Christianity.
Islam.
Buddhism.
Jewish.
Protestant.
Catholic.
Sikhism.
Scientology.
Mormon.
I hate them all for various reasons. Christianity destroyed both my of heritages. I am Cherokee-Irish(Erse).
It all but wiped out my religions, my languages, my histories, my cultures.
So here is how I would personally rank them as the worst.
1) Scientology- because it is a scam of the first magnitude. It enslaves people to this day and steals their wealth and youth.
2) Christianity- for committing genocide and destroying cultures.
3) Islam- for forcing people back into the 5th century and the baggage that comes from the dark ages.
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1. Scientology. For the very same reasons myk noted.
2. Roman Catholicism. For using the "USSR Atrocity" as an excuse to paint atheists as bad, both in Russia and abroad.
3. Catholicism in genral. For all the various atrocity committed/aided by the Pope's and priests of the last millennium.
4. Christianity. For the same reasons myk noted.
5. Islam. For bringing about an age of Xenophobia and hate crimes.
All of the above in varying degrees.....X-moron myself.
Another one to add to your list is Hindu because of all the appalling violence and blighted lives that result from its primitive caste system. Hindu, together with Islam, also deserves special mention for the millions of lives lost during the partition of India and Pakistan. Before that there was the Indian Mutiny, which occurred because Hindu halfwits and Muslim morons thought the British blockheads were using cow/pig grease on rifle cartridges. Millions died because of a lie and two stupid religions, and really what did it matter anyway?
And then there are the cow vigilantes, who go around in gangs beating and sometimes killing anyone who fails to show proper respect to cows. As if India didn't have enough problems without all this religious mumbo-jumbo. On the positive side, Hindu's gods are very comical and photogenic. I especially like the one with the elephant head.
We should have a religion Olympics with medals for the religions that have committed the biggest crimes in each category.
Most bizarre lies: Gold Mormonism Silver Catholicism Bronze Hindu
Most murders: Gold Catholicism, Silver Hindu Bronze Islam
Torture: Gold, silver and bronze all to Catholicism
Child molestation: Gold Catholocism, Silver Anglicanism, Bronze Salvation Army
Most Startlingly Horrifying Religious Text: A fake gold medal to every religion.
Most Startlingly Convoluted "Philosophy": Gold to Islam, Silver to Catholicism and Christianity, Bronze to Hinduism.
My take:
1) Jewish religion. Why? Because it is the predecessor for most of the others on the list(Christianity, Islam, Protestant, Catholic, Mormon).
2) Christianity. Because it has the most adherents.
3) Islam. Because it has the 2nd most adherents.
I oppose the Idea of Buddhism being seen as a Religion.
Nr.1 Fact is that Religion has a form of belief or faith in a Superhuman or Supreme Being which Buddhism doesn't have.
Webster's New World Dictionary (Third College Edition): defines religion as: "any specific system of belief and worship, often involving a code of ethics and a philosophy."
Buddhism would not be considered a religion under this definition, because it is basically non-theistic: it does not generally involve worship of a supernatural entity.
And so Buddha is not seen as a God but is seen as a Teacher.
Nr.2 It is wrong to include Buddhism in the Category of Religion or Philosophy, as they don't fit Neatly.
As I read about a Article - "When people asked Buddha what he was teaching, he said he teaches "the way things are." He said nobody should believe his teachings out of faith, but instead they should examine for themselves to see if they are true or not."
SkyDiVer - "Webster's New World Dictionary (Third College Edition): defines religion as:"
For what it is worth; you might notice that Webster's New World Dictionary classifies Buddhism as a religion:
http://www.yourdictionary.com/buddhism#websters
I'm only stating the definition of Religion through "Webster's New World Dictionary", it has nothing to do with what it classifies Buddhism as.
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/qanda03.htm
If you look at the last Question and Answer of the Page in the website you will see that Buddhism is Not a Religion but it's also not Philosophical as it doesn't impose the Idea of need for Salvation by a Higher Being and including the non-belief in a Supreme Being such as God, but it also includes such forms of practices called Karma, Dukkha etc.
The last Question of the Page -
So if Buddhists don't believe in gods, what do you believe in?
