Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Dis8- Discussion #8- Is Religion good or bad for a society?

 

  • Dis8- Discussion #8- Is Religion good or bad for a society?

    42 unread replies. 87 replies.

    This discussion assignment has 2 parts, and is a mandatory, graded class assignment.  This assignment is worth a maximum of 5  points. 

    No late work accepted under any circumstances... discussion board will close at 11:59 pm on the deadline date.  WRITE THE WORD COUNT AT END OF EACH RESPONSE.... NO WORD COUNT....NO FULL CREDIT

    1.  ( 3 pts max)   Please write a 150-200 word response to the questions(s) below.  Responses less than 150 words will receive reduced credit.  This should be in your own words, using your own thoughts and ideas.  DO NOT RESEARCH for these questions, and do not give statistics, or information from other sources. Do not paraphrase or cite other sources.  ANSWER ALL PARTS OF THE QUESTION(S) FOR FULL CREDIT CONSIDERATION.      Hit "reply" button to submit an original response

    In your own opinion, in what ways can religion be good, beneficial and functional for a society, and how can it be bad, misused, or dysfunctional? Please provide examples for both cases. Please explain.  

    ( remember to write a minimum of 150 words, and write an accurate word count at end of response)2.   (2 pt )   Please write  a 50-75 word (approx) answer to one of your classmate's response.  Open a classmate's response, read and give feedback to the writer.  Hit "reply" button to submit feedback to a classmate's response ( write a word count at end of response )

    2.   (2 pt )   Please write  a 50-75 word (approx) answer to one of your classmate's response.  Open a classmate's response, read and give feedback to the writer.  Hit "reply" button to submit feedback to a classmate's response ( write a word count at end of response )

    Please remember...NO LATE POSTINGS ALLOWED.   Students have multiple days to complete this assignment, so loss of power, loss of internet, and broken technology is NEVER an excuse for missing deadlines.  

      

     

     

     

    This topic was locked Dec 4 at 11:59pm.
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    I think religion is a good thing for society but with the condition that religion needs to evolve as society evolves. For instance, the core value of some religions is to be nice and kind to people around you, then we should not think homosexuality is sinful. I think they should put more science into their faith, some studies believe that homosexuality isn’t a choice but it's in some people’s genes. As long as the LGBT people not harassing or raping anyone, why the religious people (or any people) think that they should judge them? 

    I think is very important for many religions to update their value and really think about their core value rather than following what their prophets words in the bible word by word. We are not gods so why do we get to judge?

    I believe we should still have religion and guide many people and offer them comfort and support, and provide them with old good values, a moral compass, this is all beneficial for our society. 

    Unfortunately, some governments try to misuse religion for their political gain. For instance, wearing a hijab should be a choice but not a law, women are not someone’s honor and reputation. Using religion as an excuse to oppress women are unacceptable.

    I may offend many people by saying this but I also think it is a bit dysfunctional to have very long, complex, and lavish religious rituals that can be a waste of resources in some way. For instance, some wealthy people donated large amounts of money to the temple to make a giant buddha that is made out of solid gold. I wonder if this money would be better spent on people in need, maybe we can build more schools so more poor kids can have easier access to schooling and be able to improve their quality of life when they become an adult. I guess maybe this gold buddha statue would attract many people to come to visit and worship and might indirectly increase the donation revenue, which might end up bringing more donations for the people in need which I hope that's the case. (361 words)

    Edited by Nga Sze Miu on Nov 19 at 1:47pm

    • Hi Miu, I agree that governments often use religion for political gains. I feel that this is one of the several cases of religion being dysfunctional. It is not the religion itself that is bad or dysfunctional, but the actions of people. Moreover, I do believe that some religious values need to be updated as they can be too harsh, for instance, towards the LGBTQ community. They are immediately considered “sinners” due to their genetics.

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    • Religion can be good or functional for society when it is used for individual purposes. It acts as a solid foundation to create people’s perceptions of what is ethical or moral. For instance, as Catholics, we are strongly prohibited from harming others’ lives and it is crucial that we help those in need. This helps us value the importance of human lives, preventing us from murdering or stealing from others. Religion helps us create our inner controls and determine which outer controls to avoid.

    However, when people force their religious ideologies on others, it becomes misused or dysfunctional. For example, abortion is against Catholic beliefs; however, this ideology should not be forced upon every woman in the country because they may have different religions, values, backgrounds, and beliefs. I feel that religion is something personal; it is our individual relationship with God. Practicing our religion without forcing it on others makes religion beneficial to us and our community. However, once we start to use it as a tool to control the majority, it becomes dangerous.

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  • Hi Maureen, I totally agree with you that religion creates a solid foundation for people on ethical and moral grounds. And for sure when people force their religious ideologies on others it becomes dysfunctional. Other than abortion, I think many religions see homosexuality as a sin. As you said, it is our individual relationship with God, why are we to judge? Regardless of their sexual orientation, or whether the people wear a hijab or not, or if they eat or don't eat pork, I think the important thing is whether they are kind-hearted people, that's the most important to me and I hope this is also most important to the God. (111 words)

  • Hi Maureen, 

    I completely understand what you are saying and I agree that religion can become toxic when forced upon other people. It is an extremely personal thing and should be a choice. I agree that it can also be functional when creating a foundation for ethical and moral perceptions. 

    Word Count: 50 

    • Hi Maureen,

      I agree with you that Religion can be good for people, especially when it creates and strengthens bonds. You also mention it being the foundation for ethics and morality, which is something that completely slipped my mind, but is totally valid. However, just like you mentioned, Religion often becomes misused or dysfunctional due to people forcing ideologies upon others. Another cause for Religion becoming dysfunctional is when it is used to discriminate against another group of people. 

      Word Count: 81

    • Religion can be good, beneficial, and functional for a society through bringing morals and core values in line. It provides a place for people to grow and feel part of something while connecting with others in the same religion. It helps keep a community functional. For example, when churches do things to help the community like donating food or other volunteering that aligns with their morals. Although beneficial, religion can be misused for example through creation of cults. Since religion is in a way subjective, using religion for tax write offs, or to profit off of others makes it a negative thing. It can also be bad or dysfunctional if the religion a group of people partake in practices unethical morals. This could cause dysfunction in society. When people force their ideas and practices upon others it can also become harmful. Religion should be a personal choice and should not be forced upon anybody. 

