Does it really make any difference what so-and-so believes?

[webmdave]

By Dave, the WM

 

Nearly every day I read another opinion piece in the press on how the "raging, militant proponents of the New Atheism” are destroying the framework of our society. Most harshly denigrated in these articles are typically one or more of the Four Horsemen: Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens.

 

The atheistic authors and speakers who hail from Christian cultures and backgrounds are not the only voices in the world to be shouted down for criticizing theism. From ancient times, those who stood up and voiced skepticism against the prevailing theistic superstitions had a good chance of being demonized, or worse.

 

A little history from Wikipedia:

 

Diagoras of Melos

(

5th century BCE

) is known as the "first atheist". He blasphemed by making public the

Eleusinian Mysteries

and discouraging people from being initiated.

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diagoras_of_Melos">The

Athenians

accused him of impiety, and he was forced to flee the city. He died in

Corinth

.

The efforts of modern day believers to soften, squelch, or even silence the voice of reason is nothing new. It's also not just something that only happens in “Christian countries.” Most people are well aware of the penalties imposed against those who resist the prevailing religious tide in Muslim lands. But apparently it's not just Christians and Muslims that are offended by atheism.

 

 

I read an interesting article this week. A portion of it is quoted here:

 

Thanks to

Hindu Munnani

the launch of this movie “

Vanakkammaa

" has been stopped. Police say that it is postponed.

The poster of this movie shows Hindu Gods attending to nature’s call in public place.

 

This movie is supposed to contain characters posed as Hindu Gods (

Rama

and

Hanuman

) who will be smoking and drinking alcohol.

 

The producer of the film, Anbu Thenarasan, is an atheist.

 

What basically happened is that an angry mob of Hindu zealots scared the government into shutting down production of this movie before filming even began. And what are they all up in arms about? Because these "gods" are supposedly being portrayed in a disrespectful manner by none other than an evil atheist.

 

Belief in a god seems to be a pervasive part of the human experience. Christians might say that this quality is a clear indication that there is a "god hole" in our hearts that only God can fill. In contrast to that opinion, others speculate that our tendency toward god belief is the result of a long chain of survival struggles. In other words, god belief helped our earliest ancestors gain evolutionary advantage and although this quality may no longer be needed for survival, its a quality we've retained as a sort of vestigial organ, much like the tonsils and the appendix.

 

If it is true that god belief is part of our evolutionary makeup, it seems to me that god belief will not be going away any time in the foreseeable future. Evolution is slow.

 

At the conclusion to the opinion piece quoted above, the author asked this question:

An atheist doesn't believe in God. Does it mean that they have to denigrate God?

 

That's the question I'd like to ask here. Is it profitable to make fun of the gods or goddesses worshiped and adored by our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.? Should we, as ex-Christians, be understanding, tolerant and respectful of those who stubbornly cling to faith? Or, should we be more open about our non-belief, even provoking confrontation with our Christian associates, using whatever means available to extract their spiritual vestigial appendages?

 

And, since we are all going to die anyway, what's the difference whether other people believe in a god or not?

 

Any takers?

 

http://exchristian.net/exchristian/2008/04...rence-what.html

[florduh]

By Dave, the WM

 

 

 

And, since we are all going to die anyway, what's the difference whether other people believe in a god or not?

 

Any takers?

 

I don't care what others believe, but they apparently care what I believe.

 

With the intrusion of religion into government, and people asking me to pray with them or go to their church, I must declare my atheism. That frequently brings about some discussion, and I give them the facts of why I don't believe what they do.

 

I can't see any harm in showing them there are other ways to think, and some people are relieved to find that others share their own doubts, and some fence-sitters may come over, but I don't care if they de-convert or not. I just want them to leave me alone as far as their religion goes

 

.

[SWIM]

That's the question I'd like to ask here. Is it profitable to make fun of the gods or goddesses worshiped and adored by our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.? Should we, as ex-Christians, be understanding, tolerant and respectful of those who stubbornly cling to faith? Or, should we be more open about our non-belief, even provoking confrontation with our Christian associates, using whatever means available to extract their spiritual vestigial appendages?

 

And, since we are all going to die anyway, what's the difference whether other people believe in a god or not?

 

Any takers?

 

I'll give it a shot. I think we should voice our opinion, I think we should engage them whenever possible, and blasphemous art, stories etc make great examples of fearlessness. We show them that "hey, he just put a clown face on jeebus and didn't get struck dead!" hmmm

Religion is delusion. It is not a healthy frame of mind.

