CMV: The decline of organized religion in the Western world has led to an overall better world for everyone

First, I am not calling for people to stop being religious or expressing their religious beliefs. I am saying that the world is better off with organized religion having a smaller role in society. I think this will be a difficult CMV to change because I think it is well supported by facts and academic research. <br><br><br>Let me start off by saying that I know that many religious groups do great work - feeding the homeless, operating orphanages, visiting the sick, speedy disaster relief, etc. I don't dispute that or think that should be curtailed in any way. <br><br><br>I do think organized religion often leads to societal ills that we should be working to minimize. I am going to give examples that are specific to Christianity and the United States only because that is what I am most familiar with, but I think this applies to many religions and countries.<br><br><br>One place to begin is how religion shapes politics. I think it is very well-documented that it leads to belief in pseudoscience. Christians have been at the forefront of discrediting evolution and the sciences behind climate change. People who believe the earth is only 6,000 years old have no business making policy about our planet's climate. A belief in an Earth that young discredits all of modern science.<br><br><br>Another negative influence organized religion has is that people who are religious are much, much more likely to support policies that restrict the freedom of others. Restricting the freedom to choose your own partners, restricting the freedom to choose your own reproductive path, restricting the freedom to die peacefully and painlessly, restricting the freedom to choose the way you raise your children, restricting a woman's freedom to make decisions about her own body. <br><br><br>These are all examples of how conservative religious influence is often at odds with individual freedom. And I think that is likely the most important component of a functioning society - the freedom to make choices about your own life. <br><br><br>Finally, I think that the influence of religion leads to the misalignment of many people's morals. Christians who believe that abortion is murder and think that a child should be forced to be born are not acting out of love for children. They are acting out of hatred for the mother for having premarital sex. But they won't admit that. They won't admit they think her life should be ruined, her education or career upended or stalled, and that she should suffer the strain of raising a child just because of their outdated moral code. They would much rather have a child grow up in a broken home with a single mom living in poverty than allow someone to have sex outside of marriage. <br><br><br>legtik - belief in gods is fine. I have no problem with that.<br><br><br>blatant_karma_whore_2000 - A recent poll said that 29% of Americans believe in evolution.<br><br><br>andrewph - there is a difference between spirituality and organized religion. <br><br><br>Many people here have pivoted to spirituality or small group activities. I am talking about any organizing for people to practice under a single dogma with a single leader - basically anything that has a church, hierarchy, or belief in a holy book.<br><br><br>blatant_karma_whore_2000 - yeah - my mom is a seminary graduate and is an reverend in a liberal stream of Christianity. I don't think there is anything wrong with that. I think she is one of the Christians out there trying to make the world a better place. <br><br><br>I just think there is a difference between saying "Jesus loves you" and saying "You must obey Jesus and His teachings or you will burn in Hell". I think the former message is positive. I think the latter message is negative, because it leads to obedience for the wrong reasons. <br><br><br>So I am not saying all Christians or all religious people are bad, I just think their place in society should be minimized.<br>User deleted.<br><br><br>NotSammyHagar99 - isn't it that how Hispanic countries are more Catholic, but also socially more conservative. The belief in hell - and that you will go there if you disobey - typically leads to socially conservative public policy.<br><br><br>blatant_karma_whore_2000 - I am not saying there is anything wrong with being religious or expressing your religious beliefs. I just think that organized religion should not have as big of a role in shaping public policy.<br><br><br>vanzanz - belief in hell or god or an afterlife or whatever can lead to positive things too. I know someone who is a recovering addict and they say that religion is the only thing that helped them get sober. <br><br><br>A lot of people have used placebos to great effect too. <br><br>I think the line you have to draw is between people who think that religion should inform public policy and people who think it should inform private choices. <br><br><br>People who think that religion should inform public policy are a menace to society - any religion. <br><br><br>People who think that religion should inform private choices are just acting out of personal belief and conviction about what is right for them. That is ok. <br><br><br>I can't change my view because I think organized religion typically leads to the former, not the latter. <br><br><br>sevency - I don't think Christians should be trying to change the world when Christ taught to be in the world, but not of it. <br><br><br>Also, I think Christianity is more of a micro thing than a macro. It is belief in an personal relationship with Christ, and trying to make personal disciples. Christianity is not trying to make disciples of nations or forcing a set of rules onto people. <br><br><br>So I think Christians are trying to make personal disciples, but some Christians think that is tantamount to changing the world. I think it is supposed to be a personal thing and not political. <br><br><br>Also, I think Christians are told not to judge. I think that means secular world. So Christians should not be judging the world for what they do or how they act, because we know they don't know Christ. <br><br><br>I think - and this is just my opinion - that people who try to force Christianity on the world as a macro thing are not true Christians. They are acting out of hatred and not love. <br><br><br>So I don't think that is an indictment of the religion, but of the people. <br><br><br>I think secularism is also a macro thing, and that secularists also try to force their beliefs on the world and are acting out of hatred for Christians and not love for the world. <br><br><br>I can't change my view because I think Christians who are acting out of love for people are a positive force in society - as long as they respect people's freedom to make their own choices and decisions. <br><br><br>Robertogario5 - I think that it is interesting that people who are religious typically don't use "secularism" as a catch-all phrase. Secularism is "the principle of separation of government institutions and persons mandated to represent the state from religious institutions and religious dignitaries". <br><br><br>So secularism is an incredibly important and beneficial part of society, and I think people who attack the "secular agenda" are acting out of bad faith and hatred. <br><br><br>Most people want to live in a secular society where their government doesn't impose a religion on them.