Religion has been the focal point for a holocaust, four Crusades, and many other things. Religion originally was meant to bring people together and help form a strong society around it. If you think about it this way, Christianity is the worst thing that happened to mankind.

Religion has been used as a false excuse for those examples. Usually by people who do not fit the tenets of the religion they claim to be supporting whatsoever.

No, what it really comes down to is greed and lust for power. These two things are behind most of mankind's violence. The number of conflicts and wars fought in the interest of money and resources is too high to begin counting. Yet, we have not abolished capitalism and only some think it is a bad thing.

Religion has been used as a false excuse for those examples. Usually by people who do not fit the tenets of the religion they claim to be supporting whatsoever.

There is no doubt that religion has been used for bad things, but why really? Why is it so easy to use religion for bad things? Just read the Bible and the Kuran, and you'll know why. These 2 books are filled with stories of hatred, genocide, infanticide, homophobia, misogyny, incest, repression, slavery and all kind of what we consider immoral in the 21st century. And by "filled", i mean that these books endorse it, as in it is a good thing. Now you can say that there is also good moral teaching in the books, and you would be right, but as Bill Maher would say, if there was only one turd in the pool, would you jump in? Religion has been used for bad things because on so many levels it teaches bad things, and these teachings has lead otherwise good people do bad things. Not everything is to blame on religion, but religion do have a big responsability in those crime, and should be held accountable.

If people would focus only on the New Testament of the Bible, then many problems would be solved.

These 2 books are filled with stories of hatred, genocide, infanticide, homophobia, misogyny, incest, repression, slavery and all kind of what we consider immoral in the 21st century. And by "filled", i mean that these books endorse it, as in it is a good thing.

I'm sensing a lot of exaggeration and subjectivity here. Perhaps you could clarify on some of that. In addition, you're employing the same logic that people use to try and blame video games for random shootings. "X contains Y so that means X is responsible for Z committing Y." Plenty of horrible things are shown, and sometimes endorsed, across all types of both media and books. Simply reading a book that contains violence does not make you violent. Just like how playing a violent game does not make you a violent person. People are ultimately accountable for their own actions, and it's individuals who should be judged. Not the entire group they belong to.

You can't blame a religion for the actions of crazy followers. Underneath it all it's not the religion that made them do it, it's their own personal demons and they simply use religion as their justification. If religion wasn't there for them to justify their actions, they would find something else instead.

but as Bill Maher would say, if there was only one turd in the pool, would you jump in?

Nothing is pure in this world. No country, no religion, no organized group has a totally clean record. You tell Mr.Maher to find me a group of people that have never done wrong.

Religion has been used for bad things because on so many levels it teaches bad things, and these teachings has lead otherwise good people do bad things

Most religions do not directly teach their followers to commit atrocities. The atrocities occur when a group of followers decides to interpret something in a certain way for whatever their reasons.

but religion do have a big responsability in those crime, and should be held accountable.

Nonsense. You can't hold an entire group accountable for the actions of renegades, especially when most of said renegades are long dead. Atheists have done bad things too at certain points in history, but that does not mean Atheism itself should be judged negatively on that alone. In the same note, you can't judge Christianity simply on the atrocities of past members.

Flaws of all the major religions:

Islam: Inspires Extremist groups WAY to many times
Christianity: Look what they did to the Pagans and Native Americans
Buddhism: Doesn't explain how the world was created
Hinduism: Polytheistic, not to mention some people there believe in Rats as their Gods.
Confucianism: Not even a fucking Religion, it's a goddamn Idea.

All of these are coming from a Protestant Christian.

Buddhism isn't a religion it's a philosophy. Over the years it has been mistaken for religion and gradually morphed into one.

Gandhi was Hindu. That roughly translates to : Hinduism gets a free pass for all eternity.

Edited 8/11/2015 18:29:05

I'm sensing a lot of exaggeration and subjectivity here. Perhaps you could clarify on some of that.

Oh but i'm not exagerating. The core philosophy of christianity is that we are all to blame for the actions of Adam and Eve, and Jesus came to be tortured on Earth to pay for all humanity. This alone is wicked. The idea that we are all responsible for a "crime" commited by other, and the idea that one person should serve as a Scapegoat to pay for it is horrible. Here are a few of the Bible stories one might find immoral:
1. God drowns the whole earth.
In Genesis 7:21-23, God drowns the entire population of the earth: men, women, children, fetuses, and perhaps unicorns. Only a single family survives. In Matthew 24:37-42, gentle Jesus approves of this genocide and plans to repeat it when he returns.
2. God kills half a million people.
In 2 Chronicles 13:15-18, God helps the men of Judah kill 500,000 of their fellow Israelites.
3. God slaughters all Egyptian firstborn.
In Exodus 12:29, God the baby-killer slaughters all Egyptian firstborn children and cattle because their king was stubborn.
read more here: http://commonsenseatheism.com/?p=21

Do i need to pull out the Kuran verses too?

In addition, you're employing the same logic that people use to try and blame video games for random shootings. "X contains Y so that means X is responsible for Z committing Y." Plenty of horrible things are shown, and sometimes endorsed, across all types of both media and books. Simply reading a book that contains violence does not make you violent. Just like how playing a violent game does not make you a violent person. People are ultimately accountable for their own actions, and it's individuals who should be judged. Not the entire group they belong to.

But religion are in many way like video games, of fantasy litterature. The big difference is that no-one teaches what is in video games or in other fictional books as if it were the truth and a moral guide, and that you would be sent to burn in a lake of fire for eternity if you don't follow it.

