Module 3: The Positive and Negative Effects of Religion

Introduction

Starting the discussion about the role of religion in history.
Question: What roles does religion play in particular historical events?
Mentioning John Lennon's song "Imagine" that suggests a world without divisions due to nationality and religion.

Building Peace and Goodness
- Helps in cultivating peace, charity, and goodness.
- Provides spiritual support and connection to a higher power.
Conducting Rituals and Culture
- Rituals bring unity and a sense of belonging.
- Example: Sufi dervishes spinning as a form of worship.
Moral Behavior
- Teaching proper conduct and valuing life.
- Religious leaders act as mediators between people and gods.
Social Change
- Paved the way for anti-slavery movements and the People Power Revolution in the Philippines.
- Mahatma Gandhi and his nonviolent protests.
Addressing Life and Death Questions
- Provides answers about the origin of life and questions about the afterlife.
- Example: Hindu beliefs in karma and dharma.

Discrimination
- Leads to persecution and discrimination against those with different beliefs.
- Example: Wearing the hijab in Islam seen as oppression of women.
Conflict and Wars
- History of wars caused by religion, such as conflicts in Palestine, Kashmir, and Sudan.
- Fights in the name of religion.
Hindering Scientific Development
- Religious doctrines sometimes contradict scientific discoveries.
- Example: The church's belief that the world is flat.
Loss of Reason and Rationality
- Some practices go against rational thinking.
- Example: The tradition of Sati in India and other barbaric customs.