Is Religion Bad?

Short answer: No.

Long Answer: In all seriousness, religion as a concept isn’t inherently bad. At the end of the day it’s how people express that religion that matters. To put it into perspective, let’s talk about the history of religion and how it operates today.

Despite sacred texts such as the Bible and Quran being written thousands of years ago, the concept of religion itself dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries. I mean, sure, Jesus, Mohammad and Buddah were real religious figures, but the word itself is derived from the Latin term “religio,” which translates to “respect for what is sacred.” The standards and practices of religion served as the foundation for many nations. Christianity help formed most of Europe, Hinduism is the backbone of India, Islam is the very essence of many Arabic countries and so on. According to Adherents.com (grain of salt advised), there are over 4200 religions around the world (http://www.adherents.com/). That is a lot of differing opinions on how to live in this crazy world.

These days, religion is often the reasoning behind many conflicts. The war between Palestine and Israel has been going on for 52 years, Saudi Arabia, the Maldives, Somalia, Yemen and North Korea ban Christianity, many religious figures abuse their power as they molest children, and many other religious figures are so pushy with their beliefs, it causes them to act violently. Then there’s gay marriage, which is a controversial topic no matter what religion you practice. Now, these are problems that people do instigate, but the problem isn’t their religion. All these problems stem from the fact that humans as a species are very territorial, violent and at times just plain stupid. Religion is meant to help us live beyond the savagery our Neanderthal ancestors went through.

Now, that’s not to say people who aren’t religious are savages. Far from it. Those who don’t practice religion on a regular basis can be just as considerate and patient as people who do. It’s all about a matter of respect for one another. It would be nice if we lived in a world where people got along, but for now it helps to be optimistic and respectful.

That’s all I got to say about religion. In response to this post, I ask you to please be civil. This was NOT meant to be an attack on anyone who practices a different religion than me or otherwise don’t practice religion at all. This was just me giving my opinion on why religion as a concept isn’t bad. Don’t attack people based on there religion or lack there off; it helps no one.