Religion has been a strong negative influence throughout history as well as today. Religion as an institution is corrupt, deceitful, and a counter productive. The positive aspects that do exist in religion should be stripped from the baggage of traditional values or moral stances that are irrelevant in the modern world. In essence, religion would be deinstitutionalized and be replaced as being a personal spiritual worldview.
Spiritual belief on a personal level has served as a comfort to many people facing death or the grieving of a loved one. Since no one can know what happens to us after death, it is comforting to have a spiritual belief.
Although much harm has come from strong religious conviction, almost all people who are religious do not have ill intent. They believe they are doing the right thing and want to make the world a better place. This intent is useful if directed at things that produce positive outcomes (such as certain charities), but often this intent is misdirected and inflicts harm. The Roman Catholic church illustrates this in its denouncing of the use of birth control and contraceptives. The view that intercourse is a means for reproduction within marriage is worthy of respect. This view only becomes a problem when it it pushed upon people who do not share such opinions.
The act of going to church is useful in that it allows for a sense of community. This sense of community and interaction can be a very positive experience to many people, but is likely limited since you are mainly interacting with people who have similar worldviews to yours. This type of homogeneous group can be dangerous because perpetuates beliefs that won't likely be challenged by opposing viewpoints.
Overall, religion may have a brutal past from being closed minded, moralistic, and segregating. Just as we evolved as a species, I hope religion can do the same. The zeitgeist has shifted; it is no secret that spirituality has too much religious baggage.
No comments:
Post a Comment