A world with no religion, how different woud the world be?

[Two Thumbs]

Say religion never came about, and there was no such thing of religion. How different would the world be as of today?

religion the was big organizer that lead to empires being built.

imagine trying to come out of the Dark ages with no Church.


honestly, we would be killing each other over ancient tribal grudges.

 

[Two Thumbs]

You're all missing the first known human civilization, that did not have a religion, yet invented virtually everything that we take for granted today. The Sumerians.

And their writings, over time, were the basis of the future religions of ancient pagan people like the Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, etc... and the judeo-christian monotheistic beliefs of today.

So what would civilization be like without religion? It would flourish, like it did for the Sumerians. At least until people got greedy, and made up their own stuff to lure people and garner power and wealth. And then start wars and genocides to promote and increase their power and wealth.

So, if we could eliminate corrupt religions and the devastation they have caused to humanity through war and destruction of knowledge for the past 4000+ years, it's safe to say that we would probably be far more advanced than we are today.

religion predates them

 

[RWS]

Religion predates the Sumerian writings? How?

 

[task0778]

You're all missing the first known human civilization, that did not have a religion, yet invented virtually everything that we take for granted today. The Sumerians.

And their writings, over time, were the basis of the future religions of ancient pagan people like the Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, etc... and the judeo-christian monotheistic beliefs of today.

So what would civilization be like without religion? It would flourish, like it did for the Sumerians. At least until people got greedy, and made up their own stuff to lure people and garner power and wealth. And then start wars and genocides to promote and increase their power and wealth.

So, if we could eliminate corrupt religions and the devastation they have caused to humanity through war and destruction of knowledge for the past 4000+ years, it's safe to say that we would probably be far more advanced than we are today.

I wouldn't bet on it. People are still people. WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf wars, none of which had anything to do with religion.

Well, actually, Nazi-ism as well as Socialism, are religions if you inspect them properly. There are also economic reasons for those wars, that are also due to the religious strangle-holds of the time.

I'm sorry, I don't think institutionalized religion is a good thing for people to follow. It is nothing but a path to evil and corruption.

Have your own personal faith, and never follow anybody else that tells you they know better... Because they're out to make you part of their "army". Whether for financial or political reasons. Don't be a sheep. Be a lion.

Nazi-ism and Socialism have nothing whatsoever to do with religion, any more than white supremacists do. And none of those wars over the previous century had anything to do with religion. At all.

If you think institutionalized religion is a path to evil and corruption, well that's your opinion and you're welcome to it. But I think that throughout history, religion has been used as an excuse to commit atrocities for other reasons. It is my opinion that the responsibility for many of the atrocities committed in the name of a religion are not the fault of the religion itself but rather lies with the people who chose to violate their own religious tenets for other reasons. And I would also add that money, power, and ego have lead to far more evil and corruption than religion has.

 

[Correll]

Say religion never came about, and there was no such thing of religion. How different would the world be as of today?

Universities developed from Church schools for priests.

That would have been lost. Or at least greatly delayed.

 

[RWS]

You're all missing the first known human civilization, that did not have a religion, yet invented virtually everything that we take for granted today. The Sumerians.

And their writings, over time, were the basis of the future religions of ancient pagan people like the Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, etc... and the judeo-christian monotheistic beliefs of today.

So what would civilization be like without religion? It would flourish, like it did for the Sumerians. At least until people got greedy, and made up their own stuff to lure people and garner power and wealth. And then start wars and genocides to promote and increase their power and wealth.

So, if we could eliminate corrupt religions and the devastation they have caused to humanity through war and destruction of knowledge for the past 4000+ years, it's safe to say that we would probably be far more advanced than we are today.

I wouldn't bet on it. People are still people. WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf wars, none of which had anything to do with religion.

Well, actually, Nazi-ism as well as Socialism, are religions if you inspect them properly. There are also economic reasons for those wars, that are also due to the religious strangle-holds of the time.

I'm sorry, I don't think institutionalized religion is a good thing for people to follow. It is nothing but a path to evil and corruption.

Have your own personal faith, and never follow anybody else that tells you they know better... Because they're out to make you part of their "army". Whether for financial or political reasons. Don't be a sheep. Be a lion.

Nazi-ism and Socialism have nothing whatsoever to do with religion, any more than white supremacists do. And none of those wars over the previous century had anything to do with religion. At all.

