Why be an Atheist.... taken from a site in the UK

[ErickGhint42]

thought this was a good way of explaining things...
1. Religion is harmful because it claims knowledge of an absolute truth about what it is to be human. By definition such a claim is dangerous. It leads to immoral decision-making and excludes new insights into what it is to be human.
2. Religion blocks the development of rationalism as the guiding principle of human development.

3. Religion hinders the development of scientific knowledge.

4. Religion gives a distorted view of reality by claiming false things to be true.

5. "Reality conflict" produces real emotional distress - with damage to individuals and their families. The faithful suffer stress because the evidence of their senses and experience conflicts with their relious beliefs. An extreme example of such a conflict: in theory religions welcome death as the ultimate salvation - in practice few of the faithful seem to be very keen on it.

6. Religion creates and reinforces rifts between different communities. It spreads from generation to generation like a computer virus and perpetuates these rifts over many generations.

7. Vices develop when people are forced to keep different aspects of their humanity in separate compartments. Vices are created when natural behaviour is defined as sin.

8. Religion discourages the development of democratic systems of government, freedom of expression and the evolution of society. Because religious organisations are hierarchical and the guys at the top are always right this encourages an undemocratic mind-set. Perhaps this is why so many religions are so tolerant of war - the ultimate imposition of power over others.

[Defence_mechanism]

sums it up perfectly. :)

i think spirituality is a very important thing, but for me it's got nothing to do with religion. religion is a human institution that is really... stuffing the world up.

however wrong some of their moral ideas are, i think in time they're bound to change. i do believe though, that some morals they have (e.g. thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, etc.) probably help the society in that it prevents people from doing things who may not prevent themselves from doing those things if they didnt have religion. get me?

[POPthree13]

I think it is important to draw a distinction between A-Religious (as these points appear to be) and A-Theist.

[Beatle Kat]

3. Religion hinders the development of scientific knowledge.

absolutely.All of them are so true!

[dna]

:) So how many of you here think it's fine to have sex without being
married to the one and tons of people you do it with?
No lot lizard,(as my brothers call loose women who have sex with out being married) They claim they ask for it,and they do.
is going to ever convince me that there is such a thing as responsible sinning!
I have alot of brothers,and I know what they say about women who have sex
without a husband,and none of it's nice. Yes,they like to use the hootchy -
momma's and they will build her up for awhile to get all the sex and free goods
they can off of her until they meet the next one,and there is always a next one!
Even bad guys all say they only really want the innocent females,and I know what they talk about.
Guys do not ever dream about the loose women,they always want the women who
stay home at night and have good christian morals.
How many of you think it's alright to have kids without the benefit of marriage?
So,if you said sex is o.k. without being married,then you don't mind helping to spread the germs around that help to create V.D.,and you don't mind having a zillion failed relationships,and
you don't mind living for nothing?

When men treat you like you are just another male,please keep it to yourself!
Butch females created males who lie and use women.
If the women never got loose in the first place,men wouldn't have no one to
be loose with,so when you complain about any male,secular or other wise,I
don't sympathize with the loose women at all.They do it to themselves!
If you don't respect your own body,no man ever will,amen.
Loose Brawds get treated like dawgs,only worse,and they ask for it every
time they sleep around. Don't blame the men,and cry because they treat you
bad. Christian women won't listen to you. Go some where else to get your
sympathy.

[dna]

[QUOTE=ErickGhint42]thought this was a good way of explaining things...
1. Religion is harmful because it claims knowledge of an absolute truth about what it is to be human. By definition such a claim is dangerous. It leads to immoral decision-making and excludes new insights into what it is to be human.
2. Religion blocks the development of rationalism as the guiding principle of human development.
:) Too bad you feel that way,because religion is spreading!
sex without marriage helps spread V.D.,it causes V.D.,and
unwanted pregnancy.
teen suicide and murder is caused by not having something or
someone like God to believe in,not the other way around.
God's rules help life and cause a healthy self image and better
out look on life. God gives life a purpose,and God wants every
one to love,respect,and care for one another.
loose morals cause rape,and crimes against women.
porn is found on most rapists,and children are not even
safe.
you don't believe in God for no other reason than the fact the
you love sin and don't want to pay a price for it.
stop pretending you are good when you