Poor uneducated unintelligent aheists

[frankiej]

Yes i disagree also, as when I first fully considered what it is to be an Atheist it made me a better person...
I wasn't really someone who cared about others, but now it is the opposite. And I believe that is due to Atheism.

[Minimalist]

Many atheists I have come into contact with are people who were educated, typically above average as it relates to critical thinking, and go on from their college background to earn a relatively decent living. Atheism is not typically the poor, uneducated, lower intelligence persons disposition.

And you have completely missed the lesson of this fact.

[Anomalocaris]

Atheism is not typically the poor, uneducated, lower intelligence persons disposition. .......
.......Is it safe to liberate the minds of this population at this point in America knowing that there is little probabilty that things are gonna rapidly turn around for the poor and desperate?



Whirling Moat

Since your have not felt safe to liberate your own mind, might we assign a high probability to your being of the poor, uneducated, lower intelligence persons disposition?

[Cinjin]

So this is your reasoning?

1. Thieves are only stealing because they feel they have been dealt an unfair hand in life.
2. If they had god in their lives, they would not feel this way and would give up their criminal activities.
3. Theives and rapists (and the like) only exist because they do not have god in their lives to show them the eternal reward that awaits them.

I think anyone can see the massive flaw in this argment.

John Wayne Gacy and Ed Gains were both devout christians. Many of the notorious murderers of the 1920's Italian Mafia were known to be "good god-fearing men". Criminals of all shapes and sizes keep a Bible in their back pocket (so to speak). The catholic church alone is full of corrupt individuals. I guess my point is that, people are going to be criminals and dirtbags regardless of the religion they tout or the flag they carry. The idea that the poor and the disenfranchised would become lawless without the rule of god is laughable - especially considering the horrific human beings that have emerged from your "perfect love of god".

The combination of laziness, poverty, greed and envy breeds criminal minds. I don't think for moment that christianity is the sole keeper of mankind's morality nor the loss of it mankind's destruction.

[Doubting Thomas]

So basically you're admitting that religion is a crutch used by the poor & disenfranchised to make them feel better about their crappy lot in life? Ever also think that it's the poor & disenfranchised who are mainly being preached to by the religious, so they're more apt to not only be exposed to religion, but to cling to that hope that there is something better. Let's face it, the well-off doers of the world don't make good proselytization targets.

And frankly, how does someone's economic status make a religion true or not?

[popeyespappy]

Religion as an opiate for the masses? Wouldn’t it be less expensive to put hydromorphone in the french fries at McDonalds instead?

[downbeatplumb]

The argument here is that if people believe that some celestial law enforcer watches them always then they will behave better.

And this is indeed why the rulers of antiquity found religion useful,(as long as they had an input in the rules).

Indeed our own rulers used to claim divine appointment.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_right_of_kings

The problem with this sort of divine peeping tom law maker is the crazy shit people get forced to do, like not switching lights on on saturday, sacrificing bulls or not going out without a male escort (even if your a young widow with no male relatives).

And it doesnt stop there, because people will not just leave it up to the sky police they take action themselves, so you end up with 13 year girls being stoned to death for the crime of being raped.

I think that the lie of religion is always a poisonng influence especially in its extremes and the truth, there most likely is no god, is always to be preferred.

[Minimalist]

So basically you're admitting that religion is a crutch used by the poor & disenfranchised to make them feel better about their crappy lot in life? Ever also think that it's the poor & disenfranchised who are mainly being preached to by the religious, so they're more apt to not only be exposed to religion, but to cling to that hope that there is something better. Let's face it, the well-off doers of the world don't make good proselytization targets.

And frankly, how does someone's economic status make a religion true or not?

“Religion is what keeps the poor man from murdering the rich”

-- Napoleon I

[Anomalocaris]

Religion goes a long way to keeping the society poor.

[SleepingDemon]

Quite frankly I don't understand the point of this topic. Crime exists, even with 60% of the US believing Noah's Ark is historical fact. Poverty breeds crime, and hell does very little to dissuade it. I would argue that religion in the US makes crime and depravity worse, as you can do anything short of blasphemy and apologize to Jesus on your deathbed.