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  • Hi Christine,

    I agree with you that some people still use religion to manipulate people who strongly believe in some particular faith and make them think that this could be their calling. Such makes them uncomfortable if they do not fulfill the "task" given by the "higher up" from their religious belief. 

    Thank you for sharing,

    Teddy

    Words count: 59 words

  • Hi Christine,

    I agree that religious communities can bring a sense of belonging and create a more healthy society. I also have to agree that religion is very subjective and can bring harm as well. Like you, I've always found religion controversial because I feel like a lot of people can use religion as an excuse to get away with doing something unethical. I also feel like religion can become a "cult" and a lot of people go out of their way to promote their religion or do crazy things, which will make others uncomfortable and our society will decline. 

     

    W/C: 103

    • Hi Christine, I like that you talk about how religion is good for helping people feel like they belong. Many times, the sense of belonging can help a person continue on in life. I also agree that religion is subjective and that people who force their religion onto other people could cause harm to a society since it could create conflict between those who choose to follow the religious practices and those who rebel against it. 

       

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    • Religion can be good, beneficial and functional for society, which provides a moral belief about a particular thing in life. Religion could be a core value for people to hold on to when they might be dealing with some hardship or the darkest part of their life. For example, my Christian friend used to have a hard time dealing with depression and was not emotionally stable. However, based on her belief in God, she thinks that those hard times that she had to deal with are God's plan to help her be more robust and more independent but also to believe in herself. She believes that God is guiding her to a better pace in life and thanks to God, she was able to be happier and overcome the darkest journey in her life. However, people's belief in religion could be misused or manipulated due to cults organization. It also could create a stereotype of different religions each other. 

    Words count: 159 words

    Edited by Teddy Ha on Dec 1 at 3:57pm

  • Hey Teddy, I agree when you talk about moral believes in particular things in life as well with religion and I think it can also be very sensitive because we don't really take into consideration how much that can really mean to someone. If done right it's very beneficial to everyone but can backfire if taken out of context

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  • Hello Teddy, 

    I like how you brought up the idea that religion can help those dealing with hardships in their life. Religion can definitely be a big help in mental health. It’s not just the people you meet in practicing a religion that can be a support but the act of practicing the religion itself can also be a support. I’m glad your friend’s belief in Christianity was able to help her overcome those dark times and become stronger and happier. 

    Word Count: 81

  • Hello Teddy, thank you for sharing your answer and your story of your friends. I too am religious and I agree with your friends point about whatever happens is gods plan however I don’t think we should just not do anything and let life pass we should make the efforts to do good and be good as well. 

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  • Hi Teddy,

     

    I liked how you shared your friends' experience with God.  I liked how you shared about how God helped her in her dark times but also how He is also helping her positively in her life.  I don’t think many people talk about this a lot with each other. (52 words)

    • Hi Teddy,

      I agree with you and love your story about your friend. I also believe that god is guiding us all and make things happen for what they are because he knows we can handle them. I also believe your statement about people using cults and etc as a religion. 

       

      WC52

    • In my opinion, religion can be good and beneficial for society because it provides purpose and hope for many. A lot of people are faithful to their religion and work to have good morals that fall under their beliefs, which I think is very beneficial to society. For example, I am Catholic and we believe that it is good to love everyone and to help those around us. My church often has PB&J sandwich-making every Sunday and we make food for the less fortunate and the homeless. Despite all the good things that a religious community provides, it also creates a toxic environment. There has always been a controversy between religion and the U.S. Constitution. For example, in Engel v. Vitale, people argue between religion and state law-enforced schooling. If we give everyone the right to believe in their own religions and behave in religious rituals, when can we say that the rituals are harmful, or are they just used as an excuse? The freedom of religion is extremely contentious and many people think religion can harm society because of the actions and behaviors that are provoked.

     

    W/C: 191

    • Hi Ethan,

      I agree with you religion is typically good and beneficial to society as the people preaching them have decent morals. More so when their religion forces them to be the better person as someone might be watching them and their every move. It can create better characters and people because of it. It only becomes negative when the line becomes blurred as when their religion negatively affects the people around them. When believing their religion over the rules that the society has made is a great example.

      89 words

  • In my opinion, I think religion is good for society and to spread what you know as well as what you're proud of. Different cultures coming together open up a lot more and it's always good to look or learn about a new culture and what ones believes are. Like everything in the world there will be pros and cons as well. I feel like people would take advantage and completely disrespect some cultures and bring more hate to some rather than others. For example you see cultures being brought to light with peace and movements. Growing up near overfelt with a church down the street there were always events of giving back  to the community who were less fortunate. When we try and take a different view you can see little groups getting put together specifically for hate reasons and to attack.   In my opinion,  I think bringing out different cultures that everyone can learn about in a positive place would be amazing, I just think there is always the negative side of things that will eventually come out. 

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    • I believe that religion is good and beneficial for society because it provides people with a sense of belonging. Religion also unites people from different social groups and forms relationships between people who would have never connected in the first place. Thus, people practicing the same religion now have a wide support system composed of many people who have similar beliefs and values but may differ in other social aspects. Also, religion is functional for a society because it is a good motivator for altruistic actions. Many religions have moral values that encourage people to be kind and benevolent. Thus, many religious groups and organizations participate in charitable acts to help the community. But, there are times when religion can be dysfunctional for society. With the vast abundance of different religions around the world, certain religious values and beliefs may not align with other values and beliefs. Misusage occurs when someone uses religion as a way to force their own beliefs onto someone else’s way of life, such as in the abortion versus pro-life movement. Religion can also be misused when a person of power uses it to manipulate people, such as through cults. 

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    • I really like that you brought up cults as an example. I feel like people are not aware enough about how religion can be easily weaponized and unfortunately many people have fallen victim to it. An example that comes to mind is the Church of Scientology which is widely known to being a cult that has a large following. 

