This post concerns very simple reasons why atheism is important, and why religion is dangerous: 

(1) Modern science is so far mankind's best invention/tool. (Responsible for internet, modern cars, medicine, supermarket foods, surgical equipment, modern hospitals, social media as means to increase global awareness... )

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(2) Although archaic science used to include religion centuries ago (See reference [B]), religion was removed from modern science in the scientific revolution (See reference [A]) when archaic science became modern science.

An example of when religion was removed from modern science is when astrology (religion/myth) was removed from astronomy (modern science). (See reference [C])

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(3) Based on (2), religion opposes modern science, and that is why they were separated.

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(4) Another example where religion opposes modern science, is when **non mytholgical** knowledge/progress was held back by Christianity. (See reference [D])

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A question to theists here:
If religion is supposedly useful/not worthless, why was religion removed from modern science when archaic science became modern science?

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Quick References:
[A] Wikipedia/Scientific_revolution
[B] Wikipedia/History_of_science_in_classical_antiquity
[C] Wikipedia/Astrology_and_astronomy
[D] Wikipedia/Heresy

Not believing in god is not important, rational thinking on the other hand, is.

Edit. CC you might want to rework that and get shot of the silly presentation.

Religion is full of knives.

Religion is full of shit.

(October 7, 2017 at 5:41 pm)Succubus Wrote: Not believing in god is not important, rational thinking on the other hand, is.

Edit. CC you might want to rework that and get shot of the silly presentation.

But, wait, it appears "not believing in god" = "rational thinking"...

Can we really avoid the fact that people (i.e. atheists) [who are able to detect (or admit) that the "truths" in religion, just don't work in modern science], tend to be rational, in comparison to theists?

The happiest places in the world tend to be the least religious ones:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/progressive...religious/

The places with the least crime tend to have the least religion:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/camelswithh...-the-most/

The wealthier nations tend to have the least religion:
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/201...dpscatter/

Educated People More Likely to Be Atheists:
http://churchandstate.org.uk/2016/01/why...-atheists/

(October 7, 2017 at 9:18 pm)causal code Wrote: But, wait, it appears "not believing in god" = "rational thinking"...

Not believing in gods means you don't believe in gods. There are plenty of atheists who hold all kinds of irrational beliefs. Rational thinking can lead to atheism (though there's no guarantee), but atheism does not automatically equal rational thinking.

(October 7, 2017 at 10:18 pm)The Gentleman Bastard Wrote:

(October 7, 2017 at 9:18 pm)causal code Wrote: But, wait, it appears "not believing in god" = "rational thinking"...

Not believing in gods means you don't believe in gods. There are plenty of atheists who hold all kinds of irrational beliefs. Rational thinking can lead to atheism (though there's no guarantee), but atheism does not automatically equal rational thinking.

Yes, and yet not plenty of atheists in prisons; atheists make up a whopping 0.1% of prison populations:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyath...opulation/

Yes, obviously there are outliers, atheists that believe in nonsense, but it cannot be avoided that rational thinking is typical of the atheistic mind, and this is why atheism is important.

(October 7, 2017 at 10:18 pm)The Gentleman Bastard Wrote:

(October 7, 2017 at 9:18 pm)causal code Wrote: But, wait, it appears "not believing in god" = "rational thinking"...

Not believing in gods means you don't believe in gods. There are plenty of atheists who hold all kinds of irrational beliefs. Rational thinking can lead to atheism (though there's no guarantee), but atheism does not automatically equal rational thinking.

Exactly. Not believing in god <> rational thinking, however rational thinking strongly tends to lead to not believing in god (among other things).

The distinction is important. It is not wise to assume that unbelievers are uniformly rational. People compartmentalize. There are theists who outside of their religion are quite rational; they simply decline to apply their rational thoughts in the religious "compartment". There are atheists who are quite irrational about some things but DO apply their rational thoughts in the religions "compartment".

I do not understand why some people have the need to tribalize atheism of all things, and to otherize theists, as if we had any need for some "argument from superiority". Atheists are not immune to stupidity or to being dicks. Theists are not incapable of being good or wise. All that is beside the point, which is that there is no substantiation for theism's god claims.

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(October 8, 2017 at 11:37 am)causal code Wrote: ,,, it cannot be avoided that rational thinking is typical of the atheistic mind, and this is why atheism is important.

Atheism actually isn't important. It's a belief position on a very limited topic.

It's necessary only because of the historic hegemony of religious thinking.

When religion is marginalized rather then dominant, atheism will be no more useful a concept than the concept of someone who doesn't have hair or doesn't collect stamps.

We need to promote rational thinking -- if we do, atheism and theism will sort themselves out.

mordant Wrote:We need to promote rational thinking -- if we do, atheism and theism will sort themselves out.

Yes, and a non trivial portion of rational thinking, deals with rejecting deities, (i.e. atheism) especially in our unfortunately God-ridden / Plentifully religious world.

Maybe in another world, where some required flavour of rational thinking was hypothetically needed to oppose some other large (but non-religious) foolishness... atheism would not be relevant in that world.

However that hypothetical world is not our highly religious world, and this is why atheism is important.

(October 11, 2017 at 8:49 pm)causal code Wrote:

mordant Wrote:We need to promote rational thinking -- if we do, atheism and theism will sort themselves out.

Yes, and a non trivial portion of rational thinking, deals with rejecting deities, (i.e. atheism) especially in our unfortunately God-ridden / Plentifully religious world.

It is not the business of rational thinking, or rational thinkers to reject anything. Rational thinking says; 'show me the evidence.' Deities? First define your terms, ie, what are you talking about, what is a deity? This is where the proponents of things of a supernatural nature get it right around their necks. They fail to describe in coherent terms what it is they are proposing.
'The spoon definitely did bend'!
'Show me the evidence'!

Quote:Maybe in another world, where some required flavour of rational thinking was hypothetically needed to oppose some other large (but non-religious) foolishness... atheism would not be relevant in that world.

I'm struggling mightily with this. Why not whip out the razor and just concentrate on this world, the only one we know exists.

Quote:However that hypothetical world is not our <snipped duplicate of  irrelevant wiki page> and this is why atheism is important.

No. Critical thinking is important, learn the difference.