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It is not kept personal (between you & God/Source/Universal Consciousness/Buddah/Tao, etc...), as it should be
It is claimed to be the only TRUTH...which, in turn, makes all other "religions" false
It excludes, judges or shuns other people because they hold different "religious" beliefs
The adherents attempt to foist their particular beliefs on the rest of the population
AND
They don't actually live the "Golden Rule"...which is found in one form or another in ALL "religions"
As soon as you called yourself an "atheist" you joined a religion. You're committed to an "ism" you can't prove and usually for most atheists you've committed yourself to certain beliefs in opposition to others. When you're sick of conflict drop all the "isms" and label yourself a human.
yet, those atheists are rather aggressive in proving that their "nonbelief" is the true philosophy.
I know what you are seeing. You are seeing a number of atheists who are under the opinion that both their "nonbelief", and also themselves, deserve just as much respect and consideration as any theist, and his theistic belief. And those atheists are working towards that end.
I know what you are seeing. You are seeing a number of atheists who are under the opinion that both their "nonbelief", and also themselves, deserve just as much respect and consideration as any theist, and his theistic belief. And those atheists are working towards that end.
I'm seeing a bunch of people that self-identify according to their non-belief, who then go to a lot of effort to tell the world that they don't believe. Honestly....seems kind of silly to me.
This has been debated ad nauseum. Communism, with atheism as its core belief, is responsible for tens of millions of deaths in the last 100 years. So yea....people do kill because atheism tells them to.
Atheism is the core belief of communism? You may want to consider trying to become a bit knowledgeable in the subject. It is an economic theory.
I'm seeing a bunch of people that self-identify according to their non-belief, who then go to a lot of effort to tell the world that they don't believe. Honestly....seems kind of silly to me.
It is because of people like you who want everyone to listen to your religious beliefs. I spend three-four months each year in the city of Shanghai. In that environment, I also never think about any Gods or my lack of belief in them.
I'm seeing a bunch of people that self-identify according to their non-belief, who then go to a lot of effort to tell the world that they don't believe. Honestly....seems kind of silly to me.
Many atheists speak out because they are a minority that suffers from social disapproval. There are still other atheists that see such things like gay and women's rights being dismissed based on religious beliefs, along with a number of other religion-based problems.
It's a little like a room with 50 people, 5 non-smokers, and 45 smokers. The 5 non-smokers are critical of the unhealthy air quality in the room, while the smokers think the air quality is just find and the non-smokers are just causing trouble with their complaining.
While I think I can understand why some people view all religion is harmful.
But, I think the it can be any large organization has the potential to be so.
I've seen acts of violence from many organizations.
Greenpeace
PETA
The Russian communist party
The Chinese communist party
The German Nazi Party
KKK
The Weathermen
The SLA
Various worker's Unions
Anytime you get a large unified group, the potential for harm is there. It only takes having a charismatic leader and a perceived threat. The threat need not be real, nobody is going to check out the facts.
The problem is not religion or any organization, it is that too many of us human's are sheeple who panic when told, by a Charismatic Leader,"THEY" are out to destroy us. The sheeple then unify into a controlled Anarchy that needs to destroy "THEM" before "THEY" destroy "US"
I am an atheist. I've been an atheist for essentially my entire adult life. I would like to think that I am an objective person. In fact, I think that is one of the qualities helpful, if not required, to be an atheist. One of the last quandaries I have been wrestling with concerning organized religion is On the global scale, is religion more damaging than it is beneficial? I have tried to examine this question objectively.
I think looking at selected areas, and even at the individual level, religion can be more beneficial than it is damaging, but I've decided that overall, religion does more harm than good. I think that almost all religions ultimately are more harmful than they are helpful, just to different degrees.
I look at a young couple who love each other but decide their relationship cannot withstand their religious differences. Normal behavior, wants, even manners of dress are often restricted or forbidden, based on religious beliefs. There are many places where women have almost no human rights and are even forced to be subservient, all because of some religious practices. There is of course huge examples where religion does mass harm, such as 9/11.
Many people feel an inner calm and other positive feelings that they attribute to their religious beliefs. Objectively speaking, I don't think these things overcome the downside of religion. Point is; I have concluded that religion does more harm than good, and in a sense put the final nail in the coffin concerning my negative opinion of organized religion.
More people have been killed in the name of religion than for any other cause. Unfortunately, everyone wants to blame the 'other' religions for being violent, controlling and hypocritical.
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