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    • In my opinion, religion can be good and beneficial for a society because it can bring people together. For example, in an organized religion such as Christianity, it has become the norm to join together as a community on Sundays to go to church. From going to church, different interest groups within the church can form such as youth groups or choirs. These groups can provide entertainment and support for people. Moreover, it can give people hope. For example, if there is a natural disaster, people can choose to believe that "god" is watching and will help them in the end. They can continue holding onto hope that all will turn out well because "god" will always do the right thing. However, religion can have the opposite effect on society as well. If there are multiple religions that exist in one society, conflict is bound to happen. Since different religions believe in different things, how will anyone be able to tell what the "correct" religion is? For example, in Christianity, people go to heaven or hell after death; however, in Buddhism, people are reborn after death as a new living form. Both are correct to those who are believers, but to each other, there must be misunderstandings and confusion. Religion has caused major conflicts in the world and has been misused to push people to become hostile toward each other. 

     

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  • Hello Sophia, 

    I enjoyed reading your post, and I agree! I think a major issue that religion poses is that there are multiple different religions and everyone has different beliefs. Having different beliefs should be acceptable and normal, but there are people that take it to the extreme and cause violence to others. I don't think "god" will ever say its okay to kill other people or force religion onto someone else. 

    (73 words)

    • Hi Sophia,

      Different religions have different beliefs. Although I am not religious, I respect every belief. I agree with you that no belief is absolutely correct, we should not force others to believe it. and also I agree that when faced with a breakdown, religious people believe that God will help them in the end, they are optimistic that everything is for the best and that this can support them through difficult times. 

      73

    • In my own opinion, religion can be a good and bad thing. I think it can be good because it gives people purpose, happiness, a sense of community, etc. I respect that it is a personal journey for people, and religion, for a lot of people, is considered to be their lifestyle, culture, etc. Although I consider myself an atheist, I support all religions and anything that people believe in, as long as it doesn't pose any violence to other people. I think it can be destructive when people push their beliefs onto other people, and impose violence on others that don't abide by the religion or hold the same beliefs as them. I think everyone interprets their religion differently, since it's a personal journey, and it upsets me that people can take religion to an extreme and restrict others' freedom. There is no true right or wrong to anything. and I don't think anyone has the right to dictate to other people and control others' actions because we are all made equal. 

    (173 words)

  • Hi Kelly,

     

    Thanks for bringing up the point about religion and its implications for other people’s rights. In the U.S. there’s a fine line between freedom of religious expression and hate speech, and it’s often difficult to agree where that line is. One classic example is that some Christians believe that gay marriage is wrong and voice this opinion. Whose rights do we protect? The Christians’ rights to express their religion or gay peoples’ rights to marry? 

     

    78 words

  • I strongly agree with you Kelly! I also think that religion can give people purpose and help shape communities within a society. It also definitely can be destructive when people shove their beliefs on you i've been in the situation and it is definitely frustrating to have to deal with 

     

    Word Count 50

    • Hi Kelly, I agree with you. Religion can  provide spiritual and emotional support. It can help others feel that they are loved and supported, that they are not alone. Also restrict others' freedom, like the abortion. They are afraid to have an abortion because of their religion. They gave birth to the child even they can't handle/ harming their life.

      Word Count:60

    • Religion can be positive because it provides a sense of community for those that share the same religious beliefs and values that define one's moral compass. For example, church and temple visits can become a regular part of many people's routines, which allow people to get together and learn from the religious teachings and from one another. There are also religious holidays that bring people together to celebrate. On the other hand, religion has a negative impact when it is weaponized onto other people. This is wrong because not everyone shares the same religious beliefs and therefore it is unfair to allow religion to be used to create policies and laws. One of the most controversial examples of religious beliefs impacting public policy is abortion. Many people use their religious belief to justify that abortion is wrong. However, pregnancy and the need for abortion is a personal, individual matter, and so, the right for abortion shouldn't be infringed upon by religion. 

     

    word count: 161

    • I think all of your points are really interesting and well-touched upon. I bring up the same topic of abortion, but your explanation of it being an individual matter is much more expanded upon; I agree that if people don't want abortions, they can follow that value in their own home lives, but in no way, should they expect or force others to follow the same beliefs. Also, you bring up holidays which I didn't think about but do believe are very positive parts of religion (i.e. Christmas which has become a staple and joy for many). Overall, I hold the same opinion as you; religion can be positive as long as it is not weaponized. (116 words)

  • Religion is a social institution, a way that society fulfills its needs (specifically, sense of purpose and maintenance of order). It can give people a sense of purpose and belonging, almost like an extension of the family unit. Some Christians call each other “brother” and “sister” and “father” and “mother.” It also gives people a set of guiding principles by which to live and provides an explanation for the uncertainty surrounding what happens after death. For example, Islam has ideas of judgment after death and an eventual resurrection. Religion unites a lot of people under a set of beliefs and can lead to social cohesion, and if a government is set up as a theocracy it can maintain order. However, religion can be dysfunctional too. There are numerous historical examples in which religious groups were persecuted. For example, Roman Catholics sought to squelch the beginnings of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century.

     

    153 words

  • There are many different ways the religion can impact society in both a positive and negative way of light. Religion can be good for society because it gives people hope and can keep individuals motivated when stuck in hard times. Religion can also bring people together through church or other religious meetings. Religion can also be used as a guideline to pull individuals out of bad habits. For example when it comes to giving people hope and keeping people motivated, when involved in any particular given religion people tend to believe in a higher up power such as god, buddha, etc. This gives people hope that the higher up power is putting these individuals in the right direction and they have faith that their superior will pull them out, or got them in this situation on purpose. When it comes to bringing people together people go to church and other religious meeting or services to practice their religion. Within these religious groups form communities and within those communities you can receive help from other people or just other people to surround yourself with. When it comes to religion pulling you out of bad habits. There is alot of religion based rehabs for things such as cheating and drug abuse. Religion can also negatively affect a community for instance it can cause people to harm one another. For example, when it comes to gay rights and abortion rights people like to use religion as a leverage point to try and shape laws and values that are harmful to others. People also use religion as an "okay right" to kill people. 

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    • Like everything else religion has its goods and bad. Speaking from personal experience I think one good thing about religion is that it gives a purpose/ motive to those who are lost. For someone who is struggling in life they can look up to religion for the help they need. Having a relationship with god is a helping hand in its own but also the community you find through religion is very helpful. However religion can we used in very negative and bad ways as well. For example, as a Sikh I have noticed that Sikhs trust each other blindly. We believe that just because our religion teaches us to be good and do good that other Sikhs are also good people. However that’s not always the case, religion can be used to misuse people and stab them in the backs. Also the hate crimes which occur against minority religions. We judge people based on how they looks (religious looks as well) treat them wrongfully because they aren’t the same as us. 


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    • Hi Jaspreet, you bring up a lot of very strong points. Religion is definitely beneficially in giving people a sense of purpose and guidance in their lives. I also never thought of how religion can make people blindly trust others but that is very true and I have noticed that in my own life, as well. I think that the religion isn't the problem, but the people are. 

      Word Count: 68

    • I think that religion can be beneficial for a society because it builds up strong, wholesome morals. For example, the church I grew up in was big on service and we even had projects where we would go out in our community and serve in a way that would build it up. For this reason, religion is good for society. Another way that religion is good is that it gives people a sense of community because they share the same beliefs, morals, and are all there for each other. 

    I think that religion is misused when people judge others and try to make them feel guilty for committing a "sin". I think that people's opinions should stay to themselves when it refers to someone else's life choices. I also think that religion is dysfunctional for society when the religion gets in the way of politics. For example, abortion rights is largely influenced by peoples' religious beliefs and that is not fair in anyway. 

    Word Count: 163 

    • Hi Natalie, I really liked your answer to this question. I completely agree with both of your takes, I think that religion being misused also has a negative impact on the people who don’t use religion to shame others, because others tend to categorize all people of a certain religion in the same box. 
      (54 words)

    • I think religion is a good thing for society. Good religion can guide people to live in harmony, guide, and modify people's social and spiritual life. People have a belief that can support them through difficulties. At the same time, religions will formulate precepts regulate the behavior of believers and tell believers what to do and what not to do. People with faith are mostly kind, they will help the society to do what they can, they will donate food and goods to help the poor.
    However, with differences in religious beliefs, some people with ulterior motives will use religion or create cults to carry out illegal activities that endanger society, such as the Jonestown massacre led by The Peoples Temple, and the self-immolation of many Falun Gong believers on Tiananmen Square. Religious beliefs contain a lot of feudal content, which makes it difficult to distinguish religion from science, and is superstitious.

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    • Hi Yuqing, thanks for your sharing and I agree with your idea that good religion can guide people living in the harmony. Some people feel struggle and they are looking for answers, sometimes they go to church.  I also think that most of the people are kind as you said. Unfortunately, some people may use a religion to commit crimes.

       

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    • I believe that religion can both be good and bad. Personally, I have seen people go through tough, and hard times and struggle to overcome them, but then they find a religion that speaks to them and genuinely helps them find themselves and helps them overcome those previous struggles and experiences. I think that religion can help people in our society find a place where they feel safe, and understood. For example, my little brother went through some hard times a year ago, he wouldn’t open up to anyone in our family. One day he was on social media and started seeing a lot of Christian messages and Bible verses, he said he felt a calling and has started going to church ever since and has made a complete 180° in his life and is thriving. On the other side people can use religion in whatever ways to try and fit their own beliefs and narrative. Some people will use it to try and shame and control others. For example, most people for the overturning of Roe vs Wade, used their religious beliefs as a way to control what other women can and can’t do with their own body. 

    (199 words)

    • Hi Alexis,

      Thank you for sharing your thought and personal experiences on Religion. I do share all your thoughts and love your examples. Yes, I also had a cousin (he passed in 2020) who had a difficult time in life. He was on alcohol and drugs and was trying to suicide because he had lost his purpose in life from his addictions. Later, he met a monk and started to attend church, and his life changed dramatically. He was planning to get married, but COVID took his life.

      (Word count - 88)

    • In my opinion, religion can be both good and bad in the society. In my experience, many Christian people found that going to church at the weekend. They worship the god usually at the weekend. Also, in my experience, most of the people in church are very nice. They provide food and even academic helps to student like me. Also, most of them are very helpful and they are willing to help the disadvantage in the society. A good religion can improve the society and many people get benefited from different kinds of religion organization. On the other hand, some people use the name of religions to commit crime. In addition, some heresies start to invite people and they even against other religions.  Bad religion can be dysfunctional as they limited they others and control people's mind in a wrong way. It make cause a big problem for example war. 

     

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  • Hey Julian, i totally agree with your statement although religion had a good perks whether thats unification or support, but can also be bad i used or practiced for the wrong reasons. All though it can create unification it can also cause division so yes it can be good and bad for society.- 52

    • Hi Julian ,

       

                I strongly agree with you mention that"good religion can improve the society and many people get benefit". We can get many benefit from religion learn and practice the religion gained increase self esteem,physical and social well-being , peaceful mind, good moral and character . (50words)

    • I think that religion can be good and bad for a function society, it can be used to unite people together and help with the unknown of the afterlife, but it can also separate folks of different religions and cause conflict between them to see who’s right or wrong. Personally I do think to myself sometimes what does happen after our life is over? Is there really some type of after life or do we just cease to exist and everything ends right there in then, thoughts like this can really dysfunctionalize society and cause certain cycles to break, I think this can play into that good role. In most religions there is some sort of after life where after we die, we continue to live and this helps most because the thought of not knowing how something plays out can really mess with someone. At the same time not all religions correlate and have the same gods or practices, this can cause division between people to see who’s really right when in the end no one really knows who’s exactly right.- 182 words

    • Hello Aiden! It's unfortunate that since religions are so different they create conflict and division among people. In my opinion, I feel like we should all learn from each religion and take advice and learn lessons from all of them. I think every religion has something important we should know and I also think there are some things that shouldn't be believed because it causes a lot of judgment between religions as well as assumptions. 

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  • Greetings!

    In religions, ethics and morals are taught and people are provided with a reason to live. As an example, the ten commandments in the Bible preach respect for parents, not killing, and not engaging in adultery. Religious people have faith, and this faith will keep them from giving up in life and help them to have a purpose in life. As religion teaches, we should forgive others and forgive ourselves, which helps to maintain a peaceful, crime-free community. The act of confessing your sins also contributes to better mental health. Religious values also include sharing what you have with those in need. Having rich people share with the poor will improve the living conditions for the community and ensure the poor have something to eat. It is also possible for religion to provide a common goal for the community.

    On the contrary, religion has some drawbacks. Extremists in some religions believe that peoples from other religious faiths are sinful and against their God, so they discriminate against or try to clear them through violence to show their loyalty to their God. We can take the recent incident, the Rohingya genocide in Burma. Some use religion as a means to suppress others. For example, in some Muslim countries, women do not have equal rights. Even some kings told the public that their power is divine, from God and that the public should respect and not question their power. The other issue can be religions do not entertain individual rights. Abortion, Same-sex marriage, and other things are considered sins and you will be discriminated against. If religions can change some of their principles to accommodate individual rights, I believe they play many roles to solve problems in society.

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    • I think that Religion can be good for the society but Religion can be also bad for a society.  I think that Religion can be good for society because it can help bring people closer together and closer to God or whoever they believe in.  Some people may think that it is good and okay that they follow God in a good way.  Some people may think that it’s great to follow God’s plan and follow His plan in your life but Religion can also not be good for a society.  I think that Religion can be bad for society because for example if someone was in the hospital, it would be wrong for a family to not treat their loved one without medicine and just think that God’s plan is the only way to help the person suffering.  I also think that Religion is also personal to people in our society.  (152 words)

  • Hi Lauren, I also believe that religion is both good and bad for a society like many other things. When used as a tool to unite people, it provides the community with a good sense of morals and beliefs. However, I also agree that religion can also hold back people when people prioritize belief over the reality of the situation such as the case in medicine.

     

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  • Hi Lauren, you have an excellent example about when people only ''thank God''. Like in the titanic movie, at the moment everyone is gonna die, there was a group of people who did not find a way to save themselves, but only prayed to God. I have no ideas haha. You are right that religion has two sides to the truth. But anyway, religion is the only thing I can trust because that's the only thing I can believe in when I need to pray. 

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    • Hey lauren thank you for your thoughts. I can also agree that religion can bring people closer together and that's why religious groups become a thing . but sometimes people within those religious group take their studies and beliefs to far and can cause different teachings and different religious beliefs for others.

       

       

      wc-51

  • I think religion can be useful in a society for dictating morals. Things such as not killing each other and not stealing are core commandments of many religions. Religion acts as a sort of morality compass for most people who partake in it. It is much easier to make someone conform to societal norms if they believe that a higher power will punish them or they will be tormented after they die. An easy example of this sort of religion is Christianity and Catholicism where the ten commandments dictate the morals people should have. They also list punishment such as eternal damnation if someone does not abide by these rules.

    Religion, however, can also be misused in the case of forcing its will upon the unwilling. Many cases exist where the religious majority persecutes a religious minority because of the differences in the beliefs. In this case, religion is used as a tool of persecution, and not a tool of morality. Such examples include the persecution of Protestants in England and Jews in Europe. 

     

    Word Count: 174

    • Religion can be good and beneficial because it gives people hope and faith when they are going through a tough time. Even in their daily life, it gives people a sense of security and safety, believing that someone is always watching over them and guiding them. Religion can be bad and misused because there are people who use it against others and even themselves and often live in fear of doing things because they believe they will go to hell because they committed a sin. This creates a dysfunctional society because frequently people use the excuse “you are going to hell” to be homophobic towards the LGBT and members of the group often are extremely scared to come out and accept themselves because since they were little they were always told it was a sin. This also creates a lot of fear and controversy when it comes to abortion, and because of the fear of going to hell oftentimes women end up really depressed, suicidal, and in some cases abandoning their children. 

     word count: 172

    • Hi Maria, 

      I enjoyed reading your post. Your points were spot on. I believe some people can be misguided when it comes to religion. Having something that makes you feel safe is a great thing. It gives people something to believe in and look forward to. On the contrary, religion can certainly be misused.

      Word Count: 57

    • Religion is often seen as the hallmark of morality and grounds for bringing communities together. A positive aspect in regards to religion is it gives people the ability to believe in someone much larger than themselves. I know some people who do not attend church services, yet when they find themselves in a tough predicament they pray. In some cases religion can bring people together to celebrate and talk about mutual understandings about religion. I think everyone interprets religion differently. Some may view religion as someone who attends church on Sundays and another person may interpret religion as someone who believes in a higher power. Despite the good we see on a superficial level, there are those individuals that take advantage and breed malicious intent. This tends to happen when people twist the meanings in religious text to further their own goals at the expense of others. All in all, religion can consist of pros and cons it all depends on how you interpret religion. 

    Word Count: 168

  • Hello Liyah,

    That is interesting you brought up the point that everyone views religion differently. Everyone has their own practices and how strongly they resonate with their religion. This can bd a huge basis for acts of kindness or acts of terror. The way someone views religion strongly impacts how they use religion everyday in their lives. (57 words)

    • Hi Liyah, 

      I found your point about not attending church but praying extremely relatable. Sometimes it feels like it's nice to have an established person you're praying or talking to you at night all alone. It's a really good method of letting your thoughts out and doing a mental jog  of what you could do better about. However, it's so embarrassing to see how some people use religion to justify obnoxious things. 72

    •              In my opinion religion have both good and bad thing. The good thing is religion benefit for all people because it provides good sense, good perception, good moral, and character. We learn from the religious teaching and practice in our society. Although, different people have differences in religious beliefs depends on the individual’s belief their perception formulate the individual ‘s concept and behavior. I believe people who engage in religious matter gained peaceful mind. Doing meditation give us peaceful mind and able to cope stress. I believe who do not engage in religious matter unable to cope stress and anger.Too much extremist in religion could turn out bad thing in our society. On the other hand, the negative thing about religion is people abuse the religious matter cheating, obtain illegally fund from religious matter and some people even commit crime. Religion is sensitive because argue over religion could turn out conflict and revolution.( 153words)

    • I definitely agree that religion has a love of valuable lessons to teach about life and society. I also agree that religious people and figureheads aren't always as moral and chaste as the lessons that they teach. There have definitely been too many people in religious positions of power that abuse their position for personal gain. Corruption should be a subject that people should look into with religion.

