Would an atheist world be peaceful ?

[Ihatemonday]

Like the song of Lennon , do you imagine if there was no heaven or hell , and we live the day , would the world be better ?

"Imagine there's no heaven,
it's easy if you try,
no hell below us,
above us only sky.
Imagine all the people,
living for today yu-huh.
Imagine there's no countries,
it isn't hard to do,
nothing to kill or die for,
and no religion too.
Imagine all the people,
living life in peace yu-huh.
You may say I'm a dreamer
but I'm not the only one
I hope some day you'll join us,
and the world will be as one.
Imagine no possesions,
I wonder if you can,
no need for greed or hunger,
a brotherhood of man.
Imagine all the people,
sharing all the world yu-huh.
You may say I'm a dreamer "
John Lennon

[Imperator of Rome]

No because there would still be nations and war,no religion does not remove those things.

[Aristophanes]

Ummm, can this get moved to 'arts' or 'frivolous questions based on inane lyrics'? Seriously, religion, like ideology,[such as Marxism, Feudalism, Socialism or Communism] is just a means to rationalize the baser instincts.

[Garbarsardar]

Ummm, can this get moved to 'arts' or 'frivolous questions based on inane lyrics'? Seriously, religion, like ideology,[such as Marxism, Feudalism, Socialism or Communism] is just a means to rationalize the baser instincts.

Yes. Unfortunately the frivolous questions forum had been metaphysically integrated to all the others and none.

[Kscott]

Imagine there's no countries,

nothing to kill or die for,

Imagine no possesions,

no need for greed or hunger,

So if everyone is atheist, has everything they could possibliy need and there aren't countries or any divisions for that matter, then yes, we would probably have peace.

[danzig]

We'd just find something else to fight about, besides most wars in recent years are based on power, influence or ethnic lines so how would an atheist world eliminate that? Also your implication by using Lennon's song is that everything would magically be different? God and religion isnt the reason for war, its just an excuse and if we didnt have that one we'd find another.

[Habelo]

So if everyone is atheist, has everything they could possibliy need and there aren't countries or any divisions for that matter, then yes, we would probably have peace.

I think that we need war, i mean seriosly. Dont we all need to get our hands bloody of a fight? Somehow never ever fighting in my hole life, i cant imagine myself doing it..

Everyone seems to forget: Religion is the TOOL of war, but never the MASTER of it...
The masters of war is those who uses religion as a tool.

[Ihatemonday]

Ummm, can this get moved to 'arts' or 'frivolous questions based on inane lyrics'? Seriously, religion, like ideology,[such as Marxism, Feudalism, Socialism or Communism] is just a means to rationalize the baser instincts.

So you think it is a frivolous question Man i think you are "the one" calling an enigma that bothers mankind for ages , frivolous ; i guess it is because of your frivolity . And "Seriously, religion, like ideology,[such as Marxism, Feudalism, Socialism or Communism] is just a means to rationalize the baser instincts." this is just your opininon and for me it is only EXAGGERATIVE PSYCHOANALYSIS
, you cannot call frivolous to a topic only basing your opinions it is not respectful and it is insulting.

I really want to see people with opinions about here,so please, if i am the only one asked myself this question dont answer it ,PLAY IT LOW DOWN i dont force you ; but dont post insulting messages ,learn how to discuss something.

[Ó Cathasaigh]

And violence due to belief that one's actions would lead to rewards would decrease. Do not underestimate the actions of a person who believe that martyrdom for their God will bring their soul to immortal salvation. I see little reason to believe that an atheistic world would increase violence. Only a less moral one would.

Martyrdom would decrease of course, but then again....These people would live, they would find another cause to beleive in and kill for that, only they wouldn't die too, they'd be around to keep killing.

[Fenris]

Whatever happens, there will never be peace. It may bemore peaceful ne way, but human will always find excuses to fight. The human is a being of conflict.

[mongoose]

I know that. But, without any sort of religion at all, how would you know that? How would people be able to tell that respect, and kindness and love are all good things without a select group of people (priests, rabbis, imans, ect) continually telling them that these things are good.

The answer is simple, people are going to have to get a better grasp on ethics. Right now, too many people are simpy following an authority figure. And no, being an authority figure does not always mean that you're going to be a good person.

And if people don't understand morality at all(as you're suggesting), then what stops an unethical priest from teaching them evil? You seem to think that the message of religion has always been peace and kindness, but history does not support this view.

