Religion: The Driving Force Behind Human Civilization

[koshergrl]

“Should the lamp of religion be obscured,” Bahá’u’lláh explained, “chaos and confusion will ensue, and the lights of fairness and justice, of tranquility and peace cease to shine.”

"On October 12, at the Temple Emanu-El in San Francisco, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá put religion to the test. He asked the congregation to help him consider the record of religion, to see whether it is “the animating impulse of all human advancement,” or “a detriment and a source of degradation to mankind.” They would go to the source — to the founders of religion — to “review the story of Their lives, compare the conditions preceding Their appearance with those subsequent to Their departure.”

"‘Abdu’l-Bahá outlined the central events of Jewish history. He emphasized the four hundred years of slavery the Jews suffered at the hands of the Egyptians before Moses led them from captivity.

“When a movement fundamentally religious makes a weak nation strong,” he argued, “changes a nondescript tribal people into a mighty and powerful civilization, rescues them from captivity and elevates them to sovereignty, transforms their ignorance into knowledge and endows them with an impetus of advancement in all degrees of development . . . it becomes evident that religion is the cause of man’s attainment to honor and sublimity.”

Religion: The Driving Force Behind Human Civilization

 

[Mr. H.]

I would venture to say that more people have died in the name of religion than all the wars combined (some of which were caused by religious differences).

 

[koshergrl]

More people were killed by communist regimes. Atheist ones.

 

[Vox]

I would venture to say that more people have died in the name of religion than all the wars combined (some of which were caused by religious differences).

and you will be wrong

 

[Vox]

More people were killed by communist regimes. Atheist ones.

yep.

right on spot.

just the soviet one killed MORE than any religious wars throughout the WHOLE HISTORY OF MANKIND COMBINED.

 

[Dot Com]

Gallileo said the earth revolved around the sun & the patriarchal, monotheistic church flipped-out & persecuted him Galileo affair - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Add to that the Inquisition and witch hunts

Sky pixies were dreamed up to acct for the unexplained. A lot has been 'splained since that time by natural science/reasoning. Read about the Enlightenment & how it led to the formation of the U.S. The Enlightenment didn't have much at all to do w/ sky pixies either.

 

[LuckyDuck01!]

There is no record in ancient Egyptian records of a large number of Jews in bondage, then escaping or leaving enmasse, nor do ancient Egyptian records address any army of Ramses being engulfed by a sea that had parted for the Jews.
The founders of the religions create their own stories and mix them with some known rulers and conflicts, yet they are still only works of fiction.

 

[Bloodrock44]

There is no record in ancient Egyptian records of a large number of Jews in bondage, then escaping or leaving enmasse, nor do ancient Egyptian records address any army of Ramses being engulfed by a sea that had parted for the Jews.
The founders of the religions create their own stories and mix them with some known rulers and conflicts, yet they are still only works of fiction.

I wouldn't record it either if I were thoroughly embarrassed the way the Egyptians were. And in all my years I've never heard an Egyptian deny that it happened. One would think they would be screaming from the rooftops that it was a lie.

 

[syrenn]

in my opinion, the world and humanity would be far better of if there were no religions at all.

 

[Politico]

Greed and Power: The Driving Force Behind Human Civilization

Fixed it for ya.

 

[Hollie]

More people were killed by communist regimes. Atheist ones.

Obviously, you never took the time to compare the numbers.

 

[Sunni Man]

More people (hundreds of millions) were killed during the last century over ideology, secular humanism, and atheism; WWI, Russian Revolution, WWII, Cold War, Mao's communist revolution, Vietnam, Cambodia/PolPot, etc.

Then all of the religious wars throughout recorded history combined. .....

 

[Hollie]

in my opinion, the world and humanity would be far better of if there were no religions at all.

It certainly would have removed at least one reason that humans have used to slaughter one-another.

 

[Darkwind]

I would venture to say that more people have died in the name of religion than all the wars combined (some of which were caused by religious differences).

I'm afraid you would be wrong about that.

