Let me ask this:
You are given the chance to rid the world of children dying of treatable diseases because of their parents' beliefs about prayer.
You are given the chance also to end the practice of circumcising young boys and the clitoral infibulation of young girls, both of which are done without the consent of these children.
In addition you are given the chance to spare millions if not billions of children the wrenching guilt and fear of hell that comes with childhood indoctrination.
Naturally the chance to bankrupt those who fleece the gullible on television and in other media and such outlets for making false promises comes along.
The chance to end segregation based on which version of a fairy tale someone believes in that is the primary if not sole source of discord in nations round the world.
The chance to make birth control so ubiquitous not a single unwanted pregnancy ever occurs because not only will young people be taught not to be frightened of sex but also how to be responsible with it and take these lessons with them into adulthood, thus reducing instances of abortion to virtually nil.
The chance to liberate women who would otherwise continue to tolerate abusive relationships because they've been taught to be submissive to the men in their household because the man has an innate superiority due to a divine coin flip.
If you were asked to give up your religion if it meant all of that could be accomplished, would you? I mean, forget whether or not it's feasible (sure as hell isn't as long as religion is around), but if you had the power to do all that good by erasing religion from the planet with the push of a button, would you? And remember that there is zero good that a religion has a monopoly on, there is nothing a religion can do that is good that a secular humanist cannot do, in many cases better because it will not contain any religious caveats.
To say 'no' to this seems to me to be the height of selfishness. Literally the most selfish thing conceivable. I defy anyone to come up with anything more selfish.
You are given the chance to rid the world of children dying of treatable diseases because of their parents' beliefs about prayer.
You are given the chance also to end the practice of circumcising young boys and the clitoral infibulation of young girls, both of which are done without the consent of these children.
In addition you are given the chance to spare millions if not billions of children the wrenching guilt and fear of hell that comes with childhood indoctrination.
Naturally the chance to bankrupt those who fleece the gullible on television and in other media and such outlets for making false promises comes along.
The chance to end segregation based on which version of a fairy tale someone believes in that is the primary if not sole source of discord in nations round the world.
The chance to make birth control so ubiquitous not a single unwanted pregnancy ever occurs because not only will young people be taught not to be frightened of sex but also how to be responsible with it and take these lessons with them into adulthood, thus reducing instances of abortion to virtually nil.
The chance to liberate women who would otherwise continue to tolerate abusive relationships because they've been taught to be submissive to the men in their household because the man has an innate superiority due to a divine coin flip.
If you were asked to give up your religion if it meant all of that could be accomplished, would you? I mean, forget whether or not it's feasible (sure as hell isn't as long as religion is around), but if you had the power to do all that good by erasing religion from the planet with the push of a button, would you? And remember that there is zero good that a religion has a monopoly on, there is nothing a religion can do that is good that a secular humanist cannot do, in many cases better because it will not contain any religious caveats.
To say 'no' to this seems to me to be the height of selfishness. Literally the most selfish thing conceivable. I defy anyone to come up with anything more selfish.
Religions were invented to impress and dupe illiterate, superstitious stone-age peasants. So in this modern, enlightened age of information, what's your excuse? Or are you saying with all your advantages, you were still tricked as easily as those early humans?
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There is no better way to convey the least amount of information in the greatest amount of words than to try explaining your religious views.
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There is no better way to convey the least amount of information in the greatest amount of words than to try explaining your religious views.