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As for your analogy with gun ownership, it is poor. A gun is an object to own, or as you acknowledge, a thing. Religion is not merely a thing, religion is an environmental, cultural and social structure that can dictate ones life and cause existing problems to become worse.
A gun is an object you own, and religion is a subject people apply and interpret for themselves. It’s not magical - it has no ability to harm by itself. Some people may make religion more than that, yes - just as some people may make a gun for more than protection.
Last edited by CorporateCowboy; 04-13-2019 at 05:08 PM..
Religion doesn’t tell people anything - it can’t make your sports team win, it doesn’t make guacamole, and it doesn’t tell a kid they will burn forever. Mentally disturbed people tell kids they will burn forever.
If you are an atheist, you are giving religion way too much power to believe it harms - you are no different than the person who believes it helps. It’s just a subject - like studying philosophy.
Religion doesn’t tell people anything - it can’t make your sports team win, it doesn’t make guacamole, and it doesn’t tell a kid they will burn forever. Mentally disturbed people tell kids they will burn forever.
If you are an atheist, you are giving religion way too much power to believe it harms - you are no different than the person who believes it helps. It’s just a subject - like studying philosophy.
I really can’t take you seriously after reading this post. Religion is not merely a subject (to the religious), it’s a whole cultural system that completely shapes how a person sees the world. In religion, beliefs about people burning in Hell forever are institutionalized and become part of official doctrine, they are not merely outbursts from the mentally ill. These doctrines are systematically taught to children that are too young to defend themselves with rational thought. And it becomes generational: those children grow up to believe that they will go to hell if they don’t teach *their* children the same monstrous doctrines. Whole societies can be taken over by religion in this way.
I really can’t take you seriously after reading this post. Religion is not merely a subject, it’s a whole cultural system that completely shapes how a person sees the world. Beliefs about people burning in Hell forever are institutionalized and become part of official doctrine, they are not merely outbursts from the mentally ill.
But the major point you are missing - it takes PEOPLE to interpret and preach this. Knowledge of religion does not harm - anymore than it does good in and of itself, either. It’s all in the application. And people have a right to believe what they choose to believe - that isn’t going to change. So proselytizing that religion is the ‘devil’, in essence - just seems absurd to me.
But the major point you are missing - it takes PEOPLE to interpret and preach this. Knowledge of religion does not harm - anymore than it does good in and of itself, either. It’s all in the application. And people have a right to believe what they choose to believe - that isn’t going to change. So proselytizing that religion is the ‘devil’, in essence - just seems absurd to me.
This is the first example of completly simplistic, fundie-think that I have ever seen in a (purported) atheist.
Religion has been used to brainwash and manipulate people since its inception. Children are indoctrinated from birth to consign their sub-sect's definition of "Others" to eternal toasting via their god-thing.
What was 9/11 to you? A philosophical debate?
That such as yourself seek to minimize religion's toxicity lends one to believe you are a Vic in atheist's clothing.
Which is no surprise to me. You revealed your true self weeks ago, to those who can see.
Last edited by TroutDude; 04-13-2019 at 07:30 PM..
Reason: Removed an extraeneous s.
This is the first example of completly simplistic, fundie-think that I have ever seen in a (purported) atheist.
Religion has been used to brainwash and manipulate people since its inception. Children are indoctrinated from birth to consign theirs sub-sect's definition of "Others" to eternal toasting via their god-thing.
What was 9/11 to you? A philosophical debate?
That such as yourself seek to minimize religion's toxicity lends one to believe you are a Vic in atheist's clothing.
Which is no surprise to me. You revealed your true self weeks ago, to those who can see.
I am myself, an atheist - with my own opinions. And my opinion is religion is not ‘evil’ - neither is alcohol, guns, etc. In and of itself it does no harm nor good. It is dependent on the application by an individual to do anything at all.
PEOPLE BRAINWASH PEOPLE and people bully people - much like you are attempting to do. An intelligent (and emotionally healthy) person accepts when a person disagrees - and doesn’t resort to temper tantrums, pitiful online accusations, drama, or insults.
Religion doesn’t tell people anything - it can’t make your sports team win, it doesn’t make guacamole, and it doesn’t tell a kid they will burn forever. Mentally disturbed people tell kids they will burn forever.
If you are an atheist, you are giving religion way too much power to believe it harms - you are no different than the person who believes it helps. It’s just a subject - like studying philosophy.
He is right though. My grandson came crying home from school because his fundamentalist friends told him he would burn in hell because our family doesn't believe in a god. Try living in a bible belt where it is insidious the religion and fundamentalism. He had nightmares for days, until my daughter finally called the parents of those kids, and to their credit, they talked to their sons, who finally laid off of my grandson.
I hate, hate, hate what religion does to kids. In my mind, it is child abuse of the worst order, but the greater society sees "Faith" as a virtue. I hate it. It harms people in a real way.
I am myself, an atheist - with my own opinions. And my opinion is religion is not ‘evil’ - neither is alcohol, guns, etc. In and of itself it does no harm nor good. It is dependent on the application by an individual to do anything at all.
PEOPLE BRAINWASH PEOPLE and people bully people - much like you are attempting to do. An intelligent (and emotionally healthy) person accepts when a person disagrees - and doesn’t resort to temper tantrums, pitiful online accusations, drama, or insults.
And they use religion - via bible/qu'ran/whatever - as their bludgeon.
That you seek to minimize it, tells me what side you are truly on.
I hate, hate, hate what religion does to kids. In my mind, it is child abuse of the worst order, but the greater society sees "Faith" as a virtue. I hate it. It harms people in a real way.
Blame the parents for lousy parenting - because religion didn’t fly in on wings and tell anybody anything.
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