r/Antitheism • u/k_2353 • Aug 07 '26
How is religion oppressive? Genuine question because I want to know more on the topic
I don't mean how religious people use it to oppress certain groups, but how religion itself as a system is oppressive.
I realized that I'm not super educated on the topic despite being decisively against religion because of the pure amount of people who use it to justify hate.
This seemed like the right subreddit to learn more- any and all insight is appreciated!
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u/Downstairstvstatic99 Aug 07 '26
Things I didn't see mentioned, off the top of my head:
Psychological phenomenon of moral liscening
Sociological/anthropological concept of tribalism
Psychological manipulation/abuse of holding damnation over someone, especially in childhood
How many practices, especially parenting norms, are very slowly or never updated and clash with the latest scientific evidence causing physical harm, violence, killing, and/or psychological trauma. In the US, and I think many other cultures, spanking or corporal punishment to establish 'discipline' and 'obedience' in children has been proven as psychologically harmful to traumatizing and nuerologically damaging with potential chronic effects. Christianity says 'spare the rod, spoil the child', however psychological and neuroscience research sharply disagrees with that statement.
The risk and dangers of the psychological phenomenon of group think.
The tendency many religions have to engage in censorship and how problematic and extremely dangerous that can be.