A CHARITY set up by an ardent Christian to fight slavery and the opium trade has identified a new social evil of the 21st century - religion.

 

A poll by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation uncovered a widespread belief that faith - not just in its extreme form - was intolerant, irrational and used to justify persecution.

Pollsters asked 3,500 people what they considered to be the worst blights on modern society, updating a list drawn up by Rowntree, a Quaker, 104 years ago.

 

The responses may well have dismayed him. The researchers found that the “dominant opinion” was that religion was a “social evil”.

 

Many participants said religion divided society, fuelled intolerance and spawned “irrational” educational and other policies.

 

One said: “Faith in supernatural phenomena inspires hatred and prejudice throughout the world, and is commonly used as justification for persecution of women, gays and people who do not have faith.”

 

Many respondents called for state funding of church schools to be ended.

The findings contrast with Rowntree’s “scourges of humanity”, which included poverty, war, slavery, intemperance, the opium trade, impurity and gambling.

Poverty and drugs remain, but are joined by issues such as family breakdown, young people’s behaviour and fears over immigration.

 

Tom Butler, the Bishop of Southwark, rejected the indictment of faith. He said: “People meeting together, week after week, for worship, support and education in church, synagogue, temple, gurdwara and mosque can not only help people build local community but can teach children to become good citizens.”

 

However, Terry Sanderson, president of the National Secular Society, said he was “extremely pleased”.

 

“Britain has had it with religion,” he said.

 

Source: Sunday Times

 

I agree with that article! Religion is just used as excuse for ignorance <_< What I also find annoying is the fact that some people think you can't be 'moral' without being religious :rolleyes:

I applaud Britons for this progressive stance.

:heart:

 

Agree with everything in this thread, so far!

lol... i think most of you can guess my response to this....:lol:

 

 

SPOT ON!

lol... i think most of you can guess my response to this....:lol:

SPOT ON!

 

I second that.....

 

The ironic thing is, that if all those of a religious bent were like the Quakers (or Bhuddists), then perhaps I wouldn't actually have a problem with religions.....

 

Not all religion is a social evil - Buddhism is really the only religion I would ever consider, in fact the only religion I have considered. Any religion that preaches bigotry of any sort has no place in modern society.

Not all religion is a social evil - Buddhism is really the only religion I would ever consider, in fact the only religion I have considered. Any religion that preaches bigotry of any sort has no place in modern society.

 

well actually youre right, not all religions are narrow minded in their views. paganism too is very liberal, reflecting natural order.

well actually youre right, not all religions are narrow minded in their views. paganism too is very liberal, reflecting natural order.

 

I'd forgotten about Paganism/Wicca...... Add it to my list of 'good religions'.....

 

Someone on here once said that the world would be so much better without religions. Amen to that.

Someone on here once said that the world would be so much better without religions. Amen to that.

 

ive said that, so has craig and probabaly scott...lol..

 

not true though...i think that the world would be better without agressive religions.... passive belief systems like paganism and buddhism are inoffensive and likeable.

Someone on here once said that the world would be so much better without religions. Amen to that.

 

I agree broadly with Karl Marx - "Religion is the opiate of the masses"... But, I think he was referring more to the destructive, dictatorial religions such as Christianity, Judaism and Islam.... I think the more humane philosophies of one-ness and harmony contained in Bhuddism and Confuscianism would actually be in keeping with his worldview in many ways....

 

Actually, I think one could class the philosophies of Existentialism and Humanism as being 'alternative' religions also.... So, add more to the list of "Good Religions".....

ive said that, so has craig and probabaly scott...lol..

 

not true though...i think that the world would be better without agressive religions.... passive belief systems like paganism and buddhism are inoffensive and likeable.

 

But then you've got people being PC...unnecessarily. On both sides.

 

ive said that, so has craig and probabaly scott...lol..

 

not true though...i think that the world would be better without agressive religions.... passive belief systems like paganism and buddhism are inoffensive and likeable.

 

You mean the peace and love version of paganism made up by modern socialites like Madonna or teenager wiccans... not the good old paganism we all know that includes sacrificing children to their "gods". I supose your views on budhism wouldn´t be that good also if you lived in a mainly budhist country, and not only knew if from famous hollywood converts. I think sectarism and intolerance is much more present among militant atheist then in other religions in the western world.

Someone on here once said that the world would be so much better without religions. Amen to that.

 

might have been me - religion, the very basic, fundamental idea of religion - it's evil.... bizarre.... and utterly unnecessary in modern times.

 

Even the so-called peaceful religions are filled with hate and divisiveness.

might have been me - religion, the very basic, fundamental idea of religion - it's evil.... bizarre.... and utterly unnecessary in modern times.

