Would you rather live in a world without religion…or a world without science?

[Saidah]

Doriana wrote: "Saidah wrote: "Doriana wrote: "For me, a world without religion by far. I myself had an unusual upbringing being raised both Jewish and Catholic. Due to this, my religious beliefs were not reinforc..."

I don't believe the world would descend into chaos. After all, chaos is what happens when there are conflicting viewpoints. Even in the absence of religion as long as there are individuals, there would be conflicting viewpoints. Getting rid of religion would not stop wars in my opinion. After all, it is not the religion per se that causes wars but conflicting viewpoints. This happens in science as well. Science involves putting forth hypotheses and testing them but what happens when someone discovers a new aspect? Do you think that everyone would just go, "OK that's the new fact. We will accept that now." No, instead there will be a break between the old and the new theories, for example, like in plate tectonics. It is only because science does not run governments that differences in scientific theories don't lead to full-scale war like differences in religious beliefs do. Which is why most countries are now firmly in favour of a separation between church and state.

[Ken]

@Saidah, no disrespect but your comment makes no sense.

[Saidah]

Ken wrote: "@Saidah, no disrespect but your comment makes no sense."

Which part didn't you understand?

[Ken]

Saidah wrote: "Ken wrote: "@Saidah, no disrespect but your comment makes no sense."

Which part didn't you understand?"

No, instead there will be a break between the old and the new theories, for example, like in plate tectonics.

[Doriana]

@ken I believe Saidah means that once new information comes into light (disprove a theory) the information will be disputed over. If religion is taken out of the equation humans will find supplements (in this case science) to war over.

However, I can’t see tectonic plates or any other scientific discovery that would lead to a full blown war. When we discovered the Earth was round, not flat, it was shocking yes, but I’m fairly certain we didn’t kill each other over it!!

I do not consider instruments of war as a “scientific discovery”. I see for instance, the atomic bomb, as the result of an already ensuing conflict. The atomic bomb is not what you are warring over, the atomic is the instrument used in the war.

In my original post I stated that I did not believe the world would be “fine and dandy” without religion. I realize that there are other factors to war over such as economics, natural resources, etc. I was just stating that it might bridge the gap between cultures. Science however, never crossed my mind in the long list that would inevitably lead to death and destruction.

[Saidah]

Doriana wrote: "@ken I believe Saidah means that once new information comes into light (disprove a theory) the information will be disputed over. If religion is taken out of the equation humans will find supplemen..."

I suppose I was trying to say that factions and groups would still be a part of our lives even if religion doesn't exist. Some of those groups may use scientific discovery as a focus and therefore when conflicting viewpoints arise, if the group is big enough, there might be war. Right now we have other big organisations that we belong to with different beliefs e.g nations, organised religions, ethnic groups etc. In a world with no religions, I was merely positing that schools of scientific theory might become one of those big organisations, perhaps organised into universities.

In my opinion, it is not religion that we fight over, but having different viewpoints. Once a group gets big enough, it would like to have the dominant viewpoint in the area and so there would be war.

[Ken]

In as much as politics and economics are "science," I guess I see your point.

[Monique]

Religion can go.
And in my opinion, animals behave better than humans.

[Jumpj1952]

If you did away with religion, then science would become the new religion.

[Monique]

Jumpj1952 wrote: "If you did away with religion, then science would become the new religion."

For some already, science is religion. But, unlike religion, when new facts come to light, science can adjust accordingly.

[Dean Ryan]

The former. A world without religion means we're all equals. There's no point of arguing who's the better God or who's the better religion groups. Yet, a world without science means death of humanity. There's no room for us to improve.

[Rahul]

Ideally speaking, a religion-free world would be best with science being the true flag-bearer of progress. However, are we certain? Scientific and technological developments have enabled religious differences to become extremely volatile. Now, in a religion-free world, will the same science promote humanity or perhaps find an alternative paradigm to promote disharmony? Eventually, money talks. Perhaps John Lennon was right. The lyrics to Imagine are the true answer to the question.

[david]

it Seems a lot of people think this is an easy choice and pick a world without religion stating how it has caused so many wars e.t.c and how a world without science would cause us to have no knowledge.

But I do not see how Science is any diffrent to Relgion.
Relgion trys to explain why things happen in the world and sugesting some intelligent design that how to be eginered by a higher being and then tell us how we should live and if people dont agree there going to hell.

Science does not use heaven and hell or god to put fear into us but it does do the the exact same. i.e they try to control our diets and lifestyle all the time becauses cience has suddenly shown how we must live (before they change there mind in a few months time) . It also trys to make out that anyone that does not belive what science shows us is stupid and should be ignored

So i fell you can not get rid of one without the other.

[Ken]

Christopher, I'd encourage you to expand your reading list. A good place to start would be Jerry Coyne's Faith vs. Fact.

[SbJ]

It's the same. Please do not leave out philosophy as well.