Religion and Poverty.

[kentuck]

It seems to me to be a direct correlation between religious fanaticism and poverty. The more poverty, the more fanaticism. And it is not inclusive to any one country around the world.

Many of the religious fanatics in Afghanistan and Pakistan are born into abject poverty. The hunger and desperation of poverty offers religion as a hope for a better life, if not in this life, then in the next.

The South in our own country has always been poorer than other parts of the country. In my opinion, that is why we discuss the "Bible Belt" believers and the "snake handlers" of Appalachia. They were born out of the conditions of poverty.

Whether this religion is created for these poor people or whether these poor people create the religion on their own is open to question? But I am convinced that when when people have no food or shelter and no hope, religion is the only crutch that is left for them.

If we truly want to change the world and make it a better place, we should look to feed and educate the people of the world and to remove poverty from our planet.

[Homer Wells]

1. AMEN!!!

Kick for real insight

[El_Johns]

2. + 1

The foundation of irreligious criticism is: Man makes religion, religion does not make man. Religion is, indeed, the self-consciousness and self-esteem of man who has either not yet won through to himself, or has already lost himself again. But man is no abstract being squatting outside the world. Man is the world of man – state, society.

This state and this society produce religion, which is an inverted consciousness of the world, because they are an inverted world. Religion is the general theory of this world, its encyclopaedic compendium, its logic in popular form, its spiritual point d’honneur, its enthusiasm, its moral sanction, its solemn complement, and its universal basis of consolation and justification. It is the fantastic realization of the human essence since the human essence has not acquired any true reality. The struggle against religion is, therefore, indirectly the struggle against that world whose spiritual aroma is religion.

Religious suffering is, at one and the same time, the expression of real suffering and a protest against real suffering. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.

The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. To call on them to give up their illusions about their condition is to call on them to give up a condition that requires illusions. The criticism of religion is, therefore, in embryo, the criticism of that vale of tears of which religion is the halo.

[H2O Man]

3. Recommended.

I like Liberation Theology.

[el_bryanto]

4. This is a definite phenomena

I think in some ways religion gives an alternate value system; this can be both positive and negative. Certainly religious people can be less acquisitive and more focused on families and communities - they can also be very insular, cut off from those not of their belief system.

I am pro religion in general though, and don't think eliminating poverty will also eliminate religion, although I hope it would lessen the need of some people to require it to explain everything.

Bryant

[awoke_in_2003]

5. You are promised wealth in the after life...

so you dont mind the fucking here on earth too much. Religion is a construct of the wealthy to keep the peasants in line.

[CrispyQ]

7. So goddamned fucking true.

[CrispyQ]

6. +1

When you're hungry you'll grasp at anything.

[Thinkingabout]

8. I wonder why the churches doesn't push for higher wages, more money for their contributors.

Larger salaries could mean bigger plates on church days, it would be a win-win situation.

[Skittles]

9. one of the causes of poverty is lack of access to birth control

religion is in great part responsible for that