@Matias Not very well.... Seems like he skipped most of it because it has very little of what he claims. Most of the bible is written to enforce an insular culture that submits without question to authority.... So either he didn't read it like I did as a child or he simply cherry picked it like Christians always do...

@TheMiddleWay You actually think it is OK for modern humans to believe that made-up nonsense is real? Therein lies the problem with our society! Morality comes from the fact that we evolved as social animals and need to be accepted by our peers. Morality based on made up carrot and stick is false morality and is used simply to control others.

I am well aware that there are other religions than Christianity. Did I say otherwise ?and if you read the first five books of the old testament, or Torah or Pentateuch you will be aware that they are Jewish , not Christian. The god they adopted was certainly munificent but only if you were Jewish'

Of course religion has been beneficial to mankind but that is probably far outweighed by the harm done.

Christianity had it's inquisitions and crusades and it held Europe back for hundreds of years in the dark ages. Islam conquered much of North Africa and Europe (was that a good thing?) and now produces some nasty terrorists.

I had some hope for Buddhism, if it is really a religion, but the treatment of the Rohingya people in Myanmar has been particularly brutal.

Matias seems to have an agenda promoting religion. I wonder if he is on the right site ?
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@TheMiddleWay You said it " the education establishments were to better understand gods work" not scientific advancement'

Of course the churches, Roman Catholic and Eastern orthodox played a large part in history. They were all powerful and had no opposition until Henry started the church of England which was just a watered down RC church anyway.
It was only after the reformation and the enlightenment that scientific advancement really began. "The enlightenment" ?. get it. the end of the dark ages.

After the reformation the Church of Scotland opened "Grammar schools" throughout Scotland to further the populations understanding of the scriptures. OF course this had the effect of educating ordinary folk and Scotland was at the forefront of advancement for generations. At one time Sctland had four universities when England only had two,

Christians have been holding back advancement from the very early days of Christianity. I recommend you read " The darkening age-- the Christian destruction of the classical world" by academic Catherine Nixey. A fascinating read and definitely not mythology.

@TheMiddleWay Oh Dear she is a mere Journalist. She has a degree in classics from Cambridge and taught classics for a time before becoming a journalists. Possibly one reason why her book is the best referenced of the type I have read. I haven't read either of the authors you mention but if you haven't read Catherine Nixey's work how can you compare them ?

One small point I was unaware off before reading her book. I always thought that the fact that the beautiful marble statues from ancient Greece had bits missing. Noses, arms feet etc, was just wear and tear from years of handling. No it was deliberate damage by the early Christians who considered them Idolatrous.

Also I don't think Hypatia, the philosopher, astromoner and mathemetician would agree with you, well she couldn't as she was stripped naked,hauled through the streets and killed by a Christian mob.

Fast forward to just over 300 years ago to Edinburgh when Archie Aikenhead was hanged for blasphemy.
Yes charmers those early Christians

Of course there was some limited advancement through the Christian era, I remember learning about Mendels peas in science class at school but as the RC church deliberatly kept the masses ignorant to better supress them the priests had a monopoly on education.

I did try to read a book by one author Matias mentions, Pascale Boyer, but virtually lost the will to live after a few chapters. A load of impenatrable gobbldegook, No references, just opinions.

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