is it only me or has religion ruined the world?.

That's really no different to saying "we are stuck with the cancer of men/politicians" - simplistic to the point of absurdity.

Whilst I don't believe that religion plays a big part in starting wars, I definitely don't believe it stops them. Can you name a single instance in the history of humanity in which war or atrocity has been mitigated as a result of religious belief?

"43 Pontiffs brought peace and settled disputes between warring factions. Pope Celestine II (1143-1144) successfully attempted and stopped the war between Scotland and England. Pope Martin IV (1281-1285) strove to unite in the bonds of charity the kings and lords of the time. Pope Innocent VIII (1484-1492) assiduously attempted at bringing peace between Catholic states and did his utmost to repress the slave traffic, also assisting Columbus in his undertakings. Pope Clement VIII (1592-1605) succeeded in pacifying France and Spain and Pope Clement IX (1667-1669) acted as intermediary at the Peace of Aquisgrana for a peace pact between France, Spain, England and Holland. This treaty came to be known as the Clementine Peace."

These are cases where a Pope has acted as a mediator, and is recognised because he's an important person. His religion is peripheral - and I cannot believe played any part in any process of peace.

Just as Reue wants to blame WW1 on religion, this makes no sense. Events which have no basis in spirituality don't become so just because some of the actors had a particular faith.

The sole existence of a pope is only through the existence of Christianity as a religion. His words would not have been listened to if he and the people in those did not believe in Christianity. A mediator of peace is better than doing nothing and to let people go to war.

Pope Clement VIII (1592-1605) succeeded in pacifying France and Spain and Pope Clement IX (1667-1669) acted as intermediary at the Peace of Aquisgrana for a peace pact between France, Spain, England and Holland. This treaty came to be known as the Clementine Peace."

and... ? you said "religion ruined the world" not "monotheism ruined the world"
besides idk if it's just me but idg why Islam gets so much hate
it gave women rights over 1000 years before the women's rights movement.
http://www.islamswomen.com/articles/do_muslim_women_have_rights.php
It gave the woman the right to become a legal party in a marriage contract, gave her rights in marriage, inheritance and divorce. The right to work and keep her income for herself. It prohibited female infanticide as well.

it gave animals rights
"The rights of livestock and animals upon man: these are that he spend on them the provision that their kinds require, even if they have aged or sickened such that no benefit comes from them; that he not burden them beyond what they can bear; that he not put them together with anything by which they would be injured, whether of their own kind or other species, and whether by breaking their bones or butting or wounding; that he slaughters them with kindness when he slaughters them, and neither flay their skins nor break their bones until their bodies have become cold and their lives have passed away; that he not slaughter their young within their sight, but that he isolate them; that he makes comfortable their resting places and watering places; that he puts their males and females together during their mating seasons; that he not discard those which he takes as game; and neither shoots them with anything that breaks their bones nor brings about their destruction by any means that renders their meat unlawful to eat. "
again over 1000 years before the protection of animals acts came out

It gave orphans and widows rights and basically gave a voice to the voiceless, just because GoatF**kers International are dropping bombs on everyone (including Muslims) in the name of the religion doesn't make the religion bad. Just because *****y sexist disgusting culture exists in predominantly Muslim countries doesn't mean Islam is to blame.

Das jus mahpinion tnx 4 reddin xoxoxo <333

Pretty much this.

Lol, I guess they seem to have forgotten that girls were burried alive prior to Islam and Islam stopped that.

Popes have often incited to go to war. (Hint: the Crusades).



The Clementine Peace was an attempt to unify Christianity to better fight the Turks. You don't want to use this example.

Studies have shown that as the world has become secular, the number of people dying in wars per capita has significantly decreased:

https://ourworldindata.org/war-and-peace-long-run

Hmm, you do make a valid point. But tell me, how would the world be without religion? We humans will use any ideology to establish dominance over one another. We find the flaws and manipulate it our own liking. We have done this with all political ideologies. The presence of religion did not make the world a worse place, in an alternate dimension where there is no religion we would have simply exploited another ideology.

I'm not convinced by the nuclear weapons example. Most of the world's nations do not have nuclear weapons. Also, having nuclear weapons (or an ally with nuclear weapons) has not prevented numerous wars, such as the Korean war, the Yom Kippur war, the Iran–Iraq war, the Falklands, the Kosovo war, Russia's incusions into Georgia and the Ukraine, for example. Nuclear weapons aren't a very strong demotivator in such conflicts.

I think that not all religions are the same, some are just spiritual whilst others are also a code of conduct. It is certain that the three religions of the Book have hindered progress.

There would be still wars, of course, but people would be able to live their life without being afraid of sinning.

So, you think those regions were better off ruled as occupied territories of an expansionist empire? That's very colonial of you.
Do you think that India and much of Africa would also be better off under British rule as part of the Empire?

No, I just think they'd be better off if the Western Powers split them up into countries using some form of logic or reason, instead of ending up with messes like the Kurds not getting a country.

Whatever partitions are devised, there will always be somebody with an axe to grind.