What is Mankind’s Worst Invention?

Have you seen this social media post floating around?

It’s a reasonably simple question with only a few answers possible in the post, but it has sparked a fair bit of controversy. I thought I would give my own thoughts in answer to it, and see what you think about my viewpoint.

In the picture, it’s asked, “What is the worst Invention of Mankind?” You could choose religion, money, borders or the nuclear bomb.

Some people think the nuclear bomb is the worst invention, and there really is something to that. After all, never before in the history of man have we not only been able to destroy each other on such a massive scale but could cause irreparable damage to the planet in the course of using them.

There are, quite literally, thousands of nukes on the planet, in the hands of not just the superpowers of the planet, but a lot of minor countries, as well, and each of them have them pointed around willy-nilly.

Each of them could cause such destruction on a massive scale and the use of and testing of those things have already done serious harm to the environment.

But is it the worth thing we have invented?

I dare say, no, it is not.

What about borders? Because of them, wars have started. It’s been going on that way for as long as we have had civilization.

Borders are not really an “invention” of mankind, though. They are an extension of our own personal space we occupy with these meat-suits we are wearing. They are an extension of our will to say, “This is mine, and you can’t intrude.”

While countries might violate borders that have been established and cause friction to occur, it still, to me, is not the worst invention.

“But what about Money,” you might say. “Surely the problems we have in the world are based on the money system!”

Money causes issues. More specifically, the lack of it and the seeking of it by any means causes issues.

Someone once said, “Lack of money is the root of all evil,” and I cannot wholly disagree with that sentiment. After all, when you have not, those that have can be very tempting targets and it can be easy to slip into an action there is no coming back from because of it.

Even those who have an overabundance of it have issues since it can lead into the seeking of more power through the acquisition of those funds, and a lack of caring for those who do not have it. It can give the mindset of “Better than you,” and no one needs to live under that particular thumb.

It has been the cause of great trouble, and I would say it is one of the reasons we have so many troubles today.

However, I still think it is not the worst.

I think religion is the worst thing invented by mankind.

Are you offended by that? If so, you prove my point.

Since the inception of religion, we have seen the rising tide of troubles in the world. It goes back to the deepest parts of our history and our psyche as a species.

From those earliest days of fearing the darkness and the unknown, and the scary sounds which happen at night out on the plains, humans have sought answers and safety from the unseeable and untouchable. He has created entities to grasp hold of and place those fears on, so he could feel better at night, as the whispering sounds of horror came drifting into camp.

It gave him something to point to and say, “There! That’s the reason I fear!”

And if someone did not believe him? Well, then that god would punish them! They would have to do everything in their power to prove its truth, or else the reason to fear would come back again.

It’s insidious.

Religion gave a reason for borders to exist. You don’t believe as I do? Banish you! Leave my presence and never return!

It gave reasons to have money. The gods must have things sacrificed to them to keep appeased, or else they might abandon or punish.

And the nuclear bombs? They are merely an extension of the weapons of war we’ve had all along. They were given a reason to exist because of the conflict religion causes at its core.

Does this mean there is no god? Certainly not.

In fact, I do believe there is a controlling force in the universe. That does not mean it requires worship, and it does not mean I have to sacrifice any of my funding to keep it appeased.

Or my children.

Or yours.

After all, those things were the first types of “money” mankind had.

What do you think? What, to you, is the worst invention of mankind?