Introduction
Religion has been a significant part of society for centuries. Since ancient times, people have appealed to the higher power, praying for a good harvest, cursing their enemies, wishing health upon their family, and more. In some countries, the vast majority of the population is religious, and the government supports religious teachings through laws and policies. Nevertheless, the necessity of religion is an issue that can be debated. Whereas some believe that religion is needed for the benefit of society, others think that the concept of religion is outdated and that contemporary society no longer requires religious guidance to prosper. The present essay will seek to argue that religion is not only unnecessary but harmful to society, as it restricts people’s freedom and creates barriers to communication.
Main body
First of all, religion has been used to restrict people’s freedom and abuse human rights for centuries. For example, Islamic religion affects women’s rights, defining norms of conduct for women and restricting their power in socioeconomic and political spheres. In the Western world, many people use religion to promote homophobic views and fight against women’s rights movements. There is no doubt that religious texts, such as the Bible or Koran, can be interpreted in different ways, and thus their meaning can be twisted to promote certain views or support particular opinions. Therefore, religion can be used by governments to control people and influence their behavior.
Secondly, religion has been widely used to excuse and justify violence. Crusades are an excellent historical example of how the government used religion to frame the war on an independent nation as ‘holy’. There are also numerous examples of religion being used to facilitate terrorism and genocide. Although many people believe that this feature is only true for Islam, other religions have been tied to terrorism, too. For instance, Buddhist terrorism against Muslim populations in Burma is a significant issue that is often overlooked by major news channels of the U.S. and European countries (Pellot). Overall, religion is often used against society, which is why it is harmful and unnecessary for people.
Another important argument against the necessity of religion in society is that religion creates barriers between people. There are many different religions in the world, as there are many different nations and languages. However, in the global age, communication barriers can be harmful to society and its people. For example, people who migrate to other countries may feel alienated if their religion is different from the official one. Moreover, differences in religion can cause prejudice and discrimination. In particular, Muslim people living in America or Europe often face discrimination due to the fear of Islamic terrorism (Green). When religion forms the foundation for prejudice, hate, and alienation, it causes a divide in society and is thus harmful.
One of the main arguments that people use in favor of the necessity of religion is that it is necessary for guiding people’s actions and establishing moral principles. This argument would be valid if crimes were only committed by atheists. Nevertheless, both religious people and atheists can commit crimes. Moreover, many people who are not religious life by a personal moral code or abide by the law, which has the same effect on the society as religion intends to have.
Conclusion
Overall, historical and modern examples show that religion is often used to harm people instead of protecting or improving society. Moreover, the importance of religion to social order and people’s morality is highly overrated. Therefore, religion is unnecessary for society, and many people would benefit from the abolition of all religions.
Works Cited
Green, Emma. “How Much Discrimination Do Muslims Face in America?”The Atlantic, 2017, Web.
Pellot, Brian. “Buddhists Can Be Terrorists, Priests Can Abuse: Why Religion Doesn’t Preclude Inhumanity.”Religion News, 2014, Web.