Had an interesting conversation with buddy who's majoring in history and we started to discuss allot of past wars and world tragedies and this question came up seeing how there have been allot of conflicts over differences in belief or religion so I ask you... If religion as a whole was to ever truly die out do you think the world would be better off or worse off? Discuss
Better off. Religion is one of the largest causes of war IMO. Although if there was not religion, what would it be replaced with? Would everyone believe the same scientific theory? Because if not it leads to a similar issue, just less based on faith.
There will always be factions regardless. So I don't think having religions would change anything as opposed to not having religions, but it'd be awfully nice to get rid of suicide bombers. I guess it would be logical to say that the Earth would be better off without this idealistic bull crap, as you wouldn't have these fanatical Christians preventing science, Muslims who decide if they blow themselves up for Allah they'll spend eternity rooting virgins, and hopefully rid the world of the notion of 'I don't need to obey the law; I answer to a higher power'. Bullshit.
I suppose it would be better, but people will always find things to be fanatical about. It's not solely the fault of religion but II think has a lot to do with the personality of the fanatacists.
People would find other things to war and kill over. We'd have the same world we have now, just with different reasons. A world without religion will happen eventually though; belief in any form of God is less present throughout the world than it has ever been in recorded history. Less and less "new" religions are formed as people who fancy themselves messiahs and profits are called crazy and locked up, were in years gone by they'd be followed and worshipped. If religion dies slowly over the next few hundred years, the world may well be a better place for it, but who knows?
Worse off, so far worse off you would not believe. I'm far from an expert but it seems most of the time with wars/conflicts its politics rearing its ugly head rather than strictly religion. I must admit though I am biased in the sense that I am a catholic. No one looks at the 'good effects' of religion because it is far more difficult to measure than the so called 'negative effects' how the world would actually be without religion no one can say for sure. However, simply as a source of hope imo its worth is incalculable. Martin Luthor King and Ghandi are just some examples of people that were strengthened by their faith to do amazing things, I dare say they won't be the last..
Better. Not many people really held on to their religious beliefs nowadays. But the differences between religions will disappear.