Although religion has helped people, it also seems to be the root of exorbitant amounts of suffering and oppression around the world. The Iraq war is essentially a fight between fundamentalist Christians in Washington and extremist Islamic factions, both of which are oppressive in their own ways. Why should I think of religion in a positive light?
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Name : Caitlin K., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 17, City : Sutter Creek, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : Less than High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, People developed religion to find an infallible being(s) to turn to in times of hardship and war. There may not be a God, but I believe in Him/Her/It to comfort me. Many religions are more of a culture than an absolute belief system.
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Name : Emily25370, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 10, City : Annandale, State : VA Country : United States, Social class : Upper middle class, I think religion can be positive for people who remain open-minded. For many people, religion gives them a sense of self, belonging, purpose, values, and satisfaction. Without it, they might feel lost and depressed, and not stick to any values. This may result in self-destructive and socio-destructive behavior that would probably make the world a more unpleasant place. But, when people are zealots about their religions, they seem to do this anyway.
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Name : Natasha20096, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : biracial, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 22, City : Davis, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, You should think of religion in a positive light because it's not religion that says kill its the people. And sometimes people use religion to suit their personal needs than what it is for the needs of everyone as a whole. Relgion has taught a lot of people to love and respect one another. For that I am grateful. When you see it being used for evil then that is when it's the people that are wrong and not the relgion.
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Name : Covergirl, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : Black/African American, Age : 25, City : Chicago, State : IL Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, If there were no religion, people would just find something else to fight about. Ideology, perhaps, or just plain old greed and power. It's hardly unprecedented to find historical examples of conflict between countries of identical religions (many wars between England and France in the Middle Ages fall into this category) or launched by secular governments (such as the Korean and Vietnam wars). And for the present war, there are other issues such as security and oil. But as for positive things religion has done, there are many examples of cases where religion has motivated people to acts of compassion they would not ordinarily attempt. Ghandi's large-scale application of 'turn the other cheek' is an excellent example, as were the non-violent protests of Martin Luther King Jr. Religion has also motivated people to take action against poverty and suffering. For example, until recently, Christian missionaries were about the only ones in many places who would take care of those suffering from leprosy. There are many emotions in humans that can provoke conflict and fighting. But truly selfless behavior comes from a belief in something bigger than yourself, which is usually (not always, I'll admit) learned from religion.
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Name : Matt-Cramer21999, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 26, City : Oxford, State : GA Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Well... the war has little or nothing to do with religion, more like the tearing down of a regime and subsequent unrest. The terrorists killing people in Iraq now aren't really fighting or Islam, they just say they are to give themselves a divine excuse to kill and further their own malicious agendas. Many people have exploited peace-teaching religions to render the result they desire, be it power, fame or destruction, but that doesn't make the religion itself bad. Religious causes do all sorts of good things, like provide humanitary aid to remote parts of the world through missionary work or in their own neighborhoods. It's really the kind of people behind the religion, not the religion itself. If we didn't have religion those same people would use something else to justify their actions.
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Name : Zac, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 19, City : Ripon, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Becouse if you dont I will kill you. That is the Christian way of dealing with problems, always has, always will.
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Name : F-Rizzo, City : Detroit, State : MI Country : United States, Being of or believing in a certain religion does not mean that one will always adhere perfectly to that religion's ideals. In fact, the premise of most religions is that humans are imperfect, and must strive to reach perfection (as defined by a particular belief system) by following their religion. In short: humans are not perfect, but religion holds up an ideal of how we should try to act and think in order to be good people and have positive effects on others. Because of human imperfection, we all fall short of these ideals, some of us in very public and far-reaching ways. The religion itself is not necesarily to blame, but the imperfect adherants who commit hurtful acts. For instance: Christianity is not to blame for the atrocities of the Crusades, but the specific, individual Christians who mistakenly believed that they were right to commit those atrocities. Similarly, Islam is not to blame for the 9/11 attacks, but specific people claiming Islam as their religion and falling short of its peaceful ideals. Hope this helps.
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Name : J-French21273, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 24, City : Houston, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : unemployed, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, Unless ye be born again ye shall not see the gates of heaven.
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Name : Jesus-Christ, City : Paradise, State : NA Country : Egypt, Great question Caitlin. When I was your age I was labled as being 'very religious'. I was not though. I had a participated in a 'spiritual path' that took it's guidance from 'religious' texts and traditions. I had 'religious' experiences but never joined a 'religion'. Religion is more a social distinction in the world today than it is a signifier of one's 'personal beliefs'. What people call 'God' is out there (or in 'here') but you don't have to belong to a religion to experience 'it'. Hope this helps you some.
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Name : Daryl B., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 46, City : San Ramon, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, You've pretty much gotten it right. Going to war over religion is the same as fighting over who has the best imaginary friend.
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Name : Kevin26501, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, City : Kansas City, State : MO Country : United States, Social class : Lower middle class, While you are in no way obligated to think of religion in a positive light, there are some benefits to religion that make it difficult (at least for me) to label it completely negative. The text of (at least most) religions promotes love, and while there are those who do terrible things in the name of religion, there are also wonderful people who do good things in the name of religion. For instance, a large amount of charity organizations are run by religious groups. Also, religion promotes a feeling of community and allows people to feel safer when confronted with the idea of death. Whether or not that religion is right in their belief in the afterlife, it seems to me that anything that makes an elderly person feel better before they die isn't that bad.
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Name : Becca-G, City : New Orleans, State : LA Country : United States, There are many who take this view but I've never fully bought it as a genuine response. Any faith doesn't magically change a person and an angry, murderous coward who accepts Christ or Islam or Budha becomes an angry, murderous, cowardly Christian, Muslim or Budhist unless they actively persue the change their faith offers by practice and discipline. Christianity is only involved in this particular war as it pertains to Islam. Did Americans Christians somehow provoke the attack? Christians responded in a very Christian way early on, praying, healing and helping but that changed as it became apparent that our enemy sought our destruction because of what we believed. Islam, at least the brand tragically imported here to the USA may be an exception as I have read an admonition in the Koran to murder anyone not of their faith. The two houses of Islam are the house of Islam and the house of war. Maybe someone else can respond that has a little better understanding. Religion becomes a focus of so much conflict because it is one of the very few things that we cannot bend on and still retain. If you are willing to allow your morals or your principles to be compromised in order to keep the peace, then peace means more to you than your principles and morals. When those morals and principles are believed to come from God or Allah or whomever, you choose to believe or to have peace when conflict comes.
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Name : Doug25659, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Methodist, Age : 24, City : Columbia, State : SC Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, I agree with you 100% in your assessment of the Iraq war. However, I don't think you can use that mess to determine the value of religion in general. Why not look at religious leaders whose faith has led them to heroism and acts of reform? What about Mother Theresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, etc.? Religion in the wrong hands can cause horrible damage, but only because it's such a powerful force. All, or almost all, human beings feel a yearning for spirituality; it's just that most of us don't channel it properly.
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Name : Karen A., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Lesbian, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 37, City : Columbia, State : SC Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, From what I've learned from historical events and simple human interaction, religion is just one of many things people fight about. If religion was totally abolished overnight, people would continue to fight over race, territory, cultural differences, wealth, personal opinion and doubtlessly other things as well. Religion is no more the source of fighting than clay or paint is the source of art. It is merely a medium through which this aggressive impulse is expressed. If you consider this, and then consider the fact that religion also spurs many people towards acts of charity, gives them solace in times of crisis, helps them examine themselves on a deep, meaningful level, and causes them to act more kindly towards others, you must admit that, (at least,) religion has it's upsides.
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Name : Lefto, Gender : F, Age : 18, City : Mt Prospect, State : IL Country : United States, 
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