Religion and Morality
Has religious belief created and shaped human morals? or Have morals formed from early human altruistic necessity?
Does Religion have a connection with the formation of modern human morality providing a pillar of wisdom and guidance to the faithful?
Or does religion suppress morality, providing a barrier to modern understanding of life and the rights of the individual?
Suppression
Side Score: 15
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Would not exist without
Side Score: 11
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Religion suppresses the ability for normal people to make simple moral decisions, making the most trivial problem a matter of god, the faith, and authority. A prosaic example is the contemporary issue of abortion. At the very least, a woman's right over her body as the most developed should outweigh the hypothetical rights of a foetus that has started to develop a brain. It's even a fact that most abortions happen before this point. However religion has cast the issue as a matter of god's will that the woman must preserve the soul of the embryo/foetus, and that abortion is a sign of our modern, atheistic times which threaten to make Christianity illegal and persecuted. Side: Suppression
The Bible says a great many things about how to be moral, such as remedying rape by having the rapist marry the victim, not allowing women to speak in church, never shaving, and murdering your willful children. If these were written in the Bible, it is safe to assume that the authors thought these practices to be acceptable at least some of the time. However, you would be hard pressed to find even the most radical Bible Belt evangelical church preaching these things anymore. Why? Because the congregation and the general public simply would not stand for it. Disillusionment and outrage would lead to people abandoning the faith, and for all their dedication to God and their protection under him, churches still need attendance to function. Thus, over time but not without great resistance, religion has modified its morals to coincide more peaceably with public opinion. Assuming this, it is more true that morality has shaped religion than the reverse. Side: Suppression
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Morality assumes some thought of the general human condition. Religion aims to strip away thought and to set up black and white rules. Thus, there is no morality in religion only rules. This can be pointed out in the many many inconsistancies in any religious text, and indeed one of the primary basics of many Western religion, this idea of an innocent man/god being sacrificed for others is practically the pinnacle of immorality- yet the basis of these religions. Religion is nothing more than a cop-out for those too week or too stupid to think on their own. The world would be better without it truly. Side: Suppression
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Whatever God says is right and Whatever God says is wrong, is wrong. Who can we look at to be our perfect moral guide as far as religion goes? Well what many Christians will automatically tell you is Jesus. Ever see a WWJD? bracelet? Maybe on a shirt? Jesus seems like the perfect example, but wait isn't this the same Jesus who preached that he had come to bring not peace, but the sword? (Matt 10:34). Religions suppress whilst instilling morals. However religion isn't needed to instill morals, as psychology progresses we learn to see what develops a child's morals. A child needn't have religion to learn what is good and bad, you see it is instinctive for a child to be empathetic towards another child. When he/she sees another kid upset, they become upset. A child learns his/her morals through experience. The environment is what makes the child. In that environment religion could play a major role, whether or not it does is irrelevant in the aspect that religion suppresses people, but does not suppress morals. Morals will be there with or without religion, what morals that are instilled in the child are all up to its upbringing. Side: Both
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This is the best argument on this subject that has been posted. There is however one point: what morals that are instilled in the child are all up to its upbringing. It could be argued that a child's morality is inherited. but I would not doubt the role of experience in instilling further morality as well Side: Both
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Which came first, religion or morality? Seeing as how there are no sources going back all those thousands of years, we shan't ever know. Even if all humans were atheists - religion cast aside for the rest of our existence - the effects of all those centuries of religious morality would still be with us. Side: Impossible to know
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There is a lot of study carried out in the sphere of altruism in animals and especially primates. It could be stated that morality pre-dates religion by millions of years. The effect of religion on morals could be seen to stifle them with its lessons of homophobia, misogyny, and war mongering. True the effects of religious morality will be with us for some time to come but do they have a negative effect on true human morality and as in your hypothetical situation, I would imagine that a completely atheistic future would be cast aside as a relic of the past and serve as a lesson on how not to live. Side: Suppression
Religion is so fundamentally based on morality that it has ultimately shaped/influence morals itself. As religious beliefs tend to differ from culture to culture and morals differ from culture to culture, we can always see that the core of religion tend to have the core morals. In countries with less religion emphasis morals are less. FACT. Side: Would not exist without
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Religion is so fundamentally based on morality that it has ultimately shaped/influence morals itself. There is no doubt that religion has some morals at its core. Basic ones such as though shalt not kill, steal, or covet. But it is said that morals pre date religion in the form of altruism. we can always see that the core of religion tend to have the core morals. Religions teach homophobia, misogyny and discrimination, they hold indifference as their right. In countries with less religion emphasis morals are less. FACT. Such as? Side: Suppression
we can always see that the core of religion tend to have the core morals. Religions teach homophobia, misogyny and discrimination, they hold indifference as their right. So if you're against homosexuals that makes you homophobic.. but if you're for homosexuals what does that make you? homophilic?? kmt...... Misogyny and patriachal are also two different things. What discrimination? In countries with less religion emphasis morals are less. FACT. I was glad you asked. America and Britain are 2 prime examples. Again people are basing the word 'religion' fundamentally on 'christianity and islam'. What about the other 2+billion people who follow different religions Side: Would not exist without
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