       

      68 words

    • Religion can have many positive benefits on society. Religion generally brings people together and brings out acts of care and kindness. Under the roof of religion many social movements have happened in the history of our world such as the Hindu derived method of non violence against the British Raj. Many political parties are based off religious ideologies and many people support these parties as a result. In these countries almost all citizens follow the countries official religion, and their lives and culture are heavily influenced by religion. Religious extremism has been issue for some time in parts of the world, and this is the only threat I see religion posing. When religion is used under the wrong pretext, mass violence can occur as in the case with 9/11. Many acts of violence are carried under the name of religion or because the people committing these acts believe their religion justifies it. (152 words)

    • Hey Sagar, I agree with your stance in that radicalism is definitely a threat to our world. I think the world needs to come to a balance where people are able to draw the good from religion but keep the negatives out of it. We should also keep in mind that it's not the religion at fault, more so the people corrupting others with religion and faith. 

       

      67 words

      Edited by Brian Ta on Dec 4 at 10:57pm

  • I do think religion can be beneficial in society, if utilized the correct way. I see different areas and regions of the world as being on a scale of how religious they are, some only carrying the bare minimum of a religious society and some defining the term. For example, I feel as if my city of Milpitas keeps a healthy relationship with religion, without instilling it into each citizen's lives. People have something to believe in, it brings people together, and facilitate a safe space to share similar religious beliefs. Furthermore, the city promotes diversity among religions, without forcing people to follow a certain one. For instance, on every corner you stumble upon churches, Hindu temples, mosques, and Buddhist temples, all providing people from different backgrounds to choose to follow the religion they believe in. Opposed to other communities, such as Tarrant county in Texas, where the majority of their Christians are engaged with one religion, and in this case, the one Eagle Mountain International Church. The ministries' founder, Kenneth Copeland has been found guilty of financially exploiting his followers in exchange for blessings and other religious affairs. This form of religious rule shows how detrimental an oversaturation of religion can cause to a society, and I believe having religion as something to believe is is better then having it be something you depend on. 

    • Religion can be good, beneficial and functional for a society. Most religions teach people to do good things and help others. These will have a good impact on society. People help each other, which can reduce conflicts. In addition, religions also teach people not to steal or kill , can not commit adultery. Believers listen and follow the rules. Greatly reduce the crime rate. Faith can also provide spiritual and emotional support. It can help others feel that they are loved and supported, that they are not alone. When mental health is satisfied, personal physical health and social health can also be improved, which has a positive impact on the entire society. On the other hand it can be bad, misused or dysfunctional. Although most religious beliefs are things that people want people to do well, there are some reservations. For example, the Catholic Church opposes abortion. In some cases, they are forced to make this choice, but they ignore it and strongly oppose it. Some people are afraid to have an abortion. After the baby is born, it leads to a series of problems and uses more social resources. In addition, their ideas are different from those of other people, which causes conflicts, scolding and even fighting. This has a bad effect on society

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  • Hi Yuki, 
    I really enjoyed reading your post! I completely agree with your statement about how certain issues can create conflict within that specific community. However I also agree with all the way you say religion is beneficial for a community especially when maybe you or a loved one is really going through it, I think it’s extremely beneficial to have someone to turn to and even a community of people to turn to. 

    72 words 

    • Hi Yuki, I agree that religion promotes people to follow rules more and can be a great reduction to crime. I think one of the most important things is that faith can give spiritual and emotional support and I would say it has done that for me. You made a good point that religion can cause fighting because not everyone thinks the same and has the same ideas. (68 words)

  • I would say religion can be good for society. It gives people hope and lets them be able to be a part of something. Makes them feel included. It can be beneficial and functional due to creating morals for those who believe. In our society there is many religions. I believe that religion is what brings many of us together. Going to church and meeting new people as well as making the sign of peace during mass. Some people might use religion as a way to cope with there depression or just there way of connecting to God. Like I know someone who goes to church and talks to God and prays to help and guide them through out life. Basically asking god to create a path for them for him to lead the way. Some people misuse religion by only going to church or trying to talk to god when they are in need of help. Like someone who doesn't really appreciate the religion. 

     

    WC165

  • Religion can be good, beneficial, and functional for a society by allowing people to believe is something other than themselves, to  believe that there is something greater than this life. I also believe it’s beneficial because it creates and keeps morals and values in line. As a Christian there are so many lessons we are taught about how we should treat everyone with love and kindness, which yes, these are basic things, but in todays world, one nice thing can make a major change in someone’s life and when you relate that back to your religion and whatever or whoever you believe is God , it makes it so much more meaningful because you are now living out what you’ve been taught. A negative aspect of  religion is when people use it as a way to somewhat belittle other people who maybe do not believe in religion. As a Christian there are many misconceptions that all Christian’s think they are better than everyone when I guess in my world or in my eyes that’s not always the case. I do believe there has been instances where the church can “shun” someone from the church for being homosexual or having a baby out of marriage. So when people who follow a certain religion now think they are better than a group of people is when it becomes an issue for society because now there is a divide amongst everyone. 

    238 words 

    • I think that religion can be good and bad depending on how it is used. It can be beneficial when people use it as a way to comfort themselves into becoming better people. For example, believing in the afterlife may make people more comforted knowing that when they die they will go to a place depending on what they have done in their lives. Also having a belief in an afterlife makes it so people watch their behavior more often and are typically more civilized as depending on what they do in their life may result in where they end up. One thing that is negative though is when they preach their ways to others who do not care about what they are in. When they force others to join in their ways almost like a cult is negative and typically harmful. After all, religion is typically good for others when you are polite and respect others.

    157 words

     

     

     

    Edited by William Wu on Dec 4 at 10:27pm

    • Hey William,

      Yeah, I agree religion can be comforting for people. I forget that, but it is sad when people try to force others to have the same views; it does feel more cult-like, but that it has it is good and wrong when it comes to religion.

