# Religion is the single most dangerous thing ever conceived by man. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 20, 2005, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074 "2005-02-20T23:07:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji_Kitakyusho)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/1 "2005-02-20T23:07:09Z")
Cite: see entirety of human history. Second on the list: maybe nuclear weapons? ---
**Author:** ![Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji_Kitakyusho)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/2 "2005-02-20T23:08:36Z")
Title should have read “…by man.” ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/3 "2005-02-20T23:09:57Z")
So where do disingenuous content-free debates fit in? ---
**Author:** ![Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f0a364/32.png) [@Fuji\_Kitakyusho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuji_Kitakyusho)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/4 "2005-02-20T23:13:05Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > So where do disingenuous content-free debates fit in? Was going to post in MPSIMS, but figured it might have ended up here. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/5 "2005-02-20T23:16:42Z")
All religion? The Dalai Lama is worse than a weapon? How? ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/6 "2005-02-20T23:21:28Z")
I tend to agree. As a matter of debate, perhaps it is best that those who think otherwise refute your assertion. ---
**Author:** ![Well](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df788c/32.png) [@Well](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Well)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/7 "2005-02-20T23:30:07Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > I tend to agree. As a matter of debate, perhaps it is best that those who think otherwise refute your assertion. Religion is **not** the single most dangerous thing ever conceived by man. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/8 "2005-02-20T23:30:43Z")
> [@Fuji Kitakyusho](#): > > Religion is the single most dangerous thing ever > conceived \*\*y man. Agreed. People and people’s societies have a tendancy to get far too wrapped up in ideologies, to ignore other’s needs, and to impose their views on others including imposition through force. Now add religion to this mix. Religion is a terrible and powerful tool to these ends, for it permits people and societies to rally behind the mantra that god is on their side, and that they are right and the means they implement to assert themselves are right because it us God’s will . God is the great exclamation point that brings moral authority to any position or argument. Religion is the forge in which the appeal to God is formed. ---
**Author:** ![rfgdxm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c0e974/32.png) [@rfgdxm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rfgdxm)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/9 "2005-02-20T23:32:41Z")
> [@Well](#): > > Religion is **not** the single most dangerous thing ever conceived by man. Then please name those things more dangerous that have been conceived by man. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/10 "2005-02-20T23:36:50Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > So where do disingenuous content-free debates fit in? In what way is the OP disingenuous? It is forthright. It is frank. There is no false appearance in it. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/11 "2005-02-20T23:37:46Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > Then please name those things more dangerous that have been conceived by man. Ford Pinto Windows Millennium Spyware Reality TV Need I go on? ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/12 "2005-02-20T23:38:34Z")
Quantify “dangerous”. Explain how you can differentiate between “religion” and “human nature”. I find the latter far more dangerous, as it created the former in addition to a whole host of other dangerousnesses. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/13 "2005-02-20T23:38:51Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > I tend to agree. As a matter of debate, perhaps it is best that those who think otherwise refute your assertion. Actually, as a matter of debate ethics the fellow making the claim should support his position. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/14 "2005-02-20T23:39:39Z")
> [@](#): > > People and people’s societies have a tendancy to get far too wrapped up in ideologies And only religion has “ideologies”? ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/15 "2005-02-20T23:40:22Z")
How many people have been killed in the name of religion, versus how many people have been killed in the name of politics in the 20th century alone? ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/16 "2005-02-20T23:41:33Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Agreed. > > People and people’s societies have a tendancy to get far too wrapped up in ideologies, to ignore other’s needs, and to impose their views on others including imposition through force. > > Now add religion to this mix. Religion is a terrible and powerful tool to these ends, for it permits people and societies to rally behind the mantra that god is on their side, and that they are right and the means they implement to assert themselves are right because it us God’s will . God is the great exclamation point that brings moral authority to any position or argument. Religion is the forge in which the appeal to God is formed. The necessity of paying attention to others’ needs (notice placement of apostrophe) is itself an ideology. What is the exclamation point on your own moral authority? ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/17 "2005-02-20T23:41:34Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > All religion? The Dalai Lama is worse than a weapon? How? Buddhism isn’t exactly what I would call a religion. At least not in the same vein of Judism, Christianity or Islam. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/18 "2005-02-20T23:43:02Z")
> [@Brutus](#): > > How many people have been killed in the name of religion, versus how many people have been killed in the name of politics in the 20th century alone? My high school history teacher taught us that all wars are over power and money. Religion is just an excuse for war, never a cause. I think he was onto something. ---
**Author:** ![Well](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df788c/32.png) [@Well](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Well)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/19 "2005-02-20T23:43:39Z")
> [@rfgdxm](#): > > Then please name those things more dangerous that have been conceived by man. Man Cite: see entirety of human history. I’m heading out the door right now, and will elaborate when I come back. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2005, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074/20 "2005-02-20T23:44:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Buddhism isn’t exactly what I would call a religion. At least not in the same vein of Judism, Christianity or Islam. Then quantify “religion” when you’re finished quantifying “dangerous”, if you please. The OP is sorely lacking in any sort of detail or, for that matter, argument. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/religion-is-the-single-most-dangerous-thing-ever-conceived-by-man/291074.md?page=2)