Anna Jokela

I believe that the answer to the question: "Has religion done more good than bad?" depends on how religion is viewed.
 
In example: I am atheist, but many of my friends are religious; some are stronger in faith than the others. I am good friends with Christians, Mormons and Jews. While we may have very different beliefs religion has never been an issue to us. Religious/non-religious is a very personal thing to us and we all agree that different people think differently - there is no point in blaming, judging and hating. So on personal level, what has religion caused? In the end I think it is +/- situation, nevertheless I can't deny how important it is to some.
 
But when I think of religion on larger scale (schools, government, laws etc.) I can't help but see the bad things it has caused. No, religions should not be banned or discriminated. Religious things just should not have a place in the education system or in the government. Never. Why? Because schools are to teach us critical thinking, history, languages, math & science and religion - in a form of history and culture. Public schools should not follow or judge anyones personal beliefs (I know absolutely nothing about the education system outside Scandinavia, I'm sorry if I am speaking rubbish here =P). On larger scale religion should never justify any decision. It is reason & logic. Science is pretty good at that.
 
Has religion done only bad things on larger scale? Nope. Churches help homeless people, collect money to help children in Africa and offer consolation. Conclusion? Religion in itself may not be bad or good - it is the people who do good and bad things. Good people would do good things no matter what did they belive and the same goes for the bad people.
 
And lastly about the same-sex marriage. Even here in Scandinavia (relatively non-religious countries) people who stand against it often justify it because religion x says y. I have personally never understood why people do that. Here no one is forcing any church to do anything. Marriage in here has nothing to do with religion if you don't especially want to have religious weddings. So I am all for same-sex marriage. I have never heard a single good or even decent argument against it and I'll most likely never will.
 
Thank you for reading and sorry for all the typos and grammar mistakes I did =P
I wrote this on my phone and I am far from a native speaker.

I believe that the answer to the question: "Has religion done more good than bad?" depends on how religion is viewed.
 
In example: I am atheist, but many of my friends are religious; some are stronger in faith than the others. I am good friends with Christians, Mormons and Jews. While we may have very different beliefs religion has never been an issue to us. Religious/non-religious is a very personal thing to us and we all agree that different people think differently - there is no point in blaming, judging and hating. So on personal level, what has religion caused? In the end I think it is +/- situation, nevertheless I can't deny how important it is to some.
 
But when I think of religion on larger scale (schools, government, laws etc.) I can't help but see the bad things it has caused. No, religions should not be banned or discriminated. Religious things just should not have a place in the education system or in the government. Never. Why? Because schools are to teach us critical thinking, history, languages, math & science and religion - in a form of history and culture. Public schools should not follow or judge anyones personal beliefs (I know absolutely nothing about the education system outside Scandinavia, I'm sorry if I am speaking rubbish here =P). On larger scale religion should never justify any decision. It is reason & logic. Science is pretty good at that.
 
Has religion done only bad things on larger scale? Nope. Churches help homeless people, collect money to help children in Africa and offer consolation. Conclusion? Religion in itself may not be bad or good - it is the people who do good and bad things. Good people would do good things no matter what did they belive and the same goes for the bad people.
 
And lastly about the same-sex marriage. Even here in Scandinavia (relatively non-religious countries) people who stand against it often justify it because religion x says y. I have personally never understood why people do that. Here no one is forcing any church to do anything. Marriage in here has nothing to do with religion if you don't especially want to have religious weddings. So I am all for same-sex marriage. I have never heard a single good or even decent argument against it and I'll most likely never will.
 
Thank you for reading and sorry for all the typos and grammar mistakes I did =P
I wrote this on my phone and I am far from a native speaker.