RE: Why is religion bad?
August 17, 2014 at 12:36 pm
(This post was last modified: August 17, 2014 at 12:37 pm by Dystopia.)
People believing in something that isn't true isn't necessarily harmful, if that was it. The problem is when people start to believe something without evidence, it's one step closer to believing in more things without evidence, thus bringing irrationality into the table...
The example of astrology, most people believe in astrology, some even take it seriously, but I don't consider it to be a harmful belief, just silly.
Another example of non harmful beliefs are the deistic or liberal agnostic theist beliefs, mostly justified by cosmological and complexity arguments. They may be wrong, but they are not harmful.
If all people could have moderate faith the world would be a better place. Let's say all Christians decided to hold on to their beliefs and simultaneously support gay marriage and the legalization of abortion since their religion shouldn't dictate public legislative decisions.
Usually when there is blind faith, there's an open path to believe in lots of absurdities without evidence. Bible literalists believe in a strict interpretation of the genesis book, aka creationism, and that's a free ticket to more irrational behaviour and conducts.
If all people could believe and keep it to themselves (well they can express their beliefs, but not impose them) I would be happier and wouldn't mind theists existing, I wouldn't go out there trying to de-convert them (in fact I never do that)
The example of astrology, most people believe in astrology, some even take it seriously, but I don't consider it to be a harmful belief, just silly.
Another example of non harmful beliefs are the deistic or liberal agnostic theist beliefs, mostly justified by cosmological and complexity arguments. They may be wrong, but they are not harmful.
If all people could have moderate faith the world would be a better place. Let's say all Christians decided to hold on to their beliefs and simultaneously support gay marriage and the legalization of abortion since their religion shouldn't dictate public legislative decisions.
Usually when there is blind faith, there's an open path to believe in lots of absurdities without evidence. Bible literalists believe in a strict interpretation of the genesis book, aka creationism, and that's a free ticket to more irrational behaviour and conducts.
If all people could believe and keep it to themselves (well they can express their beliefs, but not impose them) I would be happier and wouldn't mind theists existing, I wouldn't go out there trying to de-convert them (in fact I never do that)
Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you
