What is your basic definition of religion? She puts it this way: “It is simply belief in something greater, in something beyond us that we cannot explain or control.” But religion isn't all there is to it. This is more simply theism in general. Religion is much more complex and, for the reasons stated above in the other comments, can lead to the use of religion for both good and evil. I think we need to separate the argument for theism from the argument for religion. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Let's start with theism: no matter what philosophical arguments people try to make, there is no way to actually prove God. Of course, there is no way to disprove God either. But this is why any such a debate is rather pointless. Belief in God is outside of science because there is no way to test the theory of God, the main foundation on which science is built. Scientists propose a theory and then perform experiments whose results may disprove the theory or remain within its confines, thus allowing it to survive another day. It is only through this systematic understanding of the world that we can hope to continue technological and intellectual progress (this is not to say that art, social sciences, humanities, etc. do not also help promote intellectual progress). But science is fundamental to intellectual progress. the progress of society. Faith in God is not.) Therefore, any discussion of whether God exists or not should be left to the individual who has their own opinions. As a scientist who grew up Jewish and has discussed spirituality with others a lot, my belief in God fluctuates greatly and is extremely abstract – imagine something that exists outside of physical laws, which is therefore never comprehensible to humans. If we can figure out if there is life after death, who knows? In any case, my beliefs about God may shape my personality to some extent, but I don't impose those beliefs on anyone else or use them to really guide my life. Now, religion is a whole other matter. Religion is based on belief in a God and what God has dictated to his chosen people or humanity in general. It is generally based on certain moral principles and principles that guide how one should live their life. This religion usually comes with a set of stories that support their moral positions and also comes with practices based on these stories and/or that reinforce moral values. In this sense, religion is nothing more than morals and values ​​to live by, but a person psychologically desires some further justification for believing what he believes or even just a reason to live. Hence the supernatural being and the stories that justify moral beliefs. Hence the fundamental idea of ​​"faith". It allows us psychologically to manage stressful situations, to hope that things will work out and perhaps gives us the strength to move forward. I can understand many people's problems with religion. The issue is more about organized religion than individual moral and theistic beliefs. Anyone looking at a basic history textbook would notice that organized religion has been used to systematically and unsystematically target numerous groups throughout history. It has led to inequality before the law, punishment and even genocide. Therefore, most atheists who fear religion, fear organized religion, and for good reason, if history is any indication. It's one thing to have a set of moral values ​​and have it in your headindividual justification that some higher power approves of these values ​​or is working in some way in our physical world to defend them. It's another to want to impose these values ​​on others, which usually stems from some aspect of their religion advocating such imposition or proselytizing. It is yet another thing for one's religion to discriminate against different groups, defining some as inferior and others as superior and, starting from this justification, implementing policies that make such discrimination law. Let's now talk about a specific topic where theism and religion intersect: Does God or some supernatural being interfere in the universe? Given the systematic scientific understanding of the universe, it does not appear that God plays any role in interfering in the present. You can argue that he may have set things in motion in the first place, but whether that's the case or not shouldn't dictate a precise moral framework to your being. Likewise, if you believe that the things that happen now happen because of how God planned them in the beginning, again that should not affect your moral structure since God who brought the universe into existence does not affect the way where you live your daily life. (This also calls into question questions of free will, which are too complicated to discuss here, but shows the problems with thinking that God somehow affects present life one way or another.) The most important moral problem in believing that God has espoused a specific moral framework is how can you say that your belief is right and someone else's is not? Since God exists outside of our physical reality, there is no way to know what he really wanted (those who believe the Bible is the will of God will have to contend with numerous other works believed to be the will of God – this leads too many contradictions). This is why atheists make these arguments against religion. For generations people have used God's name to justify things, resulting in bloodshed after bloodshed. And anyone who continues to use the name of God to justify their arguments seems to have ignored enlightenment and scientific progress. Morality is obviously a good thing, but God's will is not necessary to justify the golden rule. Moral beliefs can exist without belief in God or religion. Religion began as a way to explain the world and also as a way to justify a moral framework and even a government. But science has prevailed over religion as a way to explain the world, at least to the extent that any explanation that has relevance to most of life (as I argued earlier, belief in God's possible intervention should not alter the moral structure someone or destroy trust in science) ). We now also have secular laws based on morality and fundamental rights that we believe all human beings should have. Some of them may originally derive from the morality of religions, but they may exist independently of religion. For example, the Golden Rule makes perfect sense even without a higher power than somehow expecting you to follow it. Given everything discussed in this essay, I see two main purposes for religion: Keep in mind: This is just one example. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get a custom essayCommunity. Human beings like to feel part of a community that is not just humanity as a whole. We do this through family ties, friendships, and the clubs we join. Organized religion is no different in this respect (Judaism, which has a significant ethnic and cultural component, is more difficult to.