Does Believing In God = Being Religious?

[Mulan]

Originally Posted by Rockhound

I believe your "macro" scale is not nearly macro enough. Over the course of history religion has brought the basic tenets of an ordered civilizations: a code of laws, a code of family values, respect for children, the aged, the infirmed, charity, a sense of right and wrong.

Those things did not exist before religion.

Source please? I do believe that the 1/2 million years of human life before Christianity probably had social rules and order. Why wouldn't ancient people have known right from wrong? Why would they have disrespected children or the aged and infirm? You have no evidence (I think, feel free to show me) that modern religious thought did anything but codify common human behavior.

[oirg]

Originally Posted by CubedBee

If religion, or more specifically Christianity, didn't exist would the Renaissance have happened? I have read arguments that much of the western world that we know today owes thanks to the Catholic Church.

Of course western world has been influenced by religion. But I find your implication that religion was a progressive force for intellectual and scientific advancement untenable.

[cubedbee]

Originally Posted by oirg

Of course western world has been influenced by religion. But I find your implication that religion was a progressive force for intellectual and scientific advancement untenable.

It easy to think of science and religion completely separate now. Of course, 400 years ago, when the seeds of modern science were first beginning to sprout, almost all scientists were motivated by religion. But of course this doesn't matter. After all, look at all the scientific accomplishments outside of the Chrisitian world.

[Aaron Brachowitz]

Originally Posted by CubedBee

After all, look at all the scientific accomplishments outside of the Chrisitian world.

Gunpowder!
Pyramid-building
????

[The Diabolical Biz Markie]

Originally Posted by Mulan

Source please? I do believe that the 1/2 million years of human life before Christianity probably had social rules and order. Why wouldn't ancient people have known right from wrong? Why would they have disrespected children or the aged and infirm? You have no evidence (I think, feel free to show me) that modern religious thought did anything but codify common human behavior.

Prior to Christianity, slavery was far more common, and Christianity contributed in a large way to the ending of slavery. Also, Christianity played a large role in defeating soviet communism (although some of you might think that was a bad thing ).

Women's rights are still foreign to many non-Christian countries.

[cubedbee]

Originally Posted by Aaron Brachowitz

Gunpowder!
Pyramid-building
????

The Chinese used gunpowder as a toy. The Europeans realized what gunpowder was really for. The Jews built the pyramids while they were in slavery, so they were still being guided by God

[Aaron Brachowitz]

Throw me a freakin' bone, here!

[The Mad Hatter]

Correlation <> causality.

Modern science and the industrial revolution took place in a part of the world that was dominated by Christianity. But to credit Christianity for this is to display a tremendous ignorance of the history of thought. For example, the renaissance was a reaction to the dark ages. You can credit Christianity for the rensaissance only the extent that Christianity was largely responsible for the dark ages.

Similarly, the reformation played a huge role in the development of what is now called western philosophy, but one can hardly credit the Catholic church for the reformation.

[cubedbee]

Originally Posted by The Mad Hatter

Correlation <> causality.

Modern science and the industrial revolution took place in a part of the world that was dominated by Christianity. But to credit Christianity for this is to display a tremendous ignorance of the history of thought. For example, the renaissance was a reaction to the dark ages. You can credit Christianity for the rensaissance only the extent that Christianity was largely responsible for the dark ages.

Similarly, the reformation played a huge role in the development of what is now called western philosophy, but one can hardly credit the Catholic church for the reformation.

Of course, correlation = causality only when linking the organization you hate with something negative. You are right, Christianity was largely responsible for the dark ages, but had nothing to do with the renassaince. Christainity was largely responstible for [insert a universal evil], but wasn't at all responsible for [insert a universal good]

[oirg]

Originally Posted by Aaron Brachowitz

Gunpowder!
Pyramid-building
????

The foundation for the scientific method was laid by the ancient Greeks - Plato, Aristotle, Archimedes, etc. Throughout history, religious establishment sought to actively hinder true science, and it is still happening today.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/03/opinion/03HERB.html