 

Religion blocks science, it stands in the way of research. It also wastes peoples time and money. People war, divorce, fight and murder over religion, it does real tangible harm...

 

Think of all the dollars and brain power wasted on it. How about all the third world people spittin out babies cause "rome" told em not to use condoms, or some book told them to "be fruitfull and multiply".

 

Delusion is harmfull and should be resisted and fought.

 

Here is a page that should help anyone further understand the delusion that reliigon IS:

 

http://godisimaginary.com/i7.htm

 

We owe it to future generations to wake up. We need to stop the brainwashing of children with stupid religious coloring books and whatnot. And telling people that the DEVIL did this or that is scapegoating, and makes people feel less responsible for their actions.

 

Religion is a worldwide plague and does need to be stamped out, but I don't advocate violence, understanding religion is a mental undertaking and so should be the battle, with words and art, not guns and bombs.

[upstarter]

If believers were quietly going about their belief I would see no reason at all to care what they believe. I certainly feel no need to denegrate or make fun of their gods.

 

If they never started a war in the name of their god or their beliefs, if they did not try to teach our children mythology in place of science, if they did not block the progress of potentially life-altering research like stem cells, if they never oppressed women or children, if they were tolerant and accepting of all forms of human sexuality... then I would find no reason to confront them at all.

 

Mostly I steer clear of them, as I would any adult who told me they firmly believed in the tooth fairy. But no one is trying to teach tooth fairianism in schools. If they were, you can bet I'd be right there, mocking them.

 

Heather

[Comanche]

By Dave, the WM

And, since we are all going to die anyway, what's the difference whether other people believe in a god or not?

 

Any takers?

 

There's a difference between quietly going about your business with your expectations put to the wayside while you live your life and going door to door trying to get people to share your expectations. There's a difference between a private faith and religion - which is, as others have said, just crowd control. When the majority bulldozes through with no thought to the minority, it is fully within the rights of the minority to call them on it. Just like in an orchestra, the main instruments are what you mostly hear, but that doesn't mean that the music has any hope of coming together without the percussion. Mainstream religion tries to drown out the metaphorical percussion, and as a result causes discourse.

 

And, by their own logic, we have every right to speak out against them - "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." - Matthew 7:12, and "Do to others as you would have them do to you." - Luke 6:31.

[Guest Net Eng]

We owe it to future generations to wake up. We need to stop the brainwashing of children with stupid religious coloring books and whatnot. And telling people that the DEVIL did this or that is scapegoating, and makes people feel less responsible for their actions.

 

A-bloody-fucking-men SWIM!!

 

Religion give people an excuse to behave badly and blame "the sin in my life" or wink and say the "the Devil made me do it". Then they can cleanse their soul by asking forgiveness from jebus and they're good to go for an eternity of bliss.

 

I cannot see a benefit to the world in general to such beliefs.

 

Engage, yes. Violence, no.

[alpha centauri]

Belief in a god seems to be a pervasive part of the human experience. Christians might say that this quality is a clear indication that there is a "god hole" in our hearts that only God can fill.

 

 

I guess for those of us who are apostates, the "god hole" isn't in our hearts, but it's located a bit lower and on the backside!

 

I agree with SWIM and others who say it's important to stand up for our beliefs, that this cosmic fairy tale story is a lie and for too long has been used to control people. It's corrupting our society as well. I live in the Bible Belt where people often wear their religion on their sleeves, on their bumper stickers and anywhere else they can squeeze it.

 

It's a very "in your face" approach. Their attitude is "who cares?!" about those who disagree with them, because they believe we're of the devil and are going to hell anyway (if they can't get us to buy into their nonsense).

 

In many cases, they don't believe in the separation of church and state (as long as it's their religion that is dominant) and they want their dogma shoved down our throats and even taught as fact in public schools.

 

And when we DARE to speak up and voice our opposition, they have the audacity to lash out and accuse of us persecution, although they are the majority and would have no problem persecuting us.

 

People like the Four Horsemen (Dawkins, Dennett, Harris and Hitchens) — and I'd add a Fifth Horseman (or Horsewoman) in Ayaan Hirsi Ali — are absolutely necessary. They speak up where so many others are afraid or unwilling. And for those marginal religionists who merely go with the flow, because they don't consider the alternatives, we can actually offer a stepping stone into the rejection of the lies of organized religion.