember her spanking me hard with a switch saying in "in Jesus name" Can remember often her saying I would go to hell for being a bad boy.
Another big reason for govts to promote God is too promote their righteous God given justice, such as the US vs. the USSR during the cold war, Iraq war, etc. People are more willing to fight and die if they have the right God.
Anyway, my beliefs are best protected when the beliefs of others are protected. If I can't pray or acknowledge my God, then you can't either, if I can, then so should you. That's why I believe in total separation of church and state.