If you think institutionalized religion is a path to evil and corruption, well that's your opinion and you're welcome to it. But I think that throughout history, religion has been used as an excuse to commit atrocities for other reasons. It is my opinion that the responsibility for many of the atrocities committed in the name of a religion are not the fault of the religion itself but rather lies with the people who chose to violate their own religious tenets for other reasons. And I would also add that money, power, and ego have lead to far more evil and corruption than religion has.

You are on the right path, my friend.

But Nazi-ism believes in supernatural beings living under the earth. And Communism believes in a state greater than life, where we reach utopia. Socialism is a means to that end. Which will never happen.

I highly agree that religion throughout history has been used to misguide us. And promote the wealthy and powerful rulers of the time.

And many people committed atrocities in the name of their religion, and those who worship those religions today have to understand what got them there...

 

[Lysistrata]

While some people have been motivated by religion to do good things, I think that we would be much better off without religion. The world's religions have done too much to provide an excuse for really bad behavior toward other human beings. Religions have provided an excuse for slavery, misogyny, racism, aggression to gain hold of natural resources. Catholics v. protestants, Sunni v. Shia, Hindu v. Muslim, Catholics attacking and burning "heretics," Catholics and protestants burning "witches," "Christian" confederate generals fighting to keep enslaved African-descended persons in perpetual bondage. Male persons of many religions trying to keep female persons in a state of perpetual bondage. Heterosexuals trying to keep LGBT persons excluded from society. Using the "children of Ham" crap to justify racism. This a just the tip of the iceberg. And all with the explanation that some type of supreme being "wills" it.
The world would be so much better off without religion. I wish it were true that the adherents of the world's religions had, and would continue to carry out the teachings of their religions' founders, but they do not. I know that the adherents of the one religion of which I am the most familiar, Christianity, turned their backs on Jesus' teachings almost immediately after his death so that, in the present, Jesus' teachings are only followed by a handful of those calling themselves "Christians."

 

[Meriweather]

Say religion never came about, and there was no such thing of religion. How different would the world be as of today?

This question cannot be answered. There are too many variables, and can we even identify and establish a constant? Perhaps we might get a better sense if the question had an individual focus. Consider: What role has religion played in your life? How different would your life be today with/without the part religion played in it?

Extremely difficult to assess and answer, don't you think? Shouldn't we keep this in mind when trying to answer the question on a much larger scale?

 

[OldLady]

Probably like North Korea and every other officially Atheist country: Hellish.

North Korea has a religion--Kim Jung Un is the God incarnate.
All people will make shit up if it's all they got.

 

[BulletProof]

Probably like North Korea and every other officially Atheist country: Hellish.

North Korea has a religion--Kim Jung Un is the God incarnate.
All people will make shit up if it's all they got.

All atheist countries have religion, the government. Atheist governments are hyper-oppressive for many reasons, including not wanting compete with other religions. Another reason for oppression is that all Atheists are assholes.

 

[emilynghiem]

Dear ThatDude30 that's like trying to imagine a world where everyone speaks Esperanto
and nobody forms their own local dialects and slang or idioms to represent concepts. Fat chance.
people are so diverse, we are all going to have our own language, our own terms,
our own "symbols" or favorite stories, myths, or ways of communicating values and principles to each other.

Can you imagine the 50 states of the US under one Constitutional law
without also having50different local laws that the residents of those states
manage and vote on to represent themselves?

We all agree that "murder" is wrong but the Bible says it one way,
Buddhism teaches it another way and all 50 states have their own
statutes and laws against murder.

We agree in spirit but that doesn't mean we aren't going to have our
own languages for these concepts, principles and values.

Religions are like languages for laws we use to manage relationships.
between people, and among tribes, and between tribes and nations.

so of course those are going to be diverse because people are!

we are not going to think talk or believe the same,
our language shapes our perceptions and associations.

we are all going to have our own Native tongues.
and that includes our beliefs we express using our own
terms and symbology. You can neither take the people
out of the diversity of life and cultures, nor the diversity out of the people.

we are that way by nature. and we all desire freedom
to express our diverse beliefs and ideas according to
our own experiences and culture. so we will always have that.

 

[MarkDuffy]

Say religion never came about, and there was no such thing of religion. How different would the world be as of today?

That is impossible. A world w/o religion would be a world w/o "intelligent" organisms. Inventing religions is how the brain works. The brain will invent answers to unknown questions.

Just look at conspiracy theories, they are the vary same thing in reality.

Hero worship is even another example.

 

[MarkDuffy]

You're all missing the first known human civilization, that did not have a religion, yet invented virtually everything that we take for granted today. The Sumerians.

