You're free to think what you want, I'm in no way religious. But I do believe that religion helps a lot, whether you like it or not, millions more people would die if it weren't for religion. And for you to just shoot down my opinion without even consideration is just plain ignorant.
Plus a lot of people need religion to believe in, suicide rates would skyrocket without it. Religion has helped so many drug addicts and alcoholics, it has stopped murderers from reoffending. It is the groundwork needed for a civilized society.
I've considered your opinion... And you're most definitely entitled to it, but to not consider the facts yourself makes your statement ignorant...
millions more people would die if it weren't for religion.
people need religion to believe in
Christians have murdered more people in the name of God than all the jailed murderers in the civilised world! People don't
need religion to be better people, to save them from suicide, to get off drugs... It's a form of support, it's what worked for
those individuals that you refer to, plenty of others went to a counsellor or had a few teaspoons of "harden-up"...
I'd be very surprised if Christianity has
saved more than the equivalent of 5% of the suicidal, murderers and junkies over the last 500 years compared to how many million (even billions?) of people have died, "in the name of God."
As an example, European Christians arrived to America and read a proclamation (in Spanish) to the native American Indians stating:
"We ask and require you to acknowledge the church as the ruler and
superior of the whole world and the high priest called pope and in his
name the king of Spain as lords of this land. If you submit we shall
receive you in all love and charity and shall leave you, your wives and
children and your lands free without servitude, but if you do not submit
we shall powerfully enter into your country and shall make war against
you, we shall take you and your wives and your children and shall make
slaves of them and we shall take away your goods and shall do you all
the harm and damage we can."
They understandably failed to understand the Spanish proclamation, and were hunted off the face of the planet almost to the point of extinction, by Christians...
I'm not saying that religion is wrong, I sincerely agree that "in the name of God" positive things are
also said and done, but I can't stand people bragging that Christianity is the
reason we all live "in peace." :evil: