See, threads like this remind me that I am an anti-theist. I despise religion. I am against it. I think it's a virus that kills rationale and freedom. I'm an enemy of religion. That's why I stay away from theists. I don't want to hurt their feelings with my opinions. 
No. I shouldn't have to accept religion. I rebuke it. The fact that some religious folks are watered down and don't practice religion by the book does not make religion respectable. You can't say you are not talking about indoctrination or shoving it down our throats and only refer to religion. Religion taints everything it touches. Laws. Education. Culture. Sure, they want to be left alone. Until my kid's winter program includes Jesus songs. Until they vote against necessary progress. Until a massacre happens and they blame it on sin. But you're right. Leave their church businesses alone! Don't tax em! Kids need medical attention? Pray! Fuck religion.

Somebody, tell me one way in which any religion has progressed our civilizations in a positive way.

Since God appears to not exist, how can belief in a nonexistent entity help anybody/anything?
Religion needs to stay in philosophy where it belongs.

But we all know that there's money to be made by selling hope.
Same reason my wife buys expensive face creams.
It does nothing for her but makes her feel good.
It's all a manipulative illusion.

(June 15, 2016 at 7:00 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: Religion is like a dick. It's great you have one, I'm happy for you, but kindly don't stick it down my throat.

I'm cool with anyone else believing as they wish, but if they wish to impose it on me via law, or uninvited preaching, I can, will, and do speak up.

Between friends, I love having discussions about the topic, because we all seem to have the ability to hear disagreement without getting butthurt. Doesn't bug me. I don't want a stranger coming up and hectoring me, and sure as hell don't want a group of them trying to enforce their private beliefs using public governance.

Could not have said it better. Thanks for not making me type.

OK, got through the rest of the thread.

I respect another human life and their right to self determination. I coexist with the religious in society, pleasantly for the most part. I don't accept the fantasy and hope for it's speedy demise.

Couple of questions. Are you sure that you are an atheist? Do you hold this belief (accept religion) to coexist in your society/particular situation?

(June 15, 2016 at 7:05 pm)BlueGirl Wrote: I'm an atheist. I am different to Muslims.  And, again, not everyone with a religious belief is going around killing people, or forcing their religion down their throats. Some people genuinely just want to be left alone to believe what they believe.

and I'm not saying it's okay for religious people to impose their religion on others. That's not okay. That's unfair. I am saying that if you want them to respect the fact that you believe in no god, you have to respect the fact that they do believe in a god. And a lot of atheists online these days just aren't doing that.

Okay, so let me lay out the case as I understand it. Feel free to stop me if you like.

So, we have a... let's call it a genre of belief, that is religious belief. You and I are atheists, so we have an understanding that this type of belief confers no objectively real benefits despite its promises to do so; essentially, the supernatural claims do not exist and thus cannot benefit the people accepting them. This belief may provide comfort to varying degrees to people, but to the extent that it does, this comfort is a placebo, not an effect of the actual belief itself. However we have also established that these beliefs prompt a certain subsection of the people who accept them to kill other people, physically and sexually assault others, mentally abuse others, and strive to enshrine their beliefs in law so that other groups of people that their religions dislike are treated as second class citizens.

In summary, we have a genre of belief conferring no advantage beyond a vague psychosomatic sense of "comfort," but also kills, maims, rapes, and abuses others on a regular basis. On cost/benefit analysis, we have very little in the way of positive influences, and a terrible cost in human lives and safety.

... What, in this, am I supposed to respect?

(June 15, 2016 at 8:43 pm)ignoramus Wrote: Somebody, tell me one way in which any religion has progressed our civilizations in a positive way.

Since God appears to not exist, how can belief in a nonexistent entity help anybody/anything?
Religion needs to stay in philosophy where it belongs.

But we all know that there's money to be made by selling hope.
Same reason my wife buys expensive face creams.
It does nothing for her but makes her feel good.
It's all a manipulative illusion.

It never has the only thing it really has done is unite people and not for any good particular reason at all.

When polled, 4 billion people out of 4 billion said they would probably not invest their time in religion if it wasn't for the afterlife carrot.

So there you go folks, people are only in it for the bits that aren't real.
Any/all perceived comforting benefits are a byproduct of this belief system with a lie at its core.


(The polling firm wishes to remain anonymous)

(June 15, 2016 at 6:00 pm)BlueGirl Wrote: I'm not trying to upset anyone here. This is my personal opinion and I just want to know if anyone agrees with me. I see so much hate flying around on the internet from both atheists and religious people and I really don't think any of it is nessesary.

I don't know what atheism is to you, but for me it's just a simple view: I don't believe in God. I get very annoyed when religious people try to convert me back to faith (I have one very devout family member who really irritates me) and I think that needs to stop. There's nothing wrong with not believing.

But I also don't have a problem with faith.

It really surprised me to see that atheists on the internet seem to have very little respect for religion. I understand that perspective- there really is no sense of logic to it, it's seems silly, and it can be dangerous. But I also think that in moderate amounts it can be a very good thing. Some people (most people) are comforted by faith in a god, and I really think it's something many people need in their lives to feel whole. I think that's probably why they so often don't understand how atheists can go without a God. Religion isn't required by all people to feel happy, but for some people it definitely is. I don't feel that this is a failure on the part of those people, but apparently many other athiests do.

I think religious faith can contribute a lot to a persons life. Not every persons life -I certainly dont' want it- but why else would it have persisted so long if it didn't mean something? Tolerance of differing beliefs isn't just for athiests. I think it's important that we remember that all beliefs should be respected, even if they seem ludicrous to us.

So what do you guys think?

Well, I'd accept The One True Faith.

I'm still waiting for some evidence.  You got anything new and compelling for me ??


(If its any variety of Mormon, oh, do I have a news bulletin for you !)

(June 15, 2016 at 6:00 pm)BlueGirl Wrote: It really surprised me to see that atheists on the internet seem to have very little respect for religion.
So what do you guys think?

I have no respect for any religion.  If somebody wants to believe in a magic sky-daddy, more power to them.

However, it never stops there.  They always get together and try to force their ways on the rest of the world because this is the "right way", the "only way", "god said so".  Stay away from our laws, our science, our politics, our schools and  pay your fucking taxes then I have no problem with them or religion.

At work, it is necessary for me to respect my fellow coworkers for their beliefs, whatever they may be.

In my mind, I am thinking, What a bunch of utter retards.