Why atheism is important, and why religion is dangerous

[mordant]

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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,,, 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.