Is religion necessary or harmful in living a moral life?

Unknown Brain 1594

Religion has not helped me. Only Jesus. Religions do not save men. God saves.

Kasim K 1908

Following religion has both helped and also driven me crazy. Following basic rules helped stop me from promiscuity, alcohol abuse and drug abuse. Following everything made me miserable and made me hate religion. So I now just stick to the basics.

Amanda Ferguson 1282

Personally I think religion can help some people develop their morality but I find it will only get someone so far before the blind faith of religion starts to stifle your morality. Most religions teach honesty, respect for others, charity, etc. however they also create sexism, hypocrites, homophobes, and a we are right you are wrong mentality. Most religious texts were written thousands of years ago, how can one grow morally if they are bound by a moral code thousands of years old?

Leah Tedesco 1701

I am an atheist. I don't need religion to have a sense of morality. I make an effort to do what I think is right because it makes the world a better place, not because of a fear of a god or gods. My conviction is a sign of strength.

Daniel Barron 1612

I grew up as a strong atheist, from atheist and agnostic parents. At some point in my teenage years I began to cultivate an interest in subjects of spiritual nature. This interest has developed into a strong understanding of what it means to be ethical. It seems to me that atheism and theism are both entirely correct. When I hack both mindsets down the the purest essence it seems like the only difference is name.

Maybe you want to say God created the Universe, maybe you want to say nothing created the Universe. What is the difference? God is no one thing. The argument is then, semantics. As long as you strive to be ethical, it doesn't particularly matter if you call it God or if you call it nothing.

What does it mean to be ethical? When I look at the word ethics, I want to break it into two parts: eth- ics. The root eth suggests to me something of ethereal nature, or a spirit. The root ics seems to mean "the way of" or "the work of". So together I interpret the word as "the way of the spirit." So even if you don't consider yourself to be a spiritual person, if you strive to be ethical you share a goal with those who are.

What does spirit mean? The spirit is the eternal. It has no physical form and infinite duration. It complements the body which has a physical form and finite duration. The spirit and body arise of each other and cannot exist without each other. The body is animated by the spirit, the spirit animates the body. Having no physical form, it is shared between all bodies. There is one single spirit for the entire Universe and it animates all bodies therein. The spirit does not give special treatment to any one body. Being infinite, it gives itself completely to all bodies. Having no physical form, it cannot be held, there can be no proof.

The way of the spirit then must mean: the way that favors no one body. To be ethical is to give no special treatment to anybody. To be ethical is to identify with the entire Universe. Being the entire Universe, there is no reason to take from one part of it to give to another. It would be like stunting your left hand to benefit your right. Your spirit is the same spirit everyone shares, your body is the same body everyone shares. To help yourself you must help others. To help others you must help yourself.

It is useful to understand the boundaries of your human body but not to the extreme that you identify with it. Why should I decide that my bedroom is not part of me? Should I take from it to benefit me? I still have to sleep in it! Why should I decide that my country is not part of me? Should I take from it to benefit me? I still have to live there! Why should I decide that you are not part of me? Should I take from you to benefit me? I still have to interact with you!

Some make the argument that there are no ethics. The reasoning is that not everyone will follow this path, so why even expect it, why follow it myself then? The essence of being ethical is being so even if alone. To behave in an ethical manner instantly gives benefit to yourself and those around you. Even if you are the only one now and forever, it is still useful. The truly ethical will be so despite the bad actions of others. They do not expect it from others, expecting is a setup for disappointment. I want others to be ethical for their own good, it is a better way to be, it yields more reward. I do not want them to be ethical for me. I will never assume the world is entirely ethical, I will always use my best judgement. I'm ethical for me!

Make no mistake, there is no such thing as an ethical person. You may behave in accordance with ethics, and you may fall away from that practice. Doing good once does not solidify goodness in you. Never assume someone will remain ethical because they once were. Change is the only constant.

Craig Gesicki 1200

I believe that religious or moral behavior is simply a reaction to your faith. If you believe that there is a God who created and governs all. Who also came, suffered, and died for you personally for your sin. Your good behavior is out of adoration and response to that. Romans 12:1 says, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual (reasonable) act of worship." You live holy or good as you call it, in response to God's mercy. It's not that you do it as to earn favor or gain a reward. You do it out of gratefulness. It's like saying thank you Jesus for all that you have suffered and done for me. In return I am gonna live as unto you, grateful! And then doing good unto others just comes natural. In simple terms relgious behavior I believe, is just our response to such a great gift called salvation. Every day above ground is a gift too. Live gratefully.

