(Context = Religion is a threat to world peace and responsible for most of the evils in this world) It's interesting that free thinking liberal atheist and the their sympathizers blame the worlds woes on religion. The fact that religious people are willing to die for unsubstantiated beliefs really irratates some people, not to mention the fact these religious actually want to spread their ideas. You can feel the contempt on the first couple of responses that you will see to this post. (Let me say, an atheist does not have to identify himself with organized atheism or even some known intellectual atheism, the atheist can be ignorant and uneducated (as will be demonstrated in the responses to this post), he just rejects the existence of the God.) So, I think my opposition would agree that religious people are willing to burn the world down for their beliefs. Grounded in reality? Well, yes and no. Yes, because religious people have always been willing to burn the world down. No, because they do it for the "ghost god". However, the statement that the world would be better off without religion or that religion is a threat to world peace (which does not actually exist, well except that you may feel pretty peaceful when your fat and happy) seems suspect coming from the "free thinking liberal atheist". This is a lot like saying it would all be better without humans. You see, (premise) if man invents God, then there can be no world without religion. If the free thinking liberal atheist (uh oh.. European) movement could stomp out religion, it would only be reinvented. Grounded in reality? No. I argue that striving for some utopian, free thinking, liberalized, UN-Religious world is as ungrounded in reality as striving for heaven! The difference? Its not blood. If the opposition thinks they would have a blood free world without religion, then I just assume believe in the Pink Unicorn. I will punctuate by saying, if the idea of God and "God people" makes you sick, I’m equally sickened by perpetual utopian ideas (reborn generation after generation in the minds of every post adolescent-early adult who ponders to himself the obvious) that attempt to create a warm cozy world that we could all live in. Absurd? ps. Other great religions ommited for fear of retribution.
I am agnostic. I really like many Christian people because they are nice. I feel the same way about many atheist people. I don't think religion needs to be eradicated. What I have problems with is crazy extremists. Suicide bombers killing innocents saying it is for G-d is what first comes to mind. To a much lesser degree fundamental christians telling me I'm going to hell. Or angry atheist people going around telling christians they are stupid. I don't like extremism.
Well said, those are the two extremes. Also, I guess, sometimes, some religions are nicer than others.
I consider myself somewhat a humanist and I have no problem with people of faith so long as they are not infringing on my rights or the rights of others. The extremes of all groups of people filled with hate whether religious, social or political frighten me. I'd also like to say with it being the holiday season that I'm not offended at all by a: Merry Christmas; Happy Hanukkah; or, whatever else someone or some establishment wishes upon me.
I really do not think your assumption is correct that free thinking liberal atheists ALL blame the problems of the world on religion. I certainly do not. It's the extremists, in anything, that I have concerns with. Just like anything in life can be harmful if taken to the extreme (video games, eating, drugs, etc.) so can religion. So you see, I don't blame religion at all, I blame it on the crazies of the world that don't know when to stop before going over the edge. I have no problems with religion and I don't think it needs to be eradicated for world peace to occur. It has a place in this world, just not in my life. Just like I told you Diex in a different discussion we were involved in that if religion gets you through the day, helps you cope, and makes you a productive member of society, I'm all for it. And please I beg you to stop making assumptions on my intelligence and my beliefs if you don't understand them. Making generalizations of atheists just because you can't comprehend what they believe just makes you look ignorant....we don't all think exactly the same way, most of us are intelligent and educated. I don't generalize Christians or Muslims (or whoever) just because of the few extremists that cross my path....not all of them are like that.....