Human secularist governments have killed more people than ALL the religions combined multiplied by a factor of 10 at a minimum.

In just the last 125 years, over 100 million people have been killed by governments that professed there is no God.

Religion since the beginning of recorded history might....might.....account for 1 million.

 

[Darkwind]

More people (hundreds of millions) were killed during the last century over ideology, secular humanism, and atheism; WWI, Russian Revolution, WWII, Cold War, Mao's communist revolution, Vietnam, Cambodia/PolPot, etc.

Then all of the religious wars throughout recorded history combined. .....

Exactly right.

 

[Darkwind]

More people were killed by communist regimes. Atheist ones.

Obviously, you never took the time to compare the numbers.

IN fact, I have. Perhaps you should use your Internet search engine and explore the issue.

 

[Darkwind]

in my opinion, the world and humanity would be far better of if there were no religions at all.

Why would we want to de-evolve?

The lesser mammals and other animals on our planet all live for the moment, with little thought (creative or otherwise) to their existance beyond just procreation.

When mankind began to imagine a deity or power greater than themselves, they also began the exploration of the mind and philosophy. It moved us from living in the caves to living among the clouds.

Religion has its problems, but that is no more serious than normal greed for what other people have.

 

[JimBowie1958]

I would venture to say that more people have died in the name of religion than all the wars combined (some of which were caused by religious differences).

Unless you think the two world wars and the Mongolian invasions were caused by religion, then your statement is provably false out of hand.

 

[bodecea]

“Should the lamp of religion be obscured,” Bahá’u’lláh explained, “chaos and confusion will ensue, and the lights of fairness and justice, of tranquility and peace cease to shine.”

"On October 12, at the Temple Emanu-El in San Francisco, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá put religion to the test. He asked the congregation to help him consider the record of religion, to see whether it is “the animating impulse of all human advancement,” or “a detriment and a source of degradation to mankind.” They would go to the source — to the founders of religion — to “review the story of Their lives, compare the conditions preceding Their appearance with those subsequent to Their departure.”

"‘Abdu’l-Bahá outlined the central events of Jewish history. He emphasized the four hundred years of slavery the Jews suffered at the hands of the Egyptians before Moses led them from captivity.

“When a movement fundamentally religious makes a weak nation strong,” he argued, “changes a nondescript tribal people into a mighty and powerful civilization, rescues them from captivity and elevates them to sovereignty, transforms their ignorance into knowledge and endows them with an impetus of advancement in all degrees of development . . . it becomes evident that religion is the cause of man’s attainment to honor and sublimity.”

Religion: The Driving Force Behind Human Civilization

So...it wasn't agriculture, surpluses, specialized jobs, the rise of the cities, and technology?

 

[JimBowie1958]

“Should the lamp of religion be obscured,” Bahá’u’lláh explained, “chaos and confusion will ensue, and the lights of fairness and justice, of tranquility and peace cease to shine.”

"On October 12, at the Temple Emanu-El in San Francisco, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá put religion to the test. He asked the congregation to help him consider the record of religion, to see whether it is “the animating impulse of all human advancement,” or “a detriment and a source of degradation to mankind.” They would go to the source — to the founders of religion — to “review the story of Their lives, compare the conditions preceding Their appearance with those subsequent to Their departure.”

"‘Abdu’l-Bahá outlined the central events of Jewish history. He emphasized the four hundred years of slavery the Jews suffered at the hands of the Egyptians before Moses led them from captivity.

“When a movement fundamentally religious makes a weak nation strong,” he argued, “changes a nondescript tribal people into a mighty and powerful civilization, rescues them from captivity and elevates them to sovereignty, transforms their ignorance into knowledge and endows them with an impetus of advancement in all degrees of development . . . it becomes evident that religion is the cause of man’s attainment to honor and sublimity.”

Religion: The Driving Force Behind Human Civilization

So...it wasn't agriculture, surpluses, specialized jobs, the rise of the cities, and technology?

Lesser factors, fool.