A number of people in these threads have said that religion is a crutch! I would like for them to expand on that theory.

For the sake of argument let us say that it is true. So, what is wrong with a crutch if you need one? Would you oppose a man with a broken leg because he used crutches? What if he were to lose that leg. Would you find him weak because he now has to use some "artificial" means of locomotion? No, you would not. Perhaps you might even admire him for his skill at using them and for the fact that he understood these "crutches" were needed.

Perhaps you are like a friend of mine who, as he downed his fifth whiskey, thundered, "I don't need any religion or anything else to get through life. I stand on my own!" He does not see that the whiskey is his crutch. (After a few more he can't stand at all!)

We all have our crutches, some are useful some not but we all have them. What is wrong with religion as a crutch? The storms of life cam batter us about very badly. If a man seeks safe harbour in religion should he not be admired?

Let me hear your views.

I would love to see a nation without a Godly religion or none at all.

Almost immediatley Haiti and Africa come to mind.

Without a religion or Godly religion we are wild animals.

There would be completely senseless killings.
There would be beastiality.
There would be rape.

Just look at the wrongs that go on today,
now imagine if all those people who try to govern
themselves based on religion, were to give it up?
Imagine if the lawmakers saw no need to base their
constitutions on religion.

I feel utter chaos would result.

If we don't have to be accountable to God one day,
why would we even need laws? you could just do as
you pleased.

I would love to see a nation without a Godly religion or none at all.
The only nation that I can think of that had no God was the old USSR.

Officially, China has no God. It is a Communist state.

Buddhist nations have a religion but generally speaking Buddhist do not recognize a God, or perhaps it is better to say, the need of one?

Almost immediatley Haiti and Africa come to mind.
Africa is teaming with Gods! They are all over the place. Haiti has a number as well.

Without a religion or Godly religion we are wild animals.
I would question that!

There would be completely senseless killings.
There would be beastiality.
There would be rape.
As there is now?

Just look at the wrongs that go on today,
now imagine if all those people who try to govern
themselves based on religion, were to give it up?
Imagine if the lawmakers saw no need to base their
constitutions on religion.
Most of them don't, or at least say they don't.

I feel utter chaos would result.
Perhaps, or perhaps not!

If we don't have to be accountable to God one day,
why would we even need laws? you could just do as
you pleased.
There is more than God to be accountable to. There is ones fellow beings with whom we should live in harmony. One should do this, not because there is a God watching over us but because it is the best, and only way to run a civilization that does not consume itself.

Laws of behavior spring from the human heart, God or no God. Why, even the wild animals have laws that govern their behavior - who eats first, who leads the herd, where one falls in the "pecking order" so on and so on. You should read some of Jane Goodall's work with Chimpanzees. You will soon see, as she did, that they have a very strict structure of "laws."

yes, religion is a crutch. But that does not automatically make it a bad thing. As long as you dont attempt to attack others with it. Some people turn to fitness to keep thier sanity, others write, some turn to relgion, some write computer programs all day. We all have what works for us. And haiti and africa do have thiestic religion(s) so what you are in fact tryin to say is that any religion that is not christian will result in chaos...but you are looking at africa as a whole. africa is a continent made up of different countries and not all of them are engaged in strife.

I would love to see a nation without a Godly religion or none at all.

Almost immediatley Haiti and Africa come to mind.

Without a religion or Godly religion we are wild animals.

There would be completely senseless killings. You mean like the senseless killings done by Christians. HHHhhmmm.
There would be beastiality.
There would be rape.
Using peoples ignorance to create fear is the oldest trick in the book. You know whats happening people aren't so ignorant any more so it does not work as well. Either that or you are very misguided or ignorant. You who dose not know of all the gods and religions in Africa and Haiti.
Just look at the wrongs that go on today,
now imagine if all those people who try to govern
themselves based on religion, were to give it up?
The world might be a better place. Look at all the trouble religion has caused mankind. "my way is right. no my why is right. you both got it wrong my way is right. to the victor gose the writings of history.
The golden rule: He who has the gold makes the rules.
Imagine if the lawmakers saw no need to base their
constitutions on religion.

I feel utter chaos would result.

If we don't have to be accountable to God one day,
why would we even need laws? you could just do as
you pleased.

The law of man is very different from the law of the Creator. Why?
Because there are many versions of the law of the Creator.

Before posts start straying from the topic, let me just get my point in. I understand that people have crutches that help them deal with life's struggles and religion is one of them. However, the question of whether or not I would admire them is what makes me think. I came to this conclusion, I don't admire people who use religion as a crutch, especially when you think of how sometimes people beat others across their heads with their crutches :-) because sometimes when they do something wrong, or something bad happens, they tend to blame it on their "crutch". When they alienate people and discriminate people, they blame their religious "crutch", when they abuse their wife/children, they blame it on their alcoholic "crutch". A crutch may be something that helps you if you have a disablility, or a struggle to go through. A religion cannot be your crutch, alcohol cannot be your crutch, drugs cannot be your crutch. People may not believe it but following a religion is as much of a struggle as alcoholism or drug abuse, or life itself. Sometimes it gets difficult, and to stick with it or get through it, you need a "crutch". So how can religion be your "crutch" in dealing with religion? It can't. Now a pastor can be your crutch, who helps you in committing to your religion, a rehabilitation centre may be your crutch against drug or alcohol addiction. Friends and family can be your "crutches" in supporting you in reaching your goals in life. They are "crutches", not religion in the sense that you are talking about. Even your belief that when your life is over you will see God and be with him in heaven can be your "crutch" in life, to push forward and be a good person in everything that you do. Now that is what I admire. People who try to live good lives everyday, because to see the reward of a smiling face, or see someone's life change for the better because of how they helped them; To have the joy they get in return from their good deeds be their "crutch" is what I admire. And that is what is my crutch everyday. To see how I can help someone, make them happy, and to know that in my belief my God is happy.....that is my crutch that keeps me going.

Maybe we don't need religion.

Perhaps we just do as we please as long as we don't harm anyone in the process as Vicky suggests.

NOT!

Religions are created to be guides that lead humans to righteousness,
why is it ok to follow the desires of your flesh and nobody has any problem with it?

Why is it that there is always someone to pop up and say hey doing as we please is destructive? Because doing as you please, even if does not harm anyone physically, is still destructive.

Many things that seem harmless often kill people in the long run. Let's not live for the day, while destroying our future and the earth along with it. If we all lived for the day, there would be no need for wisdom and books and history.
Just do as you please, you aren't hurting anyone, until one day we wake up and there is no ozone layer, and all the animals are extinct, and everyone has sexually transmitted diseases from all the 'loving' one another that will be going on.

Too much of anything tends to be a bad thing, humans are not indestructable, and many times we don't see what we have done until
it is much too late.

Righteous religions can never really be bad, they are there to guide us into loving one another and preventing us from killing one another - directly or indirectly.

:lafs: