Religion stops evolution

[reginaeme]

From my point of view religion has been used to control people through fear and from my point of view (born and raised in an ultracatholic and ultraconservative enviorment) it has done more harm than anything good.

so, to you

does religion stop evolution?
does religion stop freedom and equality?

and what exactly can one person do to stop people from being so blind?

[Peacekeeper]

Don't be stupid. I could say that, coming from from an ultra-atheist family, that atheism stunts spiritual growth and respect and discipline. Both faith and critical thinking should be embraced, as they both offer many benefits to you.

[BurnTheOliveTree]

does religion stop evolution?


If you mean biological evolution, then the answer is no. Religion does not affect biological evolution. If you mean social evolution, then it doesn't exactly stop it - progress is far too strong a force - but it certainly tries very hard to before it capitulates.



does religion stop freedom and equality?


Many certainly do. Islam is probably the best example of a religion which has an extremely adverse effect on freedom and equality, particularly for homosexuals and women.

-Alex

[eyedrop]

Many certainly do. Islam is probably the best example of a religion which has an extremely adverse effect on freedom and equality, particularly for homosexuals and women.


It should also be remembered that during the Crusades, Islam had less of an adverse effect on freedom and equality than Christianity had at the time. At Sal'adins time in particular. (Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)

Religion is a fluid thing which changes according to societies views, but it always lags behind. At least the dominant version in an area.

[Svante]

From my point of view religion has been used to control people through fear and from my point of view (born and raised in an ultracatholic and ultraconservative enviorment) it has done more harm than anything good.

so, to you
does religion stop evolution?
does religion stop freedom and equality?

and what exactly can one person do to stop people from being so blind?

I liive in Québec and there i s no place i know this i s more catholique and conservative. allso, the bad this school were you are to learn be catholique and conservative and notheing autre. I dont know what do abaout this but perhaps run away from m y home.

[dirtycommiebastard]

Religion is a fluid thing which changes according to societies views, but it always lags behind. At least the dominant version in an area.

Exactly,
this is why the Roman Catholic Church has now 'accepted' that God used the Big Bang to create the Universe, when the Big Bang theory is incorrect and only speculative, though has been 'widely' accepted.

There are even researchers now in Mexico who are rejecting the Big Bang theory as the beginning of time and saying it was only one catastrophic event in the Universe, but that these types of events are occurring all the time. They are doing research now to disprove it.

[BurnTheOliveTree]

It should also be remembered that during the Crusades, Islam had less of an adverse effect on freedom and equality than Christianity had at the time. At Sal'adins time in particular. (Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)

Religion is a fluid thing which changes according to societies views, but it always lags behind. At least the dominant version in an area.


Yeah, historically Islam has at times been quite progressive - after the collapse of the roman empire, for example. I was referring to more modern times. Apart from that you literally wrote my opinion down. :)

-Alex

[Kronos]

does religion stop evolution?It hinders political evolution through sociological influences which produce beliefs that are contrary to material reality, and therefore conflicting. It creates "false consciousness", if I may call it that, which results in inadequate ideas concerning reality. Its most dangerous feature is its estrangement effect on people- it separates people socially.


does religion stop freedom and equality?It depends on how you define "freedom" and "equality". Freedom, as in metaphysical "freewill", does not exist. Freedom as in "free to buy a candy bar or wash your hair" does exist. Equality, on the other hand, can only exist as a metaphysical concept, but not a biological one. No, people are not equal as far as their material characteristics and abilities are concerned. However, if a metaphysical system such as Christianity is posited, under such a belief system people are considered "equal before God".

Now check this out. Nietzsche believed that the concept of freewill was invented by the religious so that man could be made to feel guilty and responsible, and therefore dependent on the religious people. A political expediency, so to speak. In addition, the use of the idea of equality helped to control those who were stronger, more independent people. In this sense, religion was first invented as a diabolical scheme, by the weak and resentful, to overwhelm the strong.

"Life is in love with the lie"- Nietzsche

[eyedrop]

Exactly,
this is why the Roman Catholic Church has now 'accepted' that God used the Big Bang to create the Universe, when the Big Bang theory is incorrect and only speculative, though has been 'widely' accepted.

There are even researchers now in Mexico who are rejecting the Big Bang theory as the beginning of time and saying it was only one catastrophic event in the Universe, but that these types of events are occurring all the time. They are doing research now to disprove it. You have to remember that the Big Bang theory is a simplified version for the public, from a long time ago too. Just like the Bohr-atom model also is a wrong model used for the easier understanding for the public.

The scientists have been arguing amongst themselfes about the basics of the nature of the universe for a long time. They don't even know which geometric model the space-time functions after, (according to Penrose) it could even be that it functions after a geometric model we haven't thought of yet.

[Kwisatz Haderach]

Dominant social institutions always oppose progress, because they oppose change in general - when you're at the top, you want to stay there, and ideally you want to maintain the status quo forever.

So of course that dominant religions usually oppose change, and therefore progress. They're just doing what any other institution would do in their place.

[BurnTheOliveTree]

Dominant social institutions always oppose progress, because they oppose change in general - when you're at the top, you want to stay there, and ideally you want to maintain the status quo forever.


I expect you're right, but you must concede that religion does seem to dig it's heels in particularly well. Governments, for example, have mostly come round to recogising the full equal rights of women and homosexuals. This cannot be said of the world's major religions, at all. The only significant exception to this trend? Theocracies!

-Alex

[Dros]

Both faith and critical thinking should be embraced,

Except that they're mutually exclusive.

[Peacekeeper]

Except that they're mutually exclusive.

Only for the closed-minded. :)

[Baconator]

From my point of view religion has been used to control people through fear and from my point of view (born and raised in an ultracatholic and ultraconservative enviorment) it has done more harm than anything good.

so, to you

does religion stop evolution?
does religion stop freedom and equality?

and what exactly can one person do to stop people from being so blind?

I agree with a lot of this. Especially with the forced indoctrination of children by fundamentalist parents or caretakers. Its a form of child abuse.

The big three monotheistic religions all encourage slavery and submission to authority. There is no freedom ( especially of the mind) in any religion I can think of and I guess the only equality can come in everyone being irrational beings and intellectual ( and physical at times) , but equal , slaves.

As for your last question. Its not about teaching people what to think but its about encouraging them how to think. Of course, this means rational thinking.

[Raúl Duke]

that atheism stunts spiritual growthDepends if such a thing as "spiritual growth" exists...

or a spirit/soul for that matter...

and if such soul, if it existed, does or does not go to an afterlife (even the type(s) of afterlives matter)...


Except that they're mutually exclusive.
Only for the closed-minded. So you say; but let's all look at some examples:

Christianity has traditionally been against evolution, the natural theory of origin of life, any cosmological theory that doesn't/cannot include god.

Even with the large evidence for a natural explanation of something, the religious has usually been instead of accepting the fact ("open-minded") has stuck with their dogma. However, societal secularism has created a trend...

Although you may meet "liberal" christians who accept xyz theory...the track record for organized religion (i.e. what the leaders decide) has been to oppose such non-religious explanations of the world as much as they are able to. It's been societal secularism (which makes fundamentalism a faux pas, although this secularism will also lead to the increase of the non-religious thus why fundamentalists are trying hard in places where they have some influence.) that been wearing down this opposition, making even previously powerful Catholic Church have to accept "big-bang", etc, and thus allow the existence of such "liberal christians."

In many countries, this secularism will lead to a growth of non-religious people (here's a link about that trend worldwide (http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/paul07/paul07_index.html))

[Baconator]

Oh yeah. From what I see, religion is gradually losing to evidence. :D
Unfortunately it inspires more fundamentalists to come out of the woodwork but it means their irrational beliefs 'faith' are being put to the grind more. :cool:

[Dros]

Only for the closed-minded. :)

Religious thinking is by definition anti-scientific. I'm sorry but it's true. You can not reconcile the absurdity of religion's scientific predictions with the actuality of modern science. It's impossible.

There are SO MANY examples.

[Peacekeeper]

Depends if such a thing as "spiritual growth" exists...

or a spirit/soul for that matter...

and if such soul, if it existed, does or does not go to an afterlife (even the type(s) of afterlives matter)...

Even atheists (and many anti-theist anarchists I know) accept the idea of spiritual growth through things like yoga and meditation. It's not exclusive to religion with leaders, like the Catholic church. Besides, I'm more non-clerical anyway.

[BurnTheOliveTree]

Well I think most of us atheists here carry our beliefs through to the logical extreme and reject all that superstitious lunacy, whether it's specific religion or vague "spirituality". None of it is grounded in reality.

-Alex

[Svante]

I agree with a lot of this. Especially with the forced indoctrination of children by fundamentalist parents or caretakers. Its a form of child abuse.

The big three monotheistic religions all encourage slavery and submission to authority. There is no freedom ( especially of the mind) in any religion I can think of and I guess the only equality can come in everyone being irrational beings and intellectual ( and physical at times) , but equal , slaves.

As for your last question. Its not about teaching people what to think but its about encouraging them how to think. Of course, this means rational thinking.


what make you thiink person can have more freedom with n o religiion. i a m religious person but i dont make this big part of m y life. the thing that stop m e t o be free i s the gouvernement and not religion.

[Raúl Duke]

Even atheists (and many anti-theist anarchists I know) accept the idea of spiritual growth through things like yoga and meditation. It's not exclusive to religion with leaders, like the Catholic church. Besides, I'm more non-clerical anyway.
Well I think most of us atheists here carry our beliefs through to the logical extreme and reject all that superstitious lunacy, whether it's specific religion or vague "spirituality". None of it is grounded in reality.

-Alex

Exactly...I'm one of those atheists that BurnTheOliveTree talks of.

The only positive affects that meditation would give me is a psychological one (Yoga however has physical benefits). Most of these "spiritual" benefits are actually psychological ones. Prayers are a form of positive thinking/placebo (a psychological concept) with some positive effects when praying for oneself (although when praying for another studies (http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2006/03/30/prayer-heart-surgery-20060330.html), done by a group {Templeton Foundation?} that ironically supports religion and attempts via cash rewards "larger that the Nobel prize" to distort science towards a positive slant of religion, shown that it is the same, or worse if the target knows, as not praying) yet the roughly the same effect as having a placebo. Even "faith-based beliefs" can be called by a more secular psychological term: delusion.