Examples of good done by religion

[Bruce]

There are plenty of examples of bad things. Sectarian killings, killing of heretics, burning of witches, molestation by priests to name but a few.

 

But there must be examples of good things. After all, some of my good friends are religious and they don't do bad things. On the other hand, they don't do more good things than my non-religious friends.

 

So I need some help here with examples of good things done because of religion.

 

 

[kgwilson]

I have been thinking of this for some time now, at least 10 seconds and can't think of anything.

 

 

[Yenn]

They bless the troops before they get sent to war.

 

They educate the children, so that they always do as they are told and keep quiet when necessary.

 

They run the Worlds greatest insurance scheme. Pay now for a perfect afterlife.

 

They provide endless material for comedians.

 

They provide all the virgins for the jihadists.

 

What more could you want, unless you are a virgin?

 

 

[Geoff13]

^^^They provide all the Jihadists^^^

 

 

[facthunter]

They often make me wonder if they really do believe that stuff or just play it safe and hope it's true so they get an afterlife. When I was church endorsed and involved I really didn't find anything particularly enlightening. You just have to watch what you say or you will offend them and sic their god onto you to give you hell. Nev

 

 

[Geoff13]

IMHO wars or arguments about religion are simply arguments over who has the better imaginary friend.

 

 

[rgmwa]

So I need some help here with examples of good things done because of religion.

Hot cross buns!

 

 

[facthunter]

Loud silence....? There are some good works done by some groups , but the question could be . Are they better done with a religious message attached? Should all churches be tax exempt on profits?. Few parties would be game to remove the tax exempt status, but if the activity is "out there" in the world of commerce generally why should one group be favoured in an essentially competitive situation. When your head is cut off because you don't believe the current "area" favoured nut jobs, dogma, what has to have some human rights aspects that deserve scrutiny. If some can be offended by a few words, how much more offensive is a public execution by beheading. I'm against capital punishment as a principle even though some are to all appearances, unredeemable, in a social context. Nev

 

 

[nomadpete]

Tax the churches?

 

No chance.

 

However, I suspect that since the majority of Australian's are not religious, it follows that the majority (if asked), would probably want taxation to be applied fairly to all profit making sections of the community. Maybe also to the wealthy, and multinational offshore businesses as well as churches.

 

 

[Yenn]

Isn't the Catholic Church an offshore business. The bosses seem to be overseas. I wonder where the shareholders are.

 

 

[willedoo]

I'm not a religious type of person, but in times of loss, I've had a particular Army chaplain, a palliative care hospice chaplain, and a workplace chaplain all provide some very welcome support to myself, a non churchgoer. Sure enough, it's their job, but the compassion they showed was genuine.

 

 

[old man emu]

The Salvos - Christianity with its shirt-sleeves rolled up.

 

 

[Bruce]

I have to agree that a salvo guy I know is wonderful, but I reckon he would do the same stuff without the religion. Of course I can't prove this, but I do know a volunteer-couple who do similar good works and they are not religious.

 

So although it is a good try, I am not convinced that religion is responsible for his good deeds.

 

 

[Marty_d]

I'm well in the atheist camp, but religious organisations do a lot of good around the world. Salvos have been mentioned, St Vincent de Paul, there's many others that get their hands dirty to help out homeless people. AA does good work and I believe that's a religious organisation.

 

We hear of all the bad stuff, and it is terrible - especially when they enable child abuse by priests because they want to protect their "good name" - but there is a lot of good done as well.

 

I don't think that religion is responsible for good works - I think good people do good things, some of them are religious, some aren't.

 

 

[Bruce]

The USA is the most religious nation in the world I think, and it also has the worst poverty of any first-world country as as noticed by visitors. So if religious organizations help those in poverty, how can this be so?

 

 

[facthunter]

Because their real god is MONEY. God want's you to be rich. Where does it say that? You cannot serve God and mammon and it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God, seem to say the opposite. . Nev

 

 

[Yenn]

Don't forget that what religious leaders say and what they do are often at opposite ends of the spectrum. I have a soft spot for the salvos, due to my army time in the UK, but they never pushed religion and always treated everyone the same.

 

 

[Old Koreelah]

Religious faith sometimes brings out the best in people.

 

During the Battle of Isurava Australian troops were defending a fortified position from waves of determined Japanese assaults. At the height of the conflict an Aussie padre walked up over the parapet with a shovel over his shoulder. He made his way thu the carnage to a fallen Austalian and proceeded to dig a grave.

 

After a short ceremony he buried the digger.

 

The Japanese held their fire until he had made his way back up over the barricades.

 

 

[spacesailor]

The religious of old, were the scribes, and as such put their slant on history.

 

spacesailor

 

 

[Bruce]

In WW1, 1915, there were Christmas celebrations on the western front. I guess you could see this as a good done by religion. But alas as a whole, WW1 had real atrocities like recruiting from the pulpits, to darken the reputation of religion.

 

What on earth were the religious leaders thinking of in those days?

 

 

[Yenn]

Bruce. To answer your question, they were thinking just the same as always to control the hordes, and also to get their hands on little kids to satisfy their lack of morals.

 

 

[Bruce]

People were more religious in 1914 than they are now. I reckon the combined churches, united and angry on the issue, could have finished the war before it even started properly. Alas they failed this test so miserably that they should have admitted they had no merit or truth in any of their stuff.

 

What they did is help set the world up for Stalin and Hitler.

 

 

[facthunter]

No Religion has the right to say that someone else's beliefs are less legitimate than their special one they have been indoctrinated with. I don't subscribe to the concept that you are necessarily any better person by being religious. I've met plenty of gentle atheists who are really much nicer than some who profess to know god . The latest accusation is that the non believers Ungodly or pagan of despised of Allah are making life hard for christians particularly. Bit precious I reckon. Don't do to me what you wouldn't like ME to do to YOU is a good start. Of course some do good charity and welfare work but many others who profess to know the creator closely behave abominably using his name towards their fellow human being and always have through history. Nev

 

 

[Bruce]

Well said Nev, but there is an area where some beliefs are clearly worse than others, and that is where they conflict with science or geography or common sense.

 

For example, the belief that all disease is cause by ungodliness and therefore the way to cure it is to be more godly.

 

Another example being that the moon is the shield of a god who tossed it into the sky. This sure would have surprised that Libelle owner Neil Armstrong.

 

Another area is if the religion exhorts the believers to do nasty things to the rest of us, but you have covered that. I think some religions, like Buddhism, are better than the middle-eastern ones in this regard.

 

 

[facthunter]

Those Americans never went to the moon. Everyone knows, to leave the earth, you must pass over Mecca and they didn't do that so it's made up. This was stated by an Airline pilot of an airline that comes here. Nev