Answer:
We don't believe in a god because we believe in humanity. We believe that each human being is precious and important, that all have the potential to develop into a Buddha - a perfected human being. We believe that humans can outgrow ignorance and irrationality and see things as they really are. We believe that hatred, anger, spite and jealousy can be replaced by love, patience, generosity and kindness. We believe that all this is within the grasp of each person if they make the effort, guided and supported by fellow Buddhists and inspired by the example of the Buddha. As the Buddha says:
No one saves us but ourselves, No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path, but Buddhas clearly show the way.
@SkyDiVer
It doesn't matter what Buddha decided because the following of Buddhism has become a religion in itself.
A religion that calls for obedience deems its founder as divine, and believes in a supernatural aspect of the system is indeed a religion, by practice.
@Mykcob4
Buddhism doesn't fit neatly into either category of religion or philosophy.
"When people asked Buddha what he was teaching, he said he teaches "the way things are." He said nobody should believe his teachings out of faith, but instead they should examine for themselves to see if they are true or not."
Did you even Read my comment before?
SkyDiVer - "I'm only stating the definition of Religion through "Webster's New World Dictionary", it has nothing to do with what it classifies Buddhism as."
You really don't see that as a problem?
@Nyarlathotep
Let's just continue with the "Who's the worst religion", this isn't the Discussion where we should be engaging this debate in.
Buddhism might have started as a philosophy. but it's certainly morphed into a religion. In Japan the Buddhists are in charge of the afterlife and will, for a fee, guarantee your departed loved one a place in a better heaven. Buddhist warrior monks from various sects were a major force in Japanese history. In times of fear and stress, people pray to Buddha and various bodhisattva, such as Amida and Kannon, as if they were gods. One Buddhist sect, Soka Gakkai, even has its own political party. Buddhist monks and priests also misbehave like religious leaders everywhere. A taxi driver I knew in Yokohama told he used to see a line of monks walking from their temple to the local brothel, which offered special prices for monks on Tuesday nights.
The Crusades: 6,000,000
Thirty Years War: 11,500,000
French Wars of Religion: 4,000,000
Second Sudanese Civil War: 2,000,000
Lebanese Civil War: 250,000
Muslim Conquests of India: 80,000,000
Congolese Genocide (King Leopold II): 13,000,000
Armenian Genocide: 1,500,000
Rwandan Genocide: 800,000
Eighty Years' War: 1,000,000
Nigerian Civil War: 1,000,000
Great Peasants' Revolt: 250,000
First Sudanese Civil War: 1,000,000
Jewish Diaspora (Not Including the Holocaust): 1,000,000
The Holocaust (Jewish and Homosexual Deaths): 6,500,000
Islamic Terrorism Since 2000: 150,000
Iraq War: 500,000
US Western Expansion (Justified by "Manifest Destiny"):20,000,000
Atlantic Slave Trade (Justified by Christianity): 14,000,000
Aztec Human Sacrifice: 80,000 (It deserves to be mentioned)
AIDS deaths in Africa largely due to opposition to condoms: 30,000,000
Spanish Inquisition: 5,000
TOTAL: 195,035,000 deaths in the name of religion. - As the Information Mentions.
Including the Roman Catholic Church's Open Alliance with Fascism in 1933 as Signed by Pope Pius XI.
The worst One would be -
Christianity. (Including all of it's Branches such as Protestantism, Mormons as they also count as Christians)
Second One -
Islam
Third One -
Hinduism
There are still Barbaric Laws in Hinduism which include Child Marriage and Sati (Wives must commit Suicide through Immolation after their Husbands die), Although Sati is a very rare Occasion, it is worth mentioning as this has Happened during Colonial and Modern Times of India.
The Legal Age to be married in India is 18 years old, but there are also times where Children will marry at ages of 13-17 in some Areas of India.
There is also a Animal Slaughter included, such as the incredibly gory Hindu Festival called the "Gadhimai Mela" that occurs in the Bara District of Southern Nepal (I believe) every 5 years.
In 2009 More than 5.000 Animals were Slaughtered by Beheading.
There was also a Occasion in India's Rural areas where a 7-year old Girl's liver was taken out and "gifted" to a Goddess's Temple.