      WC: 50

       

  • Religious beliefs have existed for a long time. Respected and worshiped by the people. For me, Religion is a good thing because it is an element that conveys a rational, educational, and positive view of society. Many religious beliefs and socially beneficial things, such as helping people perceive good and bad, do's and don'ts, charity work, repentance, vegetarianism, good direction, etc. Religion can only become harmful when taken advantage of. cruel followers and blatantly false education of ignorant or over-religious people. There have been cases of religion being used for evil purposes, or people who worshiped and believed in those fake "religions" were taken advantage of and "brainwashed." However, religion also has its downside. When you worship too much religion, you forget a realistic perspective. Religion is just a belief worshiped; no one can be sure these things are true. Everything happens quickly when we try to do good deeds and have a kind heart. In general, religion is a rational belief and always instills good qualities in people; worship the religion they believe in and always have good thoughts, but should still have a realistic perspective and not always take out religion to impose on everyday life.

    Count words: 198

     

  • My family is extremely religious and they practice the Buddhist faith. Though I myself am not religious, I have learned a lot about life through the philosophies of the religion. I would say that religion definitely has its place in society and that every person needs a set of values and beliefs that they can fall back on when things get difficult. Religion provides a foundation and a lens through which you gain a perspective on human nature and the functioning of society. I believe that every religion tries to foster good faith amongst humans and provides a good platform for happiness. Then again there are dark sides to religion, and I believe blind fanaticism and belief are dangerous as many groups utilize religion to radicalize their followers into committing heinous actions. I believe that like anything else in life, that there is a fine balance and that religion is neither good nor bad.

     

    154 Words

    Edited by Brian Ta on Dec 4 at 10:42pm

  • I've found myself conflicted about religion. I've never seen what has made me feel right. But I feel like religion is around us; the word god has been taught to us in school; during the pledge of allegiance, our parents teach us what we practice. And I wonder if it is good I find myself in a conflict. I grew up loosely catholic, and my views were always different than my family's. I was more open-minded to the world. Still, I was often told I was wrong for my point of view, and I internalized that, never really shared my thought, and felt inappropriate for open-mindedness. And as an adult, I make friends and explore spirituality; it is hard; I don't know if it has a place; it tends to group[ people together and doesn't allow people to be open to their views. I know people might view it the opposite and find it to connect with the likeness, but sometimes we have to explore outside our box and comfort.

    WC:171

    • In my opinion religion is both good and bad for society. Religion is needed for more understanding of one's culture and to some people religion is the meaning of life. Understanding and believing in religious teaching your whole life and practicing it can bond other people together and form religious groups. But at the same time religion can also affect society and how people are treated and viewed. Religion and society will never get along ever. For example in our society there will always be someone who doesn't agree with other people's religion and can go as far as harming or verbal abusing a person for their practices and beliefs. Religion can also cause war around the world. So therefore religion is needed for a person to understand themselves and have a reason to live.But religion can cause wars and people to me viewed badly in the society they live in.

    Wc-153

    • Hi Calvin
      I also agree with your take that religion and society will never get along due to religious conflicts between the population. I also liked how you talk about how people go to the point of harming others physically and verbally due to their religious background. I mainly agree with how you mention religion has pros and cons.

      wc: 60

  • I think religion can be good in the sense that it provides certain people a community where they feel like they belong. I think religion often gives people something positive to believe in; it improves many’s mental health in the sense that it provides a sense of structure and typically offers a group of people to connect with over similar beliefs. For example, the Bible teaches about the spirit of Goodness and for true believers, they take the words to heart and live by those rules, accepting everyone and helping the poor.

    However, I do think that religion can be misused in many ways; for example, how cults are formed. Religion can be used to guide people in a positive direction, but it can also be used to manipulate people to do evil acts. For example, a majority of the religious population nowadays has been using this beliefs to push against LGBTQ+ and abortion rights. While it’s fine to be heterosexual and not want to abort their own children, it is wrong to push those beliefs on others, especially in an aggressive way (which may lead to acts of violence). (191 words)

  • Religion can be beneficial to society because it provides a sense of community for certain people, such as when you go to Church consistently you feel connected to the others who attend. However this can become a negative because for minorities they can feel excluded in some cases when it is a strong majority. However besides bringing people together I think there are quite a bit of negatives when it comes to this topic such as having heavy financial corruption. Religions have special tax exemptions which can allow for things such as money laundering. To the point where the worth of these religious groups seems like a business due to many donations. I believe there can be a balance in the future but some changes have to be made to the system because through exemptions and other laws it is next to impossible to check the financial record of these religious groups.

    word count: 154

    • In my opinion, I think religion can be good for society in the sense that it allows for individuals to find comfort in community. Religion can create a sense of belonging with people that think and believe in the same things. It can also create more morale for people because a foundation for a lot of religions is to be kind to others and not do bad things. For example, in the Buddhist religion they discourage violence of any kind. Religion can also be misused when people use their religion as an excuse to form hatred for groups of people. It becomes a problem when religion seeps how our society is govern. Religion should not be a reason laws and policies are made. For example, people argue that women should not get an abortion under any circumstance because in the Christian religion life starts at conception. Once you use religion as an excuse to harm other people this becomes an issue. (161 words)

    • Hello Melanie, I agree with your statement because religion provides that comfortability for us believers, and it gives us hope in the modern world that things can get better. I love how you use your examples and specified the question completely. And I agree that religion should not be used for violence at all.
      Wc:54
    • I believe religion is good for society because of the values and teachings it brings to help the people understand there is a greater power above and that there is purpose for everyone. Ultimately, I feel like religion helps, Bring a lot of followers and teachings to the right people that need those blessings to change their life and I am a firm believer, That religion has definitely helped me be a better version of myself and pushed me to value the teachings of God, and to stay free of sin. Religion is the key to peace and prosperity in today’s world. It is definitely a game changer for those who invest and read the Bible. In some ways, people use religion as an excuse because of the crimes or choices they make, but it’s not always the case. People tend to blame their crimes on the man upstairs, saying that he told me to do it when that is not the case. 
    Wc:163

  • Hi Steven, I agree that religion could offer many positive and uplifting teachings and encourages people to be more grateful and intentional about their lives. Having faith in a greater power truly comforts those who need it, though you are also right about how people with bad intentions use that greater power as a scapegoat to avoid accountability for their demeaning actions, when in fact the crime was committed intentionally without divine intervention

    [WC: 73]

    • Hi Steven, 

      I was actually looking for a post like yours to gain some perspective as someone who has grown up with very little religious experience. One of the most interesting things about religion is that while people come under the same banner and name for certain religious groups not a single person has the same experience or interpretations with religion. For example in your case religion has helped you become a better version of yourself which is great however, I'm sure its done the exact opposite for some. Does this mean that religion is inherently good or bad? No and that is an impossible question to answer due to the fact that religion is based on belief and humans interpret things differently.

