I cannot state this enough. There is no pragmatic way to get 7 billion humans all on the same religious/political page, even if we wanted to.
Religion is a horrible way to conduct political diplomacy, even within the same confines of the same umbrella label between it's sub sects. Irish Protestants and Catholics do not see eye to eye. A black Baptist whom voted for Obama wont agree with a white Baptist whom voted for Trump. A Tibet Buddhist isn't going to think politically the same way as a Chinese Buddhist, and a Japanese Shinto Buddhist isn't going to agree with a Chinese Buddhist. The most pronounced divisions under the same umbrella label today are Sunnis and Shiites. But even liberal American Jew wont agree with a conservative Orthodox Israeli Jew.
I give religion a hard time here and elsewhere, not because one can get rid of it by force of government, to try would make anyone a monster. I do not give religion a hard time because I think all people who hold any religion are bad, no, I still hold that most humans in the world are very capable of non violence and compassion. I give religious logic a hard time because far too often it divides humanity and distracts us from understanding that we are NOT a separate species.
Our species was around long before any written religion. Our behaviors, both good and bad were also around before any written religion. Our behaviors have also been good and bad since humans started the age of written language. That says to me, that our behaviors are not coming from old writings or holy leaders, but have always been in us.
I also cannot repeat this enough. I'll take an Ann Frank Jew, or a Martin Luther King Jr Christian, or a Malala Muslim, over any hate filled ignorant person using their writings to justify violence to others, or using it to deny scientific fact. But even with my unwavering support to liberal theists worldwide, understand while you may use your writings to justify empathy and compassion, there are other individuals and sects that ascribe to the same writings that interpret them to justify cruelty and dominance.
There is no such thing as a utopia for anyone, not even atheists. But we cannot be afraid as humans of questioning social norms, especially when it is a choice between a growing tent of more inclusion and non violence, or more otherism, division and cruelty. No matter what you hold as a position, our species still only has one planet to live on, and we all need resources and all want to feel safe and loved.
I do hate myself. I hate bad logic. I hate violence. I hate religion being used to justify bigotry and oppression. I see far too much good in my species to allow the darker side of our behaviors to become such a critical mass as for to allow the atrocities of our species history to repeat.
Religion is a horrible way to conduct political diplomacy, even within the same confines of the same umbrella label between it's sub sects. Irish Protestants and Catholics do not see eye to eye. A black Baptist whom voted for Obama wont agree with a white Baptist whom voted for Trump. A Tibet Buddhist isn't going to think politically the same way as a Chinese Buddhist, and a Japanese Shinto Buddhist isn't going to agree with a Chinese Buddhist. The most pronounced divisions under the same umbrella label today are Sunnis and Shiites. But even liberal American Jew wont agree with a conservative Orthodox Israeli Jew.
I give religion a hard time here and elsewhere, not because one can get rid of it by force of government, to try would make anyone a monster. I do not give religion a hard time because I think all people who hold any religion are bad, no, I still hold that most humans in the world are very capable of non violence and compassion. I give religious logic a hard time because far too often it divides humanity and distracts us from understanding that we are NOT a separate species.
Our species was around long before any written religion. Our behaviors, both good and bad were also around before any written religion. Our behaviors have also been good and bad since humans started the age of written language. That says to me, that our behaviors are not coming from old writings or holy leaders, but have always been in us.
I also cannot repeat this enough. I'll take an Ann Frank Jew, or a Martin Luther King Jr Christian, or a Malala Muslim, over any hate filled ignorant person using their writings to justify violence to others, or using it to deny scientific fact. But even with my unwavering support to liberal theists worldwide, understand while you may use your writings to justify empathy and compassion, there are other individuals and sects that ascribe to the same writings that interpret them to justify cruelty and dominance.
There is no such thing as a utopia for anyone, not even atheists. But we cannot be afraid as humans of questioning social norms, especially when it is a choice between a growing tent of more inclusion and non violence, or more otherism, division and cruelty. No matter what you hold as a position, our species still only has one planet to live on, and we all need resources and all want to feel safe and loved.
I do hate myself. I hate bad logic. I hate violence. I hate religion being used to justify bigotry and oppression. I see far too much good in my species to allow the darker side of our behaviors to become such a critical mass as for to allow the atrocities of our species history to repeat.