Atheists, though they believe in no God, know that what is good and what is bad, this is because our parents know what is good and bad and their parents did and their parents did, going back thousands of years to when religion developed and they were told what was a good value and what

Morality is alot more then a giant appeal to tradition, you know. Doing things because your parents did them is the worst possible moral system ever.

Humanism has no religious back ground, it's simply based on not harming people(OK, that's over simplyfing, but it is more or less true)

[infernalbob]

hate to break it to all you atheist, but guess what? We don't live in an atheist world, and never will. To me it doesn't matter if it would be a peacefull world or not. Why waste your time explaining why you think yes or no. Doesn't matter to me, we aren't an atheist world now, and nothing can change that.

[Drexxus Maximus]

No because there would still be nations and war,no religion does not remove those things.

The hell it doesnt, to think religion does not start wars,terrorism ect ect you would have to be extremley naive. Organized religion is the true evil in this world, without it we would all be better off. An Athiest world would still have wars and violence, but nowhere near as many.

[danzig]

The hell it doesnt, to think religion does not start wars,terrorism ect ect you would have to be extremley naive. Organized religion is the true evil in this world, without it we would all be better off. An Athiest world would still have wars and violence, but nowhere near as many.

Was Hitler based on religion? Was Alexander the Great based on religion? Was Stalin based on religion? Was Naploneon? Was American Revolution based on religion? Was American civil war based on religion? Was China's great leap forward based on religion? Was Japanese's engagement in WW2 based on religion? Was cold war based on religion? etc etc etc

You have absolutely nothing to back up your assertion that an atheist world would lead to a world with less wars.

[Sétanta]

An Atheist world...

Maybe it would be different, especially if people with no morals came to power. Maybe it would be the same.

[danzig]

An Atheist world...

Maybe it would be different, especially if people with no morals came to power. Maybe it would be the same.

Lets not go that far, while the idea of an atheist world somehow being paradise is nonsense that doesnt mean atheist have no morals. Just because we dont believe doesnt mean we are a bunch of amoral madmen

[Last Roman]

An Atheist world...

Maybe it would be different, especially if people with no morals came to power. Maybe it would be the same.

to say that athiest's have no morals is plain flat out wrong. They are just not derived from any religious book

[Imperator of Rome]

The hell it doesnt, to think religion does not start wars,terrorism ect ect you would have to be extremley naive. Organized religion is the true evil in this world, without it we would all be better off. An Athiest world would still have wars and violence, but nowhere near as many.

Bull,to base wars and stuff completely on religion and ignore the fact that some humans are just selfish and mean is naive,there would still be wars and you know it.Check examples Danzig labeled above.I know religion causes strife but removing it wont remove greed.

[Søren]

The hell it doesnt, to think religion does not start wars,terrorism ect ect you would have to be extremley naive. Organized religion is the true evil in this world, without it we would all be better off. An Athiest world would still have wars and violence, but nowhere near as many.

It's wrong to equate religion with organized evil.

In human interaction, there are many different tools which are utalized to individual ends, religion is one of them. Let me clarify by means of a figurative example:

Two mean are sitting on a park bench. One sees a knife and stabs it into the other person.

Now, would you blame the knife or the knifer? The object or the object-user?

You may reply that 'religion is the motivation, and cannot equate to an object' but is that entirly true?

Religion is used as a rallying point - Medieval Catholicism & Modern Fundamentalist Islam spring to mind. But are those the causes, or the tools used to achieve the causes?

Even more, can we blame a religion for the way people (mis-)use it?

When Hitler siezed power - admittiably through manipulation of inner political channels - he still came so due to what could be considered a democratic vote of the citizens. Thus, by finding corrolation in this (and other examples) to the rise of dictators; would we blame democracy? Something which is used badly by some, used well by others?

Likewise with religion.

[Drexxus Maximus]

The hell it doesnt, to think religion does not start wars,terrorism ect ect you would have to be extremley naive. Organized religion is the true evil in this world, without it we would all be better off. An Athiest world would still have wars and violence, but nowhere near as many.

Here, I'll quote myself for all those who completely missed what I said and jumped on me. Notice the "An Athiest world would still have wars and violence, but nowhere near as many." part? I never said that an Athiest world would be perfect, just better than a world without organized religion, it's my opinion. Of course you are going to have madmen like Hitler and so on and so on. Thats not my point. My point is that without organized religion we would just have that much less to worry about.

You have absolutely nothing to back up your assertion that an atheist world would lead to a world with less wars.

And where is your proof that it wouldnt?