Religion has had a positive effect on society on balance.

This debate must avoid getting caught up in little events and details because its not going to be solved that way. It's far too complicated. It's to hard looking closely at little events because its too hard to determine where they came from. For instance, most 'religious' wars have far more influential factors and the church and religion can be separated, or discussed as one. So we must look at the big picture and see what religion actually is too determine its benefit. In short, I believe that religion has represented our consciousness and given it substance and clarity. With no religion, there would have been only rulers and the ruled, and resources. Nothing would have changed, in my opinion, because people don't give up power without a fight, and people can believe any world is acceptable. Because religion was there, saying that all men are equal, and that the poor will be first and the rich will be last and all that, it made the gradual shift towards equality happen. So. What is religion? In the beginning, culture and religion where inseparable, a cultures 'religion' was just its beliefs about the world. In them days (before and just after agriculture) 'religion' was only positive. As it was the system we used to explain life, heal people and understand our environment. When we started to live in big cities, religion held us together. It offered ceremony, rights of passage, community gatherings and gave people a sense of understanding and unity in the mysterious world they live in. As cities continued to grow and resources got scarce, humans sank into a more animalistic mentality and began to become like we understand them today. Dominant dictators where the norm and poor people where property, and the world was unfair and the iron fist ruled. The strongest ruled. In this world (the last 6000 years) kings ruled. Kings are dictators and we all know what happens to dictators. So the world was ruled be dictators. Religion, or the belief in a god, is the only leach on a dictator. That's why dictators hate religion and are often atheist, because they like to think of themselves as 'god'. (I'm not saying atheists are dictators, I'm saying dictators hate religion because it humbles them). There is nothing to stop the human mind from going extreme with power, religion offered that hold on the kings of the political systems of the world and acted as a regulator. The pope would condemn violence and injustice. Also, religion effects the heart and minds of these people that's why it's so hard to determine its positive effects. For instance, William the Conqueror feared god and repented on his death bed for his atrocities, suggesting that god had been an influence on his mind despite the fact he was a mean character. So without god, how bad would these men have been? So my arguments are as follows: Religion has acted as an entity, above kings, that humbles their authority. Battling against the natural instinct to become violent and oppressive that dictators are at risk of becoming. The church itself, throughout Christendom from about 900AD to 1700, played a key role in the relationships between the nations of Europe. The pope and the Vatican could be loosely likened to the EU, or other such organisation that sought to maintain peaceful relations throughout the world through being a common lord and communication ground. Kings would write to the pope if they felt they where being hard done too by other kings, and the pope would excommunicate kings who where cruel or warmongering. If you where a small, god fearing society, you could get protections from the pope and anybody who attacked you could be excommunicated. Religion is mankind's institutionalised consciousness. It's the 'good' part of us, documented, displayed and thought out by those considered profits and authors of the books e.t.c. This is absolutely obvious if you just put yourself in the world 250 years ago or before. In the animal kingdom there is no justice or fairness, only the rule of the strongest. Human beings behave like this as well, as psychological studies show. Even with members of our own society (one in which being 'good' is indoctrinated) used as subjects, they would very quickly act brutal if the circumstances allowed (prison study Zimbardo). I mean, look at the slave trade, it was done in a freedom loving country. So in the ancient world, before people where thinking of anything else but survival, what was there to act as a conscious? There was nothing but religion. Religion is the only thing that says to do good in the world, up until the 1700's. Yes, I accept its human followers can at times be mislead or completely wrong, but ultimately they mean well. Without religion, there is nothing to say do the moral thing. Obviously until more recent history, where modern societies (which are inherently Christian in origin) began to become more socially fair. We are only behaving in a way now though, that the bible has encouraged us to be like for centuries. I await my opponents response Thank you