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Examples default to Christianity for the sake of simplicity...
The temporal, "organised" religious systems (and I include here anamistic systems not generally regarded as organised religion) are certainly very important due to their physical presence and direct interaction with society. The lowliest priest has far greater temporal influence than the mightiest diety, no god has organised humanitarian aid, spoken out against social injustice, or risked death opposing tyranny - Christ hung upon the cross knowing he was the son of God, his priests have not had that luxury when they have faced torture and death in his name.
The spiritualistic and theological aspects are also important, but less directly; a non-interventionist god's power is as an idea or symbol, and the power people draw from that only comes from the beliefs they juxtapose with that idea. A modern Christian may associate kindness, charity and hope with his God, and find the succor and comfort in time of need that he requires to overcome his present travails.
On a larger scale religion provides a framework for societies, a social glue to bind people together - a set of precepts upon which order can be built (religo, latin for "to bind" ). This isn't to say that nothing else could provide this framework, but simply that time and again throughout history it has been religious belief that has. If parts of the Pentateuch read like a survival manual for dragging tribes of refugees accross a desert, then that's possibly because that's what they are.
The precepts and beliefs that form this framework are held to be universal truths, this protects them from challenge, and helps bind the followers of a faith together.
But this must include philosophical systems of belief that are not apparently religious; we would happily say that the principle Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) are all religions (or perhaps argue that they are all aspects of a single Abrahamic religion), or Hinduism are religions, but what about the Baha'i, or Shinto or Buddhism? Are these religions? Take it further, at what point do Communism or Fascism become religions? Or further still, how strong is the case for "America" being a religion?
Really ought to plan these long rambles before I type them out, make them less rambley...
As for wars? Less, more? Perhaps fewer debilitating skirmishes between small tribes, but religion enables you to bind your small tribes together into nations, some degree of peace will follow this but it is a Pax Romanum or Pax Americanum, peace not out of pacifism but out of fear of destruction. And when war does break out it will be far bloodier as the larger groups are far more capable of inflicting catastrophic losses on an opponent, no matter what the opponents size.
Love? Love unfortunately has very little to do with most religion, except of course for the love of the religion in question, however the social framework religion provides enables civilisation to flourish and that may be enough.
(Edited by Callum 09/08/2002 18:26)
(Edited by Callum 10/08/2002 00:14)
The temporal, "organised" religious systems (and I include here anamistic systems not generally regarded as organised religion) are certainly very important due to their physical presence and direct interaction with society. The lowliest priest has far greater temporal influence than the mightiest diety, no god has organised humanitarian aid, spoken out against social injustice, or risked death opposing tyranny - Christ hung upon the cross knowing he was the son of God, his priests have not had that luxury when they have faced torture and death in his name.
The spiritualistic and theological aspects are also important, but less directly; a non-interventionist god's power is as an idea or symbol, and the power people draw from that only comes from the beliefs they juxtapose with that idea. A modern Christian may associate kindness, charity and hope with his God, and find the succor and comfort in time of need that he requires to overcome his present travails.
On a larger scale religion provides a framework for societies, a social glue to bind people together - a set of precepts upon which order can be built (religo, latin for "to bind" ). This isn't to say that nothing else could provide this framework, but simply that time and again throughout history it has been religious belief that has. If parts of the Pentateuch read like a survival manual for dragging tribes of refugees accross a desert, then that's possibly because that's what they are.
The precepts and beliefs that form this framework are held to be universal truths, this protects them from challenge, and helps bind the followers of a faith together.
But this must include philosophical systems of belief that are not apparently religious; we would happily say that the principle Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) are all religions (or perhaps argue that they are all aspects of a single Abrahamic religion), or Hinduism are religions, but what about the Baha'i, or Shinto or Buddhism? Are these religions? Take it further, at what point do Communism or Fascism become religions? Or further still, how strong is the case for "America" being a religion?
Really ought to plan these long rambles before I type them out, make them less rambley...
As for wars? Less, more? Perhaps fewer debilitating skirmishes between small tribes, but religion enables you to bind your small tribes together into nations, some degree of peace will follow this but it is a Pax Romanum or Pax Americanum, peace not out of pacifism but out of fear of destruction. And when war does break out it will be far bloodier as the larger groups are far more capable of inflicting catastrophic losses on an opponent, no matter what the opponents size.
Love? Love unfortunately has very little to do with most religion, except of course for the love of the religion in question, however the social framework religion provides enables civilisation to flourish and that may be enough.
(Edited by Callum 09/08/2002 18:26)
(Edited by Callum 10/08/2002 00:14)
Posted: 18:16 Aug 09 2002 
for the record Im a Athiest
I don't have a religion myself, but I do have beliefs that I use in everyday life.