There are also atrocities against Elephants when Hinduism Festivals arrive. There are several cases where Elephants are mistreated, kicked and whipped, not fed for days and during the Festivals they are always in shackles, expressing clearly as they don't even Care for their Health but are widely used as a Object of Beauty.
This is as far as I know about Hinduism's bad side, 'cause of course there are more atrocities committed by Hinduism.
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I didn't attempt to label every religion, but that does not mean that I don't consider them bad,....I do. No religion is off the list. Even the flying spaghetti monster.
@Mykcob4
The atrocity of Pastafarianism is for existing. *cough* Satirical, Jk *cough*
Although I like the part where it says "It opposes Creationism ".
You know, only a very small percentage of pastafarians actually believe the BS story sell. Its all in satire.
1) Scientology; For the same reasons you mention.
2) The Abrahamic Religions; Long history of terrible acts, suppresses freethought, demands blind obedience, holds progress back.
3) The Rest; With very few exceptions, still result in negative effects on society as a whole (e.g. Hinduism and the caste system in India)
1. Christianity: This is actually an umbrella term it encompass the Catholic, Orthodox, Armenian, Coptic, Protestant churches. Only 4 have a Pope, 5 if you include the Queen of England, and Anglicanism. The reason I put it first is because of the damage done by this religon is the largest as it has infected the globe in ways that Islam only wishes it could. With 40,000 denominations as of today it has stood in the way of progress more so than any other. Take the burning of the libray of Alexandra, by Christian mobs.
2. Islam: After the end of the Golden Age, which propelled humanity into the future and laid the fram work for the enlightenment. The midevil Interpretation of the literal truth of the Quran is what brought about the rise of Islamic extremitism as we see it today.
3. Mormonism: To quote Mark Twain "Chloroform in print"
4: Scientology: The over-glorification of one con mans delusion, which abuses the American legal syatem.
Also for what it is worth, Mormonism is under the umbrella of Christianity (it is a form of Christianity).
You are technically correct in that they are followers of Christ, but then we would have to also accept Islam as under the Christian umbrella as BOTH Mormonism and Islam is a continuation of Christianity as Muslims are also followers of Christ, as one prophet in a long line from Adam to Muhammad. So I do not count Mormons as Christian.
It's my understanding that mormons think jesus is god, making them xtians, and mulims do not, excluding them from being called xtians.
Well what about Unitarians, like Jehovah's Witnesses are they not Christian? They reject the divinity of Christ. In keeping with the Mormon and Islam comparison. Muhamad is the last prophet in a line of prophets including Jesus, Jospeph Smith is the last prophet in a long line of prophets including Jesus. Really it could be argued that Joseph Smith is the Muhammad of the West.
AlphaLogica - "So I do not count Mormons as Christian."
I don't know what to tell you. Mormons are Christians, in the same way that Jehovah's Witnesses, World Wide Church of God followers, Branch Davidian's, 7th day adventists, Westboro Baptists, and lots of other freaks are Christian. They self identity as Christian, and they believe Jesus was the son of god and the messiah for humanity.
How would you define what is or is not a Christian, do you go by the standard set by the Nicieane Creed, or simply if they self indentify as Christian?
Oh and while I have you hear I want to apologize for my behavior towards you in the other thread, my behavior was vitriolic and childish and as such i offer my sincere apology, and hope we can find some common understanding.
Self identification is good enough for me. But I already gave you the definition that is typically used in academia for classification.
We all know that lots of sects claim that other sects isn't really Christian (a very common claim of main stream Protestants against Catholics). I have no interest in those arguments.
In fact: where I live Non-Mormon Christians are considered outlier sects.
Anyway, I recommend this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restorationism
AlphaLogica, I think you are forgetting the fact though that Islam uses a different holy book than all the denominations you mentioned that use the Bible. One could easily conclude all those denominations are Christian, based on the use of the holy bible as their religious book, and Islam is separate based on it's use of the Quran (which interestingly enough mentions Jesus more than Muhammed).
I'm really sorry, I know you guys probably don't want me on here but I had to correct what you were saying. We do not believe that Jesus is God, we believe that he is the son of God sent to earth to save mankind by dying for us. we are very christian but other Christians do not believe that we are.
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