It's what it is... image - Atheists, Agnostics, and Anti-theists of ModDB

I don't think it's that simple. There was a lot of food shortage happening in the dark ages and so peasants were very scared. When food isn't growing, uneducated peasants can only guess that god was mad about something so they started killing, torturing, and doing insane psychopathic ****. That fear gave the Church a lot of power and so they used the fear of the peasants to eliminate those who they saw has heretics. Something similar seems to be happening in the Middle East today with Islam.

You are aware that the dark ages was because of the collapse of the power of Rome which led to wondering bands of barbarians and loss of literature. That's what caused the "dark ages" and even so, during this period, science and art saw great development with the Islamic Golden Age. So if anything, religion was a force for good during this time. The death and killing was from barbarians not from churches.

Cpt.Dann I would really like to see your sources for your claims though. Let me guess them though: Richarddawkins.net, christianitysucks.org, goddontreal.com and reddit.

Yes totally not opinionated non-peer reviewed biased sources of information at all. We should stop using history books at school and instead visit these sites for information where the holocaust is also denied.

Hinduman still exists? I thought he was banned for his karma spamming accounts and harassment of the debate group. At least he brought his karma spammers with him since he has +6 karma on the Atheist group and I seem to have lost some. What will I do without those precious karma points?

Even though he is right on what led to the dark ages, he makes an unsupported opinion that religion was a "force for good" during this time. Much of my knowledge came from the private school I attended but that was a long time ago and don't remember everything clearly, but I have never heard of those sites he mentioned. Anyways after restarting some research it seems like the void that the fall of Rome left was exploited by the church to enforce their own beliefs and values. While the rebuilding of civilization was under religion, it is arrogant to think that it was religion that led to it. The individual drives of people to preserve knowledge, literature, and philosophy has been monopolized by religious authorities to further their own power, influence, and myths. The word defining the quest for truth and enlightenment was changed into god even though the quest for truth has been in humanity since the beginning of language. It's no coincidence that the Age of Enlightenment rejected religious beliefs in favor of science, philosophy, and secularism.

I see that path on the picture.

Far from it. Where the dark ages failed in technology, it excelled in art and architecture.

Images.visitberwick.com

Faculty.cua.edu

Meanwhile the Muslims were spreading across what was the old Roman empire in search of the treasures to preserve, most famous of these are ancient Greek literature which would be translated from Arabic an era later.

"But most of the artistic work of the time revolved around the Church and Christianity."

Why's that a problem? Most of the magnificent works of art were inspired by religion.

Respect to those who has created these architectural masterpieces and to those who created these paintings, but there is really no use of all of that. Scientific progress, on other hand, is useful to the Humanity.

You don't think art is useful to humanity? Without art and other forms of expression we're basically barbarians looking towards progress at the expense of all other things that make us complicated and sensitive creatures. Being an atheist, at least to me, isn't just about improving the world, but also improving yourself. Things like paintings, and the thoughts and feeling they conjure up improve you on a philosophical level. I think it has a place along scientific progress as a very important part of humanity.

Agreed

@Everyone else, I will allow debate, but no trolling, **** slinging or being a complete ****.

There were plenty of pieces of art and architecture made long before the 15th century and the Renaissance period. Codex Aureus of St. Emmeram, The Saint Faith reliquary and the Senkschmelz Cross for example, were created during the dark ages. The Notre Dame Cathedral was built long before the late 15th century along with countless other structures.

By the way, nobody is denying that the dark ages were an overwhelming failure in regards to science. culture and government, but it was most certainly not some void of art and architecture.