Would a World Without Religion Mean a World Without War?

Religion in itself is not a bad thing; it often serves as a crutch to help people negotiate the treadmill of life. Many people feel a need to have some profound belief to embrace and put their faith in. Providing their chosen beliefs do no harm to others, anyone should be free to believe in whatever gives them comfort and spiritual sustenance. Religion should never be eradicated just because it's been misused through the ages by those who've chosen to violate the freedom and choices of others.

A world without religion would be one that would not be as rich in diversity although it would probably be more peaceful (though I suspect people will always find something to fight about especially where land and money are concerned). Religion only becomes negative when members of one faith or cult place their particular beliefs above those of other peoples thus forming a breeding ground for prejudices and intolerance.

Statements such as: "our God has appeared to us and has told us that we should take over your land," and: "we have received divine revelation to kill all unbelievers," do not come from any loving deity. They are entirely man-made and concocted in order to make ordinary people take up arms against their fellow man when they would not otherwise be sufficiently motivated to do so. This is when religion becomes dangerous and can be used as a tool for political ends and to encroach upon the liberty and well-being of others to the extent that many begin to question its value in the modern world.

Any loving creator would have created us all, embracing our differences just as we marvel at the richness and diversity of different colours in the animal kingdom. We've been designed to meet the demands of the environment in which we were born. Imagine being born in the Caribbean with freckles and ginger hair. You'd soon come to bemoan the fact that you didn't have dark skin to protect you from the damaging ultra-violet rays of the sun. But there are still religions today that believe certain races are superior purely because of the colour of their skin. Why do we still give credence to these indoctrinated prejudices that deride and discredit anyone who's that little bit different from ourselves?

Another aspect of much mainstream religion is the sheer bigotry that only one religion has the ultimate truth and that everyone else are lost souls drowning in false hopes and beliefs. I have had Mormons call on me at the same time as the Jehovah's Witnesses yet neither would agree to sit down and say a prayer together! God in his infinite wisdom is probably laughing at them both.

Many demand the end to religion as it's a constant source of conflict. In any war, it's always the innocent who suffer. There's not one nation on earth that hasn't abused another at some point in history, in the name of religion. All nations have blood on their hands. We can only hope that one day they might come to live side by side in harmony and learn to appreciate the diversity of religious beliefs, putting away territorial disputes and intolerance of anything different from their own cultural background. This is something all like-minded peaceable people can strive for the world over, whatever their individual beliefs and ideologies.

In many countries, religion is fundamentally a way of life, woven into the very fabric of society and is far more about tradition than belief. This makes people reluctant to change and adapt to new ways of thinking. If we follow 'the golden rule' and treat others as we'd like to be treated and accept that goodness is at the heart of most of the world's established religions we can use that goodness to strive to make the world a better place without inflicting our beliefs on others. Then, any loving creator wouldn't be displeased with our efforts. Religion would become a more positive influence the world over, ensuring that the fundamental good and beneficial teachings in most religions wouldn't be lost to future generations.