What If?

[Grandpappy]

What would the world be like if 'Religion' had never been invented?
I've got all day;so 'fill your boots'!

[ummmm]

We'd have the freedom to draw cartoons of whoever we chose.

[RATTER15]

The world wouldn't be full of deluded and brainwashed people and our children would be lied to about such things.
Yes there would still be wars, but not as many.

[RATTER15]

^ wouldn't

[ummmm]

It would be nice to think that the world would be peaceful without religion. Very unlikely though.

You only have to look at neighbours that fight for years over a foot of land.

[sandyRoe]

Wars are rarely only about religion. If id didn't exist people would find other things to fight over.

[naomi24]

Without religion the turmoil in the Middle East wouldn’t be happening. Imagine, no Jews, no Christians, no Muslims. Just people. It speaks for itself.

[sandyRoe]

The Saudis and the Iranians would still be jockeying for position of regional superpower, religion or no.
In WW1 there were Christians on both sides in the slaughter. And during the Cold War religion played no part.

[weecalf]

Religion was I think mans gift to God seemed a good idea at the time but like everything else it's wrongly used and claimed by those who have their own agenda .a bit like television now ruined by soap. Reality. Talent shows

[naomi24]

//The Saudis and the Iranians would still be jockeying for position of regional superpower, religion or no. //

Highly debateable. Saudi is Sunni, Iran Shia. Disputes go far deeper than politics.

[woofgang]

I suspect that the people who use religion for their own power hungry and controlling ends would have latched onto something else instead.

[atalanta]

I have an awful feeling that Bach would not have been able to make a living writing glorious music without the money people were prepared to pay for religious music.

[Grandpappy]

Yes Atlanta.But if there was no religion then Bach wouldn't have had anything to write about? He could have written about air and gstrings.

[tonyav]

There would be no need for trojan horse investigations.
http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/birmingham-headteachers-say-they-are-subject-to-campaign-of-intimidation/ar-BBj7uxd

[mikey4444]

Religion is all about power, not belief.

All religions have been invented, since the dawn of time, and religion is primarily designed to give a small minority power and influence over the majority. In the Middle Ages it was the monks that could read and write, which gave then an enormous advantage over everybody else.

Religions are still being invented....look at Scientology ! Plainly a lot of ludicrous drivel but people are still being taken in.

I despair !

[naomi24]

Mikey, //Religion is all about power, not belief. //

For the leaders that’s often true. However, for the overwhelming majority of adherents it isn’t. It’s all about faith.

[cazzz1975]

There would still be wars, it would be just wars about different things, different opinions. power wars.

[mikey4444]

Religions were not invented to give people faith...they were invented to give people power and influence. Power came first and faith followed behind.

Scientology is primarily about the accumulation of vast wealth, for the few at the top....it is, in effect, a giant pyramid scheme. If people choose to believe in this drivel, that's up to them, but they shouldn't hide their gullibility and credulity behind "faith"

[naomi24]

//they shouldn't hide their gullibility and credulity behind "faith"//

The faithful wouldn't agree that they are gullible.

[Retrochic]

Religion was never 'invented'. It evolved as an explanation of natural phenomena by ancient humans ( Thunder,Lightening, etc). Soon it was worked out by a very few that if they pretended to be able to communicate or even control these 'Gods' these individuals could command great power over others and basically , with a few more fairy stories, it has not changed much since neanderthal times .Humans have a default to try and explain their own lives and 'why' we are here. Mainstream religion has been borne out of the want of certain Individuals to gain power by preying on the concerns about what happens when we die and the concept of Heaven and Hell is man made. To answer your question: If Religion had not got into the hands of the wrong people we would probably all be peaceful individual Pagans,but Humans are both Territorial and Tribal so maybe we would be having 'silicon' wars between AT&T and Apple to see who could create the first virtual 'Heaven'.

[mikey4444]

Of course they wouldn't naomi ! Its their very gullibility that prevents them from making rational decisions in the first place ! What else can explain why a religion like Scientology is growing so fast ?