 

Even the so-called peaceful religions are filled with hate and divisiveness.

 

It´s evil that people think different then yourself, of course... Someone who classifies a pregnacy like a cancer or a disease and openly supports women who kill their own children have a word on what´s "evil".

It´s evil that people think different then yourself, of course... Someone who classifies a pregnacy like a cancer or a disease and openly supports women who kill their own children have a word on what´s "evil".

 

 

I beg your pardon?????

 

I'd like direct quotes when I referred to pregnancy being akin to disease. Surely such a statement can only depend on the pregnant woman or the disease? :naughty:

 

If, of course, in your fervent religious haste, you mistook my comments on abortion to be about comments on all pregnancies then, of course, you're as misguided about this as you appear to be doggedly blind about some religion or other you've chosen to follow.

 

I find your attitude to abortion repulsive. How dare you point fingers at someone in desperate times, how dare you point an accusing finger at a pregnant rape victim, how dare you sneer at a lady carrying a severely disabled foetus. How very 'religious' of you.

 

As for it being 'evil' that people think differently from myself - rather rich, I think, coming from a member who constantly berates people on here for daring to critcise the nonsense that is organised religion (IMO, of course - may you be damned to the depths of hell for disgreeing with me :D ). It's tedious that you appear mentally unable to accept that not all people need the bizarre 'invisible friend' that is religion. Similarly bizarre is your shock, horror and indignation when someone tells you exactly what they think of religion (it surely can't be a first that someone as indoctrinated as yourself can have attracted criticism for such blind faith?). Well, I can assure you - you keep building religion up - I'm quite happy to continue tearing it down.

You mean the peace and love version of paganism made up by modern socialites like Madonna or teenager wiccans... not the good old paganism we all know that includes sacrificing children to their "gods". I supose your views on budhism wouldn´t be that good also if you lived in a mainly budhist country, and not only knew if from famous hollywood converts. I think sectarism and intolerance is much more present among militant atheist then in other religions in the western world.

 

but it ISNT made up.... its a real and viable form of respecting 'god', but even when some sects in the antiquity did use sacrifice.... thats still far fewer deaths then what has been committed by christianity/islam .

 

since when have 'militant athiests' killed or caused social unrest 'in the name of their belief'?...

 

true some mass murderers have been athiests but they didnt kill in the name of atheism.

You mean the peace and love version of paganism made up by modern socialites like Madonna or teenager wiccans... not the good old paganism we all know that includes sacrificing children to their "gods". I supose your views on budhism wouldn´t be that good also if you lived in a mainly budhist country, and not only knew if from famous hollywood converts. I think sectarism and intolerance is much more present among militant atheist then in other religions in the western world.

 

And you Christians seem to forget that passage in the bible concerning the father who was perfectly willing to sacrifice his son to "God" if he so demanded it.... Oh, and according to a certain sect of Mormonism, "God" seems to demand you force underage girls into marriage and repeatedly rape them until they comply with your every whim...... <_< The branch of Paganism you talk about is from THOUSANDS of years ago.... Modern Paganism has progressed way beyond the ideological limitations of Christianity and Islam and is an incredibly sophisticated (and humane...) belief system.. Bhuddism is similarly far more sophisticated and all-encompassing than, say, Catholicism to which your own country is a hostage and is incapable of developing because of, not to mention the fact that your own Govt oppresses Brazilian tribal minorities... As a Brazilian, you should be disgusted and agreeing with us, that religion is a destructive force....

 

Russ is right, your ignorance knows no bounds, a good thing for Brazil that truly enlightened people, such as Sepultura ex-frontman Max Cavalera, hold more influence than you do....

 

And, as Richard Dawkins said in a recent interview - Stalin and Mao never stated what they did was in the name of Atheism, whereas Politicians like Bush, Blair and Ahmadinejad just cannot help themselves but to declare their own respective religious dogmas to define everything they do..... <_<

but it ISNT made up.... its a real and viable form of respecting 'god', but even when some sects in the antiquity did use sacrifice.... thats still far fewer deaths then what has been committed by christianity/islam .

 

Spot on mate... The horrors and deaths in the name of the "new religions" in the past two thousand years would make the Caesers blush..... And the zealots in this day and age have access to one thing that the Caesers did not - Nukes...... Modern Pagans would NEVER use a nuclear weapon because it would destroy the earth, totally contrary to Pagan belief systems.. The "new religions" dont care because they believe in "Heaven" or "Paradise" more thant the actual planet they live on..... <_<

 

I know which Ideology I would rather the dominant one be.....