Harm To Society
Some aspects of religion are criticized on the basis that they damage society as a whole. Steven Weinberg, for example, believe it takes religion to make good people do evil. Bertrand Russell and Richard Dawkins cite religiously inspired or justified violence, resistance to social change, attacks on science, repression of women, and homophobia.
Hartung has claimed that major religious moral codes can lead to "us vs. them" group solidarity and mentality (often referred to as moral superiority) which can dehumanise or demonise individuals outside their faith as "not fully human", or less worthy. Results can vary from mild discrimination to outright genocide. A poll by The Guardian, a UK intellectual newspaper noted that 82% of the British people believe that religion is socially divisive and that this effect is harmful despite the observation that non-believers outnumber believers 2 to 1.
Read more about this topic: Criticism Of Religion
Famous quotes containing the words harm and/or society:
“In the lack of judgment great harm arises, but one vote cast can set right a house.”
—Aeschylus (525–456 B.C.)
“The growing of food and the growing of children are both vital to the family’s survival.... Who would dare make the judgment that holding your youngest baby on your lap is less important than weeding a few more yards in the maize field? Yet this is the judgment our society makes constantly. Production of autos, canned soup, advertising copy is important. Housework—cleaning, feeding, and caring—is unimportant.”
—Debbie Taylor (20th century)