You can't blame a religion for the actions of crazy followers. Underneath it all it's not the religion that made them do it, it's their own personal demons and they simply use religion as their justification. If religion wasn't there for them to justify their actions, they would find something else instead.

I disagree. Many crazy religious people may have done wicked things because they were crazy in the first place. But religion and blind faith is so powerful that in many cases it is what drove these people to do crazy things. As Richard Dawkins said, there is a logical pathway from religion to violence. This is undeniable, just look at some of the teachings in the books.I disagree that "if religion wasn't there for them to justify their actions, they would find something eslse instead." How do you explain suicide bombers, killing people to please there god and in the hope that it would buy them a ticket to heaven? Granted, religion is not the only responsible for this, you can blame poverty, lack of education, etc, but ultimately religion and endoctrination gets the lion share of the blame in my opinion.

but as Bill Maher would say, if there was only one turd in the pool, would you jump in?

Nothing is pure in this world. No country, no religion, no organized group has a totally clean record. You tell Mr.Maher to find me a group of people that have never done wrong.

The difference is that all religions claim to be pure and the ultimate truth, and people base their entire lives on that faith

Most religions do not directly teach their followers to commit atrocities. The atrocities occur when a group of followers decides to interpret something in a certain way for whatever their reasons.

Every religion that is and ever was is an interpretation of something. There is no such thing as an interpretation of a religion, there is just...religions.

but religion do have a big responsability in those crime, and should be held accountable.

Nonsense. You can't hold an entire group accountable for the actions of renegades, especially when most of said renegades are long dead. Atheists have done bad things too at certain points in history, but that does not mean Atheism itself should be judged negatively on that alone.

i don't know if you misinterpreted me on purpose, but i never said that i hold "an entire group accountable". I don't blame todays christians for the horrible things christians have done in the past, that's the kind of moral you would find in the Bible. What i blame is religion, the ideology, the doctrine. And if atheism have lead atheist in the past to do horrible things, then absolutely we should look at the responsibility of Atheism. The only problem is Atheism is not a doctrine, it is not a way of life. Atheism doest have a holy book, nor commandements, nor moral code, nor doctrine. Atheism is not a belief system. Atheism is just the lack of belief in any deity. That's it. Their is no logical pathway for someone to do bad things in the name of atheism, because atheism is not an ideology. Secular Humanism is generally the philosophy adopted by atheists.

In the same note, you can't judge Christianity simply on the atrocities of past members.

Yes i can, and i do. If there is a connection betwin the christian ideology and the atrocities commited by its followers, that connection should be made.

Edited 8/11/2015 19:06:59

Let's compare the actions of ISIS to a more greed motivated nation like the US. ISIS has burned hundreds of people alive. The US has burned thousands of people alive. ISIS has killed thousands. The US has killed millions. ISIS has never toppled a government, yet the US has toppled dozens. In ISIS controlled territory a typical death punishment is beheading, in the US it is being injected with chemicals that give you intense pain and make you foam at the mouth for hours. ISIS kidnaps people and kills them, the US kidnaps people and preforms medical experiments on them. I have just compared the actions of a government motivated by religion and a government motivated by greed. And yes I did say the US is worse then ISIS.

In the same note, you can't judge Christianity simply on the atrocities of past members.

Yes i can, and i do. If there is a connection betwin the christian ideology and the atrocities commited by its followers, that connection should be made.

Then I will judge France by it's actions, hmm, so France is a greedy warmongering state that is motivated by ideology and has subjugated people around the world.

Edited 8/11/2015 19:07:17

To be fair, what you described as lethal injection is not supposed to happen.

To be fair ISIS never dropped two nuclear bombs over two different densely populated cities.

Edited 8/11/2015 19:18:18

...Okay.

In the same note, you can't judge Christianity simply on the atrocities of past members.

Yes i can, and i do. If there is a connection betwin the christian ideology and the atrocities commited by its followers, that connection should be made.

Then I will judge France by it's actions, hmm, so France is a greedy warmongering state that is motivated by ideology and has subjugated people around the world.

Sure, you can judge (thats what religious people do best anyway). Your judgement is horseshit, but fine, go with it. Join ISIS, you seem to think that they are better than the rest of the world.

Hmm so you can judge other's by what ever nation, ideology or group they are from but not yourself? So a Muslim is guilty for a beheading but you are not guilty for a beheading? Oh I get it because you are you and they are not you , you are automatically free of the sins your countrymen and likeminded individuals have committed but they are not because of some magical reason. And no ISIS is not better then everything just better then France and the US.

That's right Smedley. Pimp slap that ho!

???? Ok mate! (smiling at the crazy person as i slowly move away)

125ch209 wins this argument. you can all go home now.

Tsh all he did was call me a name then resign to defeat.

It's just like you said, Smedley. France was surrender monkeys then and they're a surrender monkey now.

#UltimateShotFired

Sure, you can judge (thats what religious people do best anyway). Your judgement is horseshit, but fine, go with it.

Oh. So it's cool if you spew hatred against entire religions but if someone calls out your homeland then you get angry? There's a saying, "Don't dish it out if you can't take it."

Also, you're being a major hypocrite. Accusing religious people of being judgmental while at the same time you JUDGE ENTIRE RELIGIONS.

125ch209 wins this argument. you can all go home now.

If you call judging entire groups consisting of billions of people, getting defensive when a group you belong to gets the same treatment, and then ducking out of the argument as "winning".

No one wins an argument on the internet, that's practically rule number one.