CreateDebate


Debate Info

Debate Score:46
Arguments:42
Total Votes:47
More Stats

Argument Ratio

side graph
 
 Could atheism lead to more problems than religion? (33)

Debate Creator

Client444(61) pic



Could atheism lead to more problems than religion?

Could atheism create moral problems or such?

Add New Argument
3 points

Could atheism create moral problems or such?

Not likely. Countries with high levels of atheism (the Scandinavian countries) tend to have very low crime levels. In America, the percentage of the Atheist prison population is lower than the national average (indicating we are less likely to commit crimes).

Most importantly, one does not need God to have morals. We come pre-packaged with a sense of empathy, and the ability to logically identify harmful actions. We can recognize that we are one species, a giant social organization and that helping others benefits the whole group, and we don't need someone speaking on behalf of a "higher power" to point this out to us. We also can easier "see things as they are" scientifically because we don't have some prior belief pushing us to disbelieve something that conflicts with old, untestable stories. This means we can advance and adapt more quickly and fluidly than many religions tend to tolerate.

lolzors93(3225) Disputed
1 point

You should read Steven Pinker's book Better Angles of Our Nature. Religion has little influence on violence levels. The reason America is high in crime is because it is highly ethnically diverse.

J-Roc77(70) Disputed
3 points

The reason America is high in crime is because it is highly ethnically diverse.

Correlation does not equal causation. In fact there are recent studies that fly in the face of statements blaming crime on ethnic diversity. For instance a study done by UC Irving researchers compiled 2010 US Census and annual crime reports of local cities and compared back through the last 50 years. They found that in highly ethnically diverse neighborhoods not only did crime rates go down, but home values increased over time.

Another study done by Immigration Policy Center had similar findings to the UC Irving study. They found that between 1990 and 2010 the foreign born population in the US increased from 9% to 13% while violent crimes decreased 45%. They noted cities that had large immigrant populations such as New York and Los Angeles also experienced a decrease in crime rates.

Being ethnically diverse is less an issue with crime and more an issue with perceptions of the 'other'. These immigrants do add to the increased ethnic diversity of the population but are not in the same situation as many other people of different ethnicity. Those who immigrate usually have the financial means and skills to do so and do not find themselves in economically adverse situations as other minorities that find themselves economically compromised. Which leads to a highly possible cause, economic inequality.

I think you will find high crime rates to be associated with great inequalities. In the same stroke you can find that highly diverse ethnicity and inequalities go hand in hand, hence the correlation you noted above.

edit: couple of the sources.

http://today.uci.edu/news/2012/06/nrmfila120606.php

http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/anecdotes-evidence-setting-record-straight-immigrants-and-crime-0

MuckaMcCaw(1970) Disputed
3 points

Interesting how Canada, which is more diverse per capita, especially in its metro regions, has far lower levels of crime than we do. Mexico isn't especially ethnically diverse, but much more violent crime there.

It is true that Christianity's direct influence on crime may be minimal. Religion tends to flock to poverty, and so does violence. Thus the seeming correlation between the two may be coincidental.

But if Christianity truly inspires morality, than it should be able to oversome both poverty and ethnic differences. South America should be a pretty safe and low-crime continent given its huge percentage of Christian practitioners. So should have Europe during the days when virtually every kingdom was a theocracy. And yet.

pakicetus(1455) Disputed
1 point

What do you mean by ethnically diverse?

2 points

Lets see:

Fundamentalist Islam:

1. 9/11

2.Suicide Bombing

3.Female Genital mutilation

4.mysoginy

5. kill anyone who dares to critizise their religion

Fundamentalist Christianity:

1. Bombing of abortion clinics

2. Murder of medical personell who work on abortions

3. Discrimination against homosexuals

4. Discourage condom use in heavy HIV parts of Africa

5. Take away a womans reproductive rights

Fundamentalist Atheism:

1. Write books and lectures teaching logical thinking....

Yea, Im sure that less religion would be terrible..(sarcasm)

1 point

Atheism by itself is merely either a positive belief a god does not exist or a lack of belief in a god. It really depends on the philosophy or morals it is paired with.

Also, an atheist can be religious.

GuitarGuy(6096) Clarified
1 point

When you say that an atheist can be religious, are you referring to Buddhism?

1 point

Yes, as well as the possibility that an atheistic religion might be established.

COULD it lead to more problems than religion? Sure, it could, under the right circumstances.

I don't think it's very likely to lead to more problems than religion, however. Even if it could, religion has millenia of related problems under its belt that atheism would have to catch up to first- and even that would require that atheism create more problems in a given timespan than religion does. Outside of religion disappearing altogether, I find that extremely unlikely.

I don't think so. Atheism would solve the division problems caused by various religions.