Is religion good for us?

Without question, organized religion is an immense and awesome presence in the world today. From a quiet reassuring and cohesive force that literally billions of people feel in their everyday lives to a loud and divisive force that is at the root of conflicts around the world.Simply put; Is organized religion in the world today a greater force for good or evil? (there may be problems with good/evil perhaps someone can suggest better words)It is my assertion that organized religion is doing more harm to man than good. I may concede that it has been beneficial in the past and may even have been pivotal in our assent from darkness but in the world today, it is a cancerous blight.I offer these examples,-the Israel/Palestine conflict
-the sunni/shia conflict
-India/Pakistan conflict
-stem cell research in the USA
-the Texas board of education
-drug war/policy (this may be strictly economics hiding behind morals)
-quality of life for women in places like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan
-quality of life for anyone in places like Saudia Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan
-caste system in India
-seperate school board funding
-religion based terrorism
-the fact that I have to swear on the bible in a court room (whole truth my ass)
-Jehovas witnesses (granted they do provide entertainment value)
-religion based censorship/miseducation around the world (is that a word?)All this against what? A warm and fuzzy feeling for the intellectually lazy?

I will retract that. It serves no good purpose. It is an expression of anger.But faith is irrational. If one chooses this path for themselves that is up to them. The problem for me comes when it seeps out into their relations with others.

Personal faith is valuable and its benefits can be seen. I was careful to single out organized religion as opposed to personal faith. Are they inseparable? I agree.

No it doesnt. Just because I save you from being hit by a bus doesnt mean I can throw the next guy under it.

I am not saying religion is the only cause but if we could magically remove religion from these conflicts what would be the basis for the conflict. Israel/Palestine is convoluted no doubt. The problem may be that we look for differences instead of similarities. I agree. Notwithstanding, religion is a major contributor to the suppression of knowledge. You may be right. Most of the people I hear defending the war on drugs have a sense of moral superiority. I suspect that it is mostly based on economics. Nobody wants everyone to stop taking drugs. They just want you to take their drugs. So I will concede that the drug war/policy is not religiously based. I will maintain that without a religious input it would be a different thing altogether. What would you put on the list?

That is well said and I agree. That is religions greatest problem. The fact that it is so slow to adapt. But are symptoms not evidence of the affliction? Part of my reason for the OP was to identify the benefits of organized religion. As Stile said, take the good and leave the bad.I also wanted to discriminate between religions effect in the past and the present. What do we see now and what should we do about it?

You made a bunch of good points and I agree with you.I am not suggesting that we be rid of religion. That is most likely an impossibility. I am suggesting that by identifying the places where it does harm we can work towards mitigating that harm.

It shows up most there but the cancer is much deeper. I agree with the idea that the greatest problem with religion is that it is not a viable means of knowing the world. All the myriad problems stem from this.

So can we populate the list? What belongs on it? What should be removed? What goes on the list for the positive effects of religion? Is it still my list against the warm fuzzy feeling?

Yes it does but surely there is a point where tolerance reaches an end.

I see what you mean. If I am a policeman who has done a lifetime of good deeds and then I murder someone. My lifetime of good deeds may help reduce the sentence but I am still guilty of murder. If I am a serial killer who saves someones life I still deserve prison. I would say that it takes alot of good to equal a little bad. At least that is what a court would say.

I dont think anyone is talking about getting rid of people. At least I am not. I am talking about identifying a bad thing and pushing back.Tolerance is a good thing and works like grease. There is a point where no amount of lubrication will suffice. Are you suggesting that it is evil for me to push back against something that I perceive as evil. Again I do not know that good/evil are the right terms but I am not sure what else to use.

By having conversations like this one.

I am not labelling all religion as evil. That is the point of the thread. What parts are bad and which are good. It may be a reality that most people get their ethical instruction from a religious basis but it is certainly not the only base. Ethical and moral behaviour is quickly evident to the children in the playground.I see the challenge as one of separating the good aspects that religion has claimed as its own from all the control stuff. It seems to me that our instinctive sense of right and wrong has been hijacked.

Indeed it is all gray and there are precious few absolutes. But there are nuclei.