Unknown Brain 1260

Any one can live a good life by being a good person. I learned from religion:
1)that one must accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior, that he died for the remission of your sins. If you accept him as your savior you will go to heaven when you die. He paid the price by shedding his blood and died on the cross.
2) for all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.
3) There was only one perfect person and that was Jesus. He lived as an example of how we should live our lives.

Going to church helps you be around other christians & they help keep you accountable for your actions.

God loves you and accepts you as you are. He forgives us for our short commings (we all have them, even pastors).

Your actions and reactions should be the fruit to bear to show that you are a christian. Kind of like wearing a wedding ring show that you are married.

I would recommend that you visit other churchs & religions. Check them out on the internet too. The Reformation period in Europe was started because Marting Luther a catholic friar question the methods of the Catholic Church. Because of one man questioning the norm many other religions were formed.

Religion is Theology - which is basically means what you think.

I would also suggest that you read your Bible from cover to cover, both new and old testament. Find out for yourself by studing scriptures.
Knowledge is power.

Charlie Mann 1402

Without a greater or eternal purpose, morals are not that significant. As we all are here for a brief time and then 'lights out', what does it matter whether our life was moral, immoral, pleasant, productive, helpful, painful, whatever? If you help someone and it makes you feel good about yourself, great, but that is not morality, it is just another form of hedonism, feeding your own needs. The closest logical equivalent (and this is highly debatable) is a set of social rules that serve for the highest collective enjoyment of life.
Morality, by definition, requires something greater than a contract that says, 'I won't hurt you if you don't hurt me.' It is an invariant related to some behavior or value regardless of gain/loss or circumstance. Whether this is based on service to a God or becoming in tune with a universal force, going beyond what directly benefits you is illogical without some life-guiding concept (religion). What that concept is varies greatly and many who claim to adhere to some moral religion are either creating artificial rules to make others conform to what they want or they are those conforming to someone else's image. But still, even those are putting some set of standards ahead of rational responses to life events or needs.
Of course, there are those who will argue that even religion is merely a way to fill a need, so the acceptance of a defined morality is still just a hedonistic act and morals don't exist at all.

Unknown Brain New Brain

Here is my background and view:

I was brought up in the belief of God. I still believe in God. But, unlike your upbringing, I was not taught that I had to live a good life, could not sin, or that I should live in fear of eternal damnation. On the contrary, I was taught along the basis of John 3:16 : For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whosoever believes in him, shall not parish, but have eternal life.

It is silly to think that someone can "earn" their way into heaven or to believe that you have to live some sort of "perfect" life to get there. Bottom line, on a religious basis, God knows what is in your heart and what your intentions are or were at the time you did whatever and however you live. So, you attempt to be a "good" person out of your love for God and NOT to earn your way to heaven or because you are scared that if you don't, you will be punished and sentenced to eternal damnation. I believe you should ask for forgiveness for your sins to God, through Jesus' sacrifice and to Him alone. It is no one else's business.

Quite frankly, I am a decent person because I want to be. In other words, most of time, I have good intentions, but I don't strive to be perfect or really care too much about what other people think. Unfortunately, there really are too many religions out there that basically teach scare tactics to get you to be "good" and you have all these ridiculious rules they want you to live by, with the "scare" that if you don't, you will not be "saved." I went to one church that taught that you could not listen to rock music because rock music has drums in it and drums are the "devil's beat." Silly!! The point I am making is that many people think they have to put on a moral "show" to others, remove themselves from other "sinners" and strive to be perfect because their church misteaches them so. Hmmmm...didn't Jesus hang around the sinners? Could it be because not one person is perfect and not one person can or could ever save themselves? Quite simply, Jesus is the Savior, not you or me and without his sacrifice, no one is saved. So you can never earn God's love or favor.

So, those are my beliefs and thoughts on religion. Many religions DO make people believe they HAVE to live great, moral lives...and you are right to want to be a good person and live a good life...just because. You shouldn't do anything out of fear (in a religious context) because it is why you do something that counts..because that accounts for errors and removes unnecessary pressure.

Religion has been a moral guide for me but in the sense that I explained it. I do good because I want to and not to earn anything or out of fear of anything.

Unknown Brain 1892

Nope. I studied religion at one point (attended church), and frankly..... there were some pretty damned immoral people who attended. That's not to defend agnostics, athiests, etc. or to slander religion... But in reality, when you're talking about "morals" or "ethics" or "doing the right thing vs. doing what you know is wrong", it takes ALLLLLLL kinds out there.
People all have different values. Personally, my favorite is the old "golden rule". Treat others as you'd want to be treated. Do on to others as you'd want onto you.

Nobody needs church to learn that. Just a good family and good friends.