Poll #225 - Do you think that religion is or was used as a method to control the masses?

[A mere Korutsu [Misato] 39]

Poll #225 - Do you think that religion is or was used as a method to control the masses?

What do you think and why? Also- please lets keep this civil, we are in the 21st Century and not the 11th, we are past the age of (keyboard) warriors!

Fun fact: So far there have been a recoded 123 Holy wars resulting in approximately 150,000,000 deaths have been caused in the name of religion. [However keep in mind that this is a highly debated figure and with lots of controversy so do not take this as pure fact but it gives a rough idea.]

Edited November 19, 2020 by A mere Korutsu [Misato]

[A mere Korutsu [Misato] 39]

39 minutes ago, Bradley said:

I'm curious; why do you state 1914 as the past? Is that an arbitrary date or does it represent some important event (other than the start of WW1 ofc, which doesn't appear to be relevant)

Well that is a very good point, and I thank you for asking because I definitely thought the date out well, Here is my reasoning:

Before WW1 war in the UK was thought to be a young man's adventure and it was encouraged to enlist, whilst pre-ww1 there was certainly a positive stigma about war, going out to kill some Jerries for your king and country, many perceived war to be morale. Therefore I assume that it would be a lot easier to manipulate the populace into going to fight whether justified or not, and also for religion. However post WW1 with the horrors of war fully experienced this heroic outlook on war had completely vanished and no one wanted to fight really. I understand there are exceptions, but if we look particularly into the freerer societies where many did not support war at all.  Also if we take a look at the Wehrmacht, many men did not fight because they belived in fopdoodle and his ideology but simply because of well conscription but also the good pay and treatment, which if you look into it, the Wehrmacht treated it's soldiers very well, especially compared to all the other dictatorships. (I could write an entire thesis on this.... but I don't want to bore you all so I will stop here)

[A mere Korutsu [Misato] 39]

12 hours ago, Bradley said:

Appreciate the response and explanation but I’m more confused now than I was when I asked the question  

 

Some advice? Don’t set specific dates when you don’t have to. So rather than “It did only in the past (past meaning before 1914)”, something like “It did in the past but not anymore”. Sometimes less is more

 

13 hours ago, Brooklyn666 said:

 

This makes absolutely no sense at all. None.

Ah- well now that I reread the reply I kinda id very convoluted, so long story short, before WW1 most ppl thought war was a good thing after WW1 not so much anymore. And to link it up, would people still fight a war? Even for religion in an age were war is avoided?

Edited November 20, 2020 by A mere Korutsu [Misato]

[alyster 186]

1914 isn't a bad date to pick for the start of "today". WW1 and the following revolutions swept away much of the old world and the monarchies of the old: Russian Empire, German Empire, Ottoman Empire, Austro-Hungarian Empire. That's a lot of Europe switching to modern times. Also when picking a date when technology and thinking got close enough for it to be considered a "today" then what the hell, why not 1914? A big war to mark the split. 

Edited November 20, 2020 by alyster

[Nizam Adrienne 70]

I think it's much less used as a way to control the masses today simply because of the (attempted?) separation of church and state in but there are still plenty of places where this is true, even today. I don't think there's anything wrong with spirituality or belief in a higher power but I think it's naïve to believe that historically, organized religion hasn't been used as a tool for influencing and controlling people.