Would the world be better off with or without religion? For many years this question has been asked with no real answer. Religion brings both good and bad out of people, but would the world be better without the conflict that religious beliefs often fuel, or would it only cause more pain and depression with nothing for people to believe in?
A world without religion would rely mainly on technology and science, which would be a good thing as technological advances would be more widely accepted, especially within medical practices. This would help the world advance more throughout history, as in the past when religion was especially prominent, it stunted many discoveries, such as Galen's. Galen's work was part of the beginning of many medical advancements, however, the church only accepted his work, because he referred to the 'Creator'. This meant that most medical knowledge was held back for years as only the church had the authority over medicine. If the world was without religion, it is most likely that most technology and science would not have been held back for so long and the world would have become more advanced within its knowledge of the world. The church controlled what people believed for a long time, meaning that only what the church and the pope thought was correct, however, they were not always.
There is also the argument that there would be a lot less hatred and war in the world. Some Christians believe that God is against gay marriage and therefore that it should not exist happen because it is a sin. Some Christians would use religion to fuel the hatred against certain things such as BLM (Black Lives Matter) and the LGBT community, believing it is against their religion. Certain people will use this as an excuse for their own hatred. Some people would say that if religion didn't exist, more people would focus on living in this life and making the most of this world, rather than trying to get into heaven in the next world. People would focus more on the now rather than what might happen in the next world.
On the other hand, others would argue that a lot of religion is what caused the world to spread and develop. They would argue that much of this world's progress is due to religious expeditions. Religion has helped shape the world in ways that may never have happened otherwise. Some of the world's greatest landmarks like the pyramids and Canterbury Cathedral. Some would also argue that many of the laws we have today are based off of laws in the old scripture of religion. These would be things such as 'thou shall not kill' and 'thou shall not steal' that come from the Bible's Ten Commandments. Another argument would be that many have found peace and solace in religion. Many times, religion is used to help people fight addictions such as alcohol and drugs. A world without religion may also be more depressed as people would have nothing to believe in, especially in times of grief, as they will not believe the people they love have gone to a better place where they are safe and happy and that they will one day be re-joined with each other. Religion can help people better themselves and the world around them.
A world with only religion would be a very spiritual one. This could mean that people would be a lot kinder to each other and would believe in doing the right thing. This would mean war would be a lot less likely if everyone was a lot more in tune with their emotions and reactions, which is what a lot of religions focus on. Religion also brings a lot of good work in helping the less fortunate of the world, which a world without religion may overlook. Many Christian charities such as Christian Aid and Buddhist charities like Buddhist Global focus on helping the less fortunate in the world and helping them rebuild a better life for themselves. This would bring out the kindness and positivity in the world and could help make the world more equal in the economic and developmental factors.
However, religion also brings a lot of hatred, as seen in the world today with the influence of homophobia and racism. This would mean that politics would be more influenced by religion which is not always a good thing as it can make people think with their emotions rather than their logic. This could cause issues with rights and what certain people can and can't do. This would mean that things like homophobia and racism would be a lot more common, which would make for a very unequal and unfair world. It would also mean the world would not be as developed as it is today as everyone would be so focused on religion and would not believe in science and technology. This would mean that during the pandemic more lives would have been lost as people would not have the medical knowledge to know how to keep safe during such an unsure and dangerous time. We would not have had the vaccinations and the rules such as wearing a mask and washing our hands as quickly if not for the development of medicine over time.
In conclusion, religion has been a huge part of history. Whether having good or bad effects, it has helped shape the world in all kinds of ways that may not have been possible otherwise. The right balance should be found between religion and science so that everyone could get along in today's world no matter what they believe in. It is unsure whether the world is better with or without religion, but all have their ups and downs and their effects on the world. You could never truly get rid of religious beliefs as everyone will have them, however, the world would still need the development of technology and science.