Do you think religions across the world have done something good for humanity?

Entertainment and book sales. Keeping the human over-population down

What time frame?

I suppose in the pre-Christian days, tribal religions might have had some use.

Pre-Christian era is when things went downhill. Christ wasn’t helpful at all, and the Council of Nicaea made things worse by ‘crystallizing’ Christianity. Things went badly from there. Crusades 900 years later with Catholics killing just about everyone. And then the various Muslim invasions in the Middle East and Europe.

Jump ahead to the twentieth century where there is/was a religious impetus to almost every war that took place. (except Grenada)

Bottom line: religion may have some value for individuals who need a belief system, but for humanity it hasn’t been all that great.

In some ways, yes. In some ways, no. The Golden Rule is good, but the belief in some kind of a all powerful, everlasting supreme being is/was a lie.

Some help the needy in their community.

That’s all I’ve got.

Of course they have and continue to do so. But the debate remains unsettled as to whether organized religions are a net boon or plague on humanity.

When religions are about spiritual well-being, wisdom, and peace, they have provided important elements of culture and personal/spiritual well-being, collected wisdom, mythology, and so on. They also tend to be benevolent and do good for people by providing sanctuary and other good works.

When religions act as power/control/wealth-oriented organizations, not so much.

Even with non believers, the very presence of religious structures, persons, and symbols tend to be humbling, and reminders of good behavior, generosity, forgiveness. Sometimes just having a cross visible will cause people to behave with more restraint.
It is a shame so many people use religion in evil ways.

Nope.

The core of most if not all religions is that the individual should care about more than one’s self-interest. Sadly, religion also provides an opportunity for a class of people to control others and accumulate wealth. Instead of bringing people together, religions have pitted them against one another, even when the differences are merely the interpretation of a passage in a common scripture. By limiting what may be believed religions have resisted the power for growing knowledge to improve human conditions, science and humanism often being vilified.

Life has been and will be replete with suffering; some caused by natural events, some the product of circumstances that humans have created. Instinct would have as the purpose for all activity the satisfaction of biological needs regardless of how it effects the lives of others. Were it not for the necessities of interaction for reproduction to maintain the specie and the advantages that cooperation provides the specie, no behavior would have altruistic qualities. Fortunately, many are capable of transcending the genetic imperatives of their animal nature and seek ways in which they may mitigate other’s suffering.

@RedDeerGuy1 “Keeping the human over-population down”

Not sure that’s true. Every family I see with 5, 6, 7 (or 20) kids always seem to be highly religious.

They were useful universally at one time. Now they are useful only in the poorest nations. The United States, which is the most religious of industrial nations, has nearly a quarter of its population having no religion. There are nations in Europe that are majority atheist. The theory of evolution answered the final question that religion had previously answered – How can structure and order arise out of disorder?

Some of the most outstanding of the world’s art and music, inspired by religion, commissioned by various churches (or equivalent), and otherwise related to religion would likely not exist. Various religions have funded scientific breakthroughs. Many great universities in the world have their origins in various religions. The list goes on.

Most Christians I know are good people who use their religion to keep them on the “right track” whatever that is. As long as they’re caring, understanding and don’t hold grudges I’m A-ok with that. I have seen christian groups do good things for the community and for each other. More good than bad to be honest. I’m agnostic and frankly enjoy the company of christians more than that of athiests simply because athiests tend to be more ideological.

Thing is when religion goes bad it can be really bad, like the worst. It’s not the religions fault, it’s the ideological people who bend and twist religion to justify their sick beliefs, power structures and base desires. Same goes for politics, no practical difference when you get “believers” running the show if you know what I mean. There will always be a “flock” who seem to have a need to follow the leader even if that leader is a fucking asshole.

Providing a sense of community and purpose that doesn’t necessarily have to do with consumer capitalism.

@ARE_you_kidding_me – GA.:)) Can’t agree more!! Thanks @All for great answers!!!

…..Marx is saying that religion’s purpose is to create illusory fantasies for the poor. Economic realities prevent them from finding true happiness in this life, so religion tells them that this is OK because they will find true happiness in the next life. Although this is a criticism of religion, Marx is not without sympathy: people are in distress and religion provides solace, just as people who are physically injured receive relief from opiate-based drugs.
From This website.

Sure, as someone else ^ said, religion asks us (christians) to put others needs ahead of ours, to sacrifice for the greater good, to be humble and kind, etc…

The golden rule came long before jesus and was said about enemies rather than just ‘neighbours’. Progress tends to happen in spite of religion, religion gets dragged along behind it and later claims the progress as it’s own. Until pretty recently, almost everyone was religious in some way so of course both great and terrible things have been done by religious people. If you want to look at what made the difference, religion clearly isn’t it.