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@**caution**opinion_ahead wrote:

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@lambsy_uk wrote:

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This suggests that religion could be the only thing stopping many from riding rough-shod over others! This would suggest that religious people are not very nice people, only remaining righteous because of promises of future gain!

 

I know plenty on non religious people who do not feel the need to grab all they can at the expense of others, myself for one!

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Well, religion encourages (requires even) a fairly low level of moral development.  If you need fear of retribution by a god to keep you on the straight and narrow, you are stuck in a childlike state.

 

Atheists develop their own checks and balances rather than depend on supernatural belief.  (Some fail, obviously, just as some religious people don't find the fear of a god enough to suppress selfish behaviour.)

 

Now, say there was suddenly no religion throughout the world.  That would "free" a massive number of people from the constraints they currently operate under.  Would they all, therefore, ride roughshod over others?  No.  But a proportion might be a whole lot less content with their present resources, having lost the promise of an afterlife to even things out and compensate them for earthly suffering or lack.

 

Humans need group networks.  Religion provides a unifying force for individuals across the world.  Remove it and you would get other groupings - tribal, ethnic, whatever.  You would still get conflict between the groups as resources (wealth, land, status, power) are always limited.

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Beer drinkers would be a better grouping in my opinion!