And their writings, over time, were the basis of the future religions of ancient pagan people like the Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, etc... and the judeo-christian monotheistic beliefs of today.

So what would civilization be like without religion? It would flourish, like it did for the Sumerians. At least until people got greedy, and made up their own stuff to lure people and garner power and wealth. And then start wars and genocides to promote and increase their power and wealth.

So, if we could eliminate corrupt religions and the devastation they have caused to humanity through war and destruction of knowledge for the past 4000+ years, it's safe to say that we would probably be far more advanced than we are today.

Ahem

Sumerian Religion

 

[Indeependent]

Probably like North Korea and every other officially Atheist country: Hellish.

USA is the most atheist country on the planet * may gAwd continue his blessing) but you got killer porn, cocaine and hookers on every corner(and craigslist) so its all good #1 !!!!

I know lots of agnostics but I've met very view atheists and they're the most obnoxious fuckers on earth

 

[MarkDuffy]

Say religion never came about, and there was no such thing of religion. How different would the world be as of today?

I doubt it would be so very different. We seem to need religion so if we didn't have one we'd just invent one. It would start as a cult, more likely many cults, based on the charisma of the leader. Successful cults would evolve into religions. We just can't seem to help ourselves.

Ok say religion came about many, many years later then when religion originally came about, would the rebirth of Christ still be a significant piece of religious history?
What about the changes of human civilization and culture? Both, civilization and culture have drastically changed through out time. What if religion came about later in life during a more advanced civilization then the civilization at the time religion originated in?
Would there still be the same religious groups?
Do you think, if religion came about later in time in a more advanced civilization, would there be major changes or do you think it would be neutral and there wouldn't be to many major changes in the way life lives todays?
How different would religion and culture be if it came about at a later time in life?
Would we still believe in a heaven and hell?
Would there still be good and evil?
Just few things to think about.

If religion came about later in our path toward civilization, it would be more scientific. That is about the only difference. Religions are all about an afterlife. The fact they also have an origin story is not important. Believers want a place to goto that is better than this.

 

[Aletheia4u]

Say religion never came about, and there was no such thing of religion. How different would the world be as of today?

Every newly born person needs laws. Or else we will be screwing the members of our family giving birth to birth defected children. And having sex with all sort of animals, thinking that if it is a normal behavior. Without a savior, from keeping us from doing acts that leads to death that will destroy us all. We would of all perished from the surface of the earth years ago. We needed someone to teach us what foods to eat and teach us about bathing ourselves to prevent all sorts of skin infections. And so we needed rules to followed to prevented us from perishing from the surface of the earth.


Hebrews 6:1 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,

 

[MarkDuffy]

Say religion never came about, and there was no such thing of religion. How different would the world be as of today?

Every newly born person needs laws. Or else we will be screwing the members of our family giving birth to birth defected children. And having sex with all sort of animals, thinking that if it is a normal behavior. Without a savior, from keeping us from doing acts that leads to death that will destroy us all. We would of all perished from the surface of the earth years ago. We needed someone to teach us what foods to eat and teach us about bathing ourselves to prevent all sorts of skin infections. And so we needed rules to followed to prevented us from perishing from the surface of the earth.


Hebrews 6:1 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,

You don't need religion to have laws and morality

 

[TheOldSchool]

Say religion never came about, and there was no such thing of religion. How different would the world be as of today?

South Park had a great episode about this. In the future, atheism wins, and instead of going to war with each other over religion, people go to war with each other over who's science is more correct

 

[Meriweather]

If religion came about later in our path toward civilization, it would be more scientific. That's is about the only difference. Religions are all about an afterlife. The fact they also have an origin story is not important. Believers want a place to goto that is better than this.

I disagree with this statement. Judaism, perhaps the first major religion, is based on the ideal way to live this life. Catholicism and Orthodox, a majority of Christian believers, teach that how we act in this life is what starts us on the way to eternal life. There are a few non-Catholic denominations that appear to focus only on the afterlife--a view many (including atheists) find troubling.

Most believers want to find the Way to have fulfillment in this life. Getting set on the right path in this life results in the next life taking care of itself. Non-Catholic Christians object to this way of looking at things because they think it results in people trying to "earn" their way into heaven. Far from it. That's like saying that people taking a well marked road into a city are trying to earn their way into that city.

 

[Meriweather]

You don't need religion to have laws and morality

Nor do we need schools to become educated. However, most will agree, it sure makes it easier--and schools provide social benefits as well.