LISTEN UP!
everyone has different views about religion. I don't believe in religion myself.
but humans need religion as much as they need LOVE,family and a feeling of security.
humans need leaders to guide them,to assure them that they have a place in the
world and in the world beyond. they need something that will love them and be with
them no matter what.every one needs a place to run to or somebody to run to
when the world no longer seems to be a beautiful place.everyone needs to feel
that when everything goes wrong in their life they have someone to turn to.

religion and god provides them with all this and much more. that is why religion is good.

and remember that without religion in this world it would be in total chaos.

i'd like to hear comments about my post.

I actually consider those who NEED religion as week. I haven't had a need for any of what you say people need religion for in over 10 years.

Sure, now - I do feel that practicing religion helps people to magically deal with life's stresses.

All religion have to have some good lessons or morales as a matter of maintainablility (they'd get fewer members if they were proclaiming that somebody like D.H.Lawrence was speaking the words of god). The beliefs that the lessons are based on is what I have problems with - usually intrepreted stories.

Religion is not good if you ask me. It is the cause of most wars - and that's a fact. Whenever there are two large groups who believe in slightly different things they grow this thing called hatred (look at Israel and Lebanon or Syria).

What people should really deal with is reality. I hope that they discover life on Mars - soon. But, then they will claim that the Bible stated that God created the universe - and therefore, life on Mars... but it does say "... all the creatures of this land...." Those books written 2000 years ago can NOT be relevant today.

Religions should not be distinctly taught to our children - we should either teach them ALL religions or NO religions. If everybody understood each other, there'd be no reason for border-wars.

I can't see getting offended or so worked up over a BELIEF! Why do people become fanatics of their religion - I am not just talking about islamic fanatics (like Bush recently titles them "Islamo Fascists")? The promise of things that can't possibly be true drives people to amazing ends -- for example: "eternal life", or "72 virgins".... hmmmm - who wouldn't want 72 virgins when they die? Of course it is complete BS! Nobody could ever prove any of these descriptions of the after-life!

Now, to say that there will be complete chaos without religion is to assume too much. Without religion, we could devote more of out time talking to our neighbors (who were previously going to some other religious meetings). Without religion, we wouldn't have any more need for border wars - right? If there really is no after-life, we better make this life good and peaceful, right? Would greed take over? I am sure that some would stop caring about the immoralities of their crimes and - for some, it would be more chaotic.... but I don't believe for a second that the whole world would drop into chaos. My friends are mostly athiests as well - and we are so peaceful, you would think that we were each regular members at our sunday church.

I recently recorded a podcast on this subject. Feel free to listen and let me know what you think.
Click below to listen.

Well, if there is nothing called religion, then earth would probably be in shatters.. It is probably religion that keep people stick to their conscience and obey their mind... If there is no religion, man would lose fear. Once he loses fear of the unknown, then he might indulge in all possible things. So it is better to have a religion regardless of the truth lying behind it. Religions also hep man celebrate various festivities which would obviously help people to ease off their worry ,...etc., Anyway, i would say religion is a necessary "GOOD"

As TechClave said, people need a relligion so they can grab themselfs to it, so they don't lose they're way and so they know what's Good and Bad in life....

I'm Christian, and I believe that Christianity is more than just a religion. All other (or most other, anyways) say that you have to work your way to heaven. Christianity says to put your faith in Jesus, because we can never earn our way to heaven by ourselves. There's joy in that because I'm sure that I'm going to heaven. Plus, I always have someone to talk to, and to cast my troubles on. I have connections with the creator of the universe!!

Speaking from a sort-of secular point of view, I think religion is good because it encourages people to do good. But as people above have mentioned, some wars are started because of different religions. But, it's not religion that causes wars; it's our own human flaws. Humans decide that they don't like each other because we have different beliefs, and therefore, they want to start a war. Religion alone does not start wars.

I think that we should teach our children about our religion, and apply it to our daily lives, but it is also important for them to know about other religions as well. We shouldn't force it on them, but instead show them how one should live it out.

It's that view I don't agree with though, Pixie. It puts too much emphasis on the fact that humanity can't do anything by themselves, and leads us, as humans, to view ourselves as inferior - as well as making other religions, like my own (Hinduism), appear inferior because "there's only ONE (count 'em!) path to heaven!"

It also leaves room for people who are genuinly bad, but follow Christianity like a trail, to earn a reward where other good people, who weren't offered or didn't find comfort in religion, can't get a similar berth. Lots of inequality in that structure.

Over all, I like to view religion as a rich cultural and literary tradition, rather than an organization of human creation that undermines a human's potential to create a life adequate to said human's goals. As humanity, we have to stop dividing ourselves over religion, and instead focus on the common things we all share. The more we divide ourselves, the less we can agree on a variety of topics that are threatening us now. Who's concerned with the afterlife when our world is essentially melting into itself? I don't know about you, but I'm sick of people waiting around looking for a miracle to tell them what to do. The answer's here - and we have to take care of our world and do our job before we get our "reward".

I don't think that people who need religion are weak. It takes a certain amount of STRENGTH to believe in a god of any kind. You've got people attacking you from all angles. It would seem to me that it would be easier to go through life without thinking about it really at all, ignoring everything people say and believe that it's all just there and that no god exists, especially not the God of heaven.

religion can be a way of getting out of everyday life

most poeple are religous because they either live in that sort of enviroment or their ansestors have been religous and have folowed god

i personly am not religous but have nothing against religions