      123 Words

  • I believe that religion can be beneficial for society with how it could share, promote, and instill positive virtues in lives, such as benevolence and honesty. Religion can work as a way to bring people together to create a supportive, uplifting community and share faith in ideas that motivate them through arduous times. When these people are united together, share uplifting positive morals, and direct their faith with good intentions and acts, religion truly serves as a meaningful factor in society that benefits the majority. 

    However, religion can also be dysfunctional if practiced with malicious intent and for only one’s personal gain. Religious ideas can be pressured or used against others as a “bottom line” point in conflicts and arguments, which pushes reasoning and logic aside and prevents open minds. Religion can also create disputes, especially when it comes to people of different religions claiming theirs is superior, or in political arguments where religion is involved in any way. In the past and present history of the US, religion severely harmed and restricted citizens’ well-being when used as the basis for regulating laws, such as the former illegality of LGBTQ+ marriage, and the ongoing disputes about the legalization of abortions.

    [WC: 200]

    • I have a mixed opinion regarding whether Religion is good or bad. I personally am not religious, but I can see a lot of the good that Religion does for people. It brings people together, helping to create a sort of unity between people. With that unity, those people could achieve things they couldn't individually do. However, Religion has been the cause of many tragic, terrifying or horrible events. There have been quite a few attacks of terror in the name of Religion. Then we have the act of forcing one's religion upon another, which is bad for a lot of reasons, such as the person not believing in the ideologies that the Religion represents. Then, there are also people who misuse Religion as a way to discriminate against a certain group of people, such as the LGBTQIA+ community, who have been victims to many people with religious beliefs. Overall, I feel that, although Religion does have its benefits, it has caused a lot of harm throughout history as well.

    Word Count: 173

    • Hi Martin, 

      I totally agree with you that religion can negatively impact people. For example a majority of religions look down on people who are not the typical straight male. They look down and see the people in the LGTBQ+ community as bad people despite their morals and values as people. For example I knew a small group of people in the Jehovah’s Witness religion and they looked down and hated on people who are not straight in the LGTBQ+ community and genuinely believed that something was wrong with them. This makes those people insecure and it is hard to have self-love for themselves. Religion can negatively impact people who do not meet their strict requirements they have here.


  • Religion can be good because it gives people morals and beliefs. Everyone has different beliefs and it helps everyone with who they become. For example some people believe in God and some don’t and that’s okay because it is up to them in what they want to believe. From then it just have different benefits in the world. There is always 2 different forms of everything such as a look to the universe and how it’s created or how people look at science. Another way to describe it would be how people believe in ghost and who doesn’t, or even heaven and hell and if there even is such a thing. There’s so many ways on how to look at life and we can always. Some religions are like Christianity, Catholicism, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and many more. Again these are different ways to look at life and beliefs. Some people even change their religion because they end up not wanting to follow how they are. 


    Word count: 166

  • I have very little to no experience personal with religion growing up in a family with no religious members. So my thoughts will mostly be based on the interactions I've had with people and the limited knowledge of how religion has affected society historically. Religion as I see it is essentially the epitome of human curiosity and desire for knowledge. Religion put simply is a set of beliefs that humans created in order to make an understanding of the world. Humans are inherently curious creatures and this is one of the traits that is what pushed human society so far in this world. In order to sate this curiosity religion was the most common answer. By creating these sets of beliefs it allows people to come together under a set of ideals. This has positive and negative outcomes based on the religion of course. In a best case scenario it brings all sorts of people together and builds a better society but it can also become something that excludes those who don't agree with the ideals set out. There is no system that can everyone in the world can believe in so the thing to think about is how the religion would encroach on freedoms in society. In a positive sense strong and just ideals being shared by a religion with a large amount of members could help make society a better place but that's only if that group doesn't start to impose on those who aren't part of their group. 

    251 Words

  • Religion can be good, beneficial, and functional to society because it can be used to form moral codes among individuals as well as establish unity between a group of people. Religion, if used correctly, can establish moral uniformity among people and create a standard for society although this is usually abused. Religions usually revolve around a core belief of trying to be mindful of the people around oneself as well as trying to achieve the best version of oneself. In that sense, religion is good because it helps people remind themselves that there are other people in society and try to improve upon themselves.

    However, religion can be bad, misused, and dysfunctional as it can be used to oppress other people and does not conform with science (being raised Catholic, I had the most difficult time growing up questioning how someone would survive in the desert for 40 days), and limits human growth in knowledge and other areas of life. 160

    • Word Count: 295


    Religion can be a partly good thing for society depending on the beliefs and how extreme they are to people. I believe a basic religion that has beliefs to do with being kind to people and being a good person is and can be good for society. Just a thought though there are a lot of strong religions that can affect people negatively. I have grown up going to a Christian elementary school for a couple years and was slightly involved in a Christian church throughout my high school years. I am not an extreme believer but I do share some religious values partly from the Christian religion. My ex-boyfriend who I was together with for a year and a half was a Jehovah’s Witness as well as his family too. From this I knew a lot of people in that religion and can see how extreme and negative it affected them. Despite it only being a small group of people I know from the Jehovah’s Witness religion still seeing their beliefs that took on their life in a negative way has made me think that this is negatively impacting the people of the society. For example the small group of people I knew in the Jehovah’s Witness community religion were only basically allowed to date and be friends with people in their religion. Anybody in this religion who would go and be close friends and date normal people no matter how good of people they are would still look down on them and discriminate against them to the extreme. Even to the point of being punished and kicked out of their religious organization. I believe this negatively impact society because religions should not be discriminatory and help people to be open and better people. 


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