The Forum > Article Comments > Indoctrination and fear > Comments
Indoctrination and fear : Comments
By Carl Mather, published 16/7/2008History clearly shows that any society that relies on religion for moral guidance hastily plummets into barbarism.
- Pages:
-
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Page 5
- 6
-
- All
In my experience, OLO authors who also participate in discussions about their articles are very much in the minority, so first, thanks for your willingness to test the rigour in your article by debating it here.
My objection was: “The fact that some religious-based states are sinking into chaos is no logical basis for the view that religion leads to barbarism.”
The Machiavellian view is that religion has always been a tool of statecraft: “According to Machiavelli, religion can be used to generate loyal bounds between the ruler and his subjects, and must be used if the situation requires it.” http://snipr.com/2zycl It’s much easier to deal with a political enemy by calling him an apostate or heretic (inquisition) and it’s easier to control a disgruntled populace by whipping up religious prejudice (pogrom).
The use of religion as a cover for barbaric practices doesn’t mean that religion necessarily leads to barbarism. In most northern European countries, there is no separation of church and state. Monarchs have religious roles, the state collects and distributes church taxes, and often (e.g. in the UK) minor religious figures have significant roles in political life. Yet these same countries have the highest standards of living, the best human rights protections, and lowest participation in what one would call barbarism.
As a result, I would argue that religion, or religious morality, does not of necessity lead to barbarism. Barbarism comes about when religious people allow themselves to be used by politicians and despots.
I said above that the debate about the role of religion in public affairs is a very important one. A pre-requisite for this discussion is an understanding that religions don’t always need to be regarded as a threat. Similarly, the northern European experience shows that accepting the rights of non-believing humans to live by their own moral lights can actually bring greater security for religion, rather than threatening it.
Belief has always been a part of the human experience. Finding ways to get along with it will be much more fruitful than making provocative claims about the causes of barbarism.