82% say religion is harmful

[strictlybroadband]

A poll today says that 82% of Brits think religion does more harm than good. I agree, except I don't think religion does any good at all, just harm.

On that basis, it's time to end all state funding of religion. No religious schools or teaching of religion in schools. Parents who want their kids to learn religion can do it at home, in Sunday school etc.

Unfortunately, the small minority who think religion is good all seem to be MPs, so religion is going to keep getting state help.

[Sam Slater]

Why does religion do more harm than good SB? Maybe I'm blind, but I don't see it doing much harm at all.

[Gentleman]

I think its all to easy to take the religion is evil route as it takes in the times we live a brave individual to stand up and say i have a faith, but dont get that confused with fundamententalism.

There is nothing evil or wrong with a faith the negative aspects come from people with their own agendas using religion to promote their plans.

Without religion we wouldnt have the basis of a society that is (or tries to be) concerned about the welfare of others.

When you think about it the 10 commandments if everyone followed them wouldnt make the world a bad place.

The funny thing about those who bang on about how bad religion is are often as blinkered as those who use religion for their own ends.

[planeterotica]

It is wrong to brainwash kids in school with religion, when they become adults they can if they wish follow a faith, and why should your birth certificate state what religion you are when you had no say in it.

[strictlybroadband]

Sam Slater wrote:

> Why does religion do more harm than good SB? Maybe I'm blind,
> but I don't see it doing much harm at all.

You probably missed the partition of India, the Irish troubles, 9/11, Bush's "crusades", regular slaughter of Muslims by Hindus in India and Buddhists in Thailand, regular attacks on Hindus by Buddhists in Sri Lanka...

Then there's people having unprotected sex in third world countries because the Pope says that contraception is a sin.

Of course, the Jewish claim to Palestine (based supposedly on the Bible) is the cause of a lot of problems these days.

There are attacks on abortion clinics in America, including murders.

The Saudis don't allow women many rights, for religious excuses.

Stem cell research being banned in the USA for religious reasons.

Women being stoned for adultery in Pakistan.

America has the world's highest teen pregnancy rate because religious groups disallow sex education.

[strictlybroadband]

Gentleman wrote:

> When you think about it the 10 commandments if everyone
> followed them wouldnt make the world a bad place.

You don't know much about the Old Testament do you? You seriously think that people should be stoned to death for worshipping idols? If you don't you'd better read the Bible and see the nastiness in there.

[nemrod2100]

Iam not agree with you all.

Religious is not harmfull, it learns how to help someone. How to respect him, how to protect him against illness, against poverty. How to protect orphelin against the starvation, how to behave inside a society, how to follow justice.
In one word religious teachs you humanity.
Staline with Dzerjinski and after the Guepeou, or Tcheka tried to eradicate every signs relating religious, however it was a setback. As frencheese revolution a century before who tried to fight the "hostil" priest.
No religious is not harmfull, but the human's practice would be a certain cases.

[Jacques]

Thou shall not kill

God kills 70,000 innocent people because David ordered a census of the people (1 Chronicles 21). God also orders the destruction of 60 cities so that the Israelites can live there. He orders the killing of all the men, women, and children of each city, and the looting of all of value (Deuteronomy 3). He orders another attack and the killing of ?all the living creatures of the city: men and women, young, and old, as well as oxen sheep, and asses? (Joshua 6). In Judges 21, He orders the murder of all the people of Jabesh-gilead, except for the virgin girls who were taken to be forcibly raped and married. When they wanted more virgins, God told them to hide alongside the road and when they saw a girl they liked, kidnap her and forcibly rape her and make her your wife. In 2 Kings 10:18-27, God orders the murder of all the worshipers of a different god in their very own church.

In total God kills 371,186 people directly and orders another 1,862,265 people murdered.

[strictlybroadband]

Joshua fought the battle of Jericho,
Jericho,
Jericho,
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho,
And the walls came tumblin down.


(Then the Israelites killed all the adults and raped the young virgin girls, as instructed by God).