The Violent Ones

What is potential? Potential to me is using less energy a person is actually capable of, or something near that notion. Whatever the case, potential exists in everyone. Like faith, you either have a little or a lot of it. I will again note a scene from the movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.

The Scene
There was an instance in the documentary where Bill Maher was featured. He was talking about weapons and violence and stated something to the effect of "If we're to rid the world of violence and weapons, then I say we do away with religion!"...Afterwards there was a small uproar of applaud from the audience he was speaking to, and the documentary went on. I have a bit of an itch to what Mr. Bill Maher said.

The Itch
There have been countless wars because of differing world views on religion, there's no doubt about it. We can all point to European history and give examples, like The Great Crusades, the slaughtering through the country side by a queen, otherwise known as Bloody Mary; all of which have religious basis. But what about WWII and Hitler's regime? Did that genocide occur because of religion, or was it about survival of the fittest (based on Darwinism).

Viewpoint
Lets put things into perspective. The Holocaust and theory of evolution are so similar if you consider the terms of evolution being "survival of the fittest". Hitler slaughtered so many Jews, Gypsies, and other races and backgrounds in the hopes of creating a superior race. Now, having that fall in line with evolution, I would think that's more dangerous than anything, and here's why.

Let's say that Bill Maher got his wish and religion was tossed out the window. Along with religion are morals, you know, that thing in the back of your head that tells you what's right and wrong. Let's say that was tossed out the window as well. All there is, is evolution and the process of natural selection. You're born and you die. Okay, so we're intelligent beings and we want to advance a society, we study the sciences inbetween birth and death. WHAT'S TO SAY I'M DOING SOMETHING WRONG BY SHOVING A KNIFE IN SOMEONE'S HEAD SINCE I'M GOING TO DIE ANYWAY AND RETURN TO THE GROUND FROM WENCE I CAME? Having asked that question, wouldn't that bring more violence, more bloodshed, and more weapons into the world?

I think Bill Maher has it wrong because there is much more potential for violence if religion was tossed out the window. Evolution is just a theory and makes no room for any type of philosophy. If religion itself was out of the picture, then how do WE as a species decipher what's right and wrong? What would be the point in advancing ourselves? Would it be to survive, because I see that as a contradiction seeing as I'm going to return to dust anyway.