RE: How would you respond to these common theist statements?
July 5, 2015 at 8:20 pm
(This post was last modified: July 5, 2015 at 8:20 pm by Regina.)
1. Religion is the foundation of society.
I think this is just an idea we've got used to. As the post above said, there have been many societies, especially in modern times, that have prospered without religion. I don't really have much to add to what Brian already said because his answer is perfect.
2. Religion is the foundation of morality
I think anyone with a brain and some basic education, can work out that things that negatively impact other people are wrong and things that positively impact other people (as well as yourself) should be encouraged. Religion doesn't have a monopoly on morals, and if you think you can't be moral without an ancient book that just means you're incapable of thinking for yourself.
3. (Continuation of 2) Science (or atheists) cannot tell us right from wrong.
Neither can religious people. Again as Brian said, a history of slavery, dehumanisation and suppression of the female and killing in the name of religion doesn't set a good track record for religion's ability to tell right from wrong.
4. Religion made history.
Quite. Such a history we can't quite imagine where we might be today, were it not for the thousand year period between 500-1500AD, where the absolutism of religion almost completely stagnated human development.
I think this is just an idea we've got used to. As the post above said, there have been many societies, especially in modern times, that have prospered without religion. I don't really have much to add to what Brian already said because his answer is perfect.
2. Religion is the foundation of morality
I think anyone with a brain and some basic education, can work out that things that negatively impact other people are wrong and things that positively impact other people (as well as yourself) should be encouraged. Religion doesn't have a monopoly on morals, and if you think you can't be moral without an ancient book that just means you're incapable of thinking for yourself.
3. (Continuation of 2) Science (or atheists) cannot tell us right from wrong.
Neither can religious people. Again as Brian said, a history of slavery, dehumanisation and suppression of the female and killing in the name of religion doesn't set a good track record for religion's ability to tell right from wrong.
4. Religion made history.
Quite. Such a history we can't quite imagine where we might be today, were it not for the thousand year period between 500-1500AD, where the absolutism of religion almost completely stagnated human development.
"Adulthood is like looking both ways before you cross the road, and then getting hit by an airplane" - sarcasm_only
"Ironically like the nativist far-Right, which despises multiculturalism, but benefits from its ideas of difference to scapegoat the other and to promote its own white identity politics; these postmodernists, leftists, feminists and liberals also use multiculturalism, to side with the oppressor, by demanding respect and tolerance for oppression characterised as 'difference', no matter how intolerable." - Maryam Namazie
"Ironically like the nativist far-Right, which despises multiculturalism, but benefits from its ideas of difference to scapegoat the other and to promote its own white identity politics; these postmodernists, leftists, feminists and liberals also use multiculturalism, to side with the oppressor, by demanding respect and tolerance for oppression characterised as 'difference', no matter how intolerable." - Maryam Namazie
