• BananaLama@lemmy.ml
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    2 days ago

    Religions do call for a lot of violence don’t get me wrong. I’d even make the claim that most evil acts that we attribute to religion tend to have it as a pretense. The crusades for instance each had a main goal that was there independent of religion.

    But then you have the good that religions mandate. Sikhism with IRS community meals for instance. Zakat in Islam is another good example.

    • Soggy@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Antisemitism doesn’t happen without religion. Think about everything downstream of the Judaism/Christianity/Islam splits. Think about the impact of The Church being the de facto cultural force in Europe for a millennium. Think about how much harder it is to whip a population into supporting your expensive conquest without a Divine Right or Moral Imperative. Sikhism exists because of how shitty life was under Islam and Hinduism in the region, their current “mostly chill” status does not negate the past suffering.

      And in a broader sense, consider how much fraud exists because people are willing to accept claims not backed by evidence. The normalization of magical thinking is probably as harmful as the actual power wielded by entities like the Catholic Church.

      • BananaLama@lemmy.ml
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        1 day ago

        Antisemitism without religion is called racism. And because a corrupt caste of people use religion as a pretext to control and funnel wealth. Doesn’t mean the underlying religion itself calls for that.

        As for having a population supporting conquest independent from religion look at the east India company, both world wars, and many others.

        I’m not saying religious organizations are a benefit or arguing for or against that.

        But how is the world a better place because the banned prayer rooms in universities?

        Whether some of those people follow a good religious leader or not. Their religion generally calls for overall good.

        • Soggy@lemmy.world
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          19 hours ago

          What a religion calls for is almost never what it enables.

          how is the world a better place because the banned prayer rooms in universities?

          I don’t think public funds should support any religion, and I don’t think universities should support unsubstantiated claims.

          • BananaLama@lemmy.ml
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            14 hours ago

            I agree with you on the use of public funds. But a ban goes beyond that.

            And it’s not that the religion enables evil deeds. Evil deeds exist independent of religion. Because some people use it as a thin veil over their actions doesn’t mean it’s the root cause

            • Soggy@lemmy.world
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              4 hours ago

              Because some people use it as a thin veil over their actions doesn’t mean it’s the root cause

              I firmly disagree with this premise, I think religion’s particular mix of social othering and righteous justification are the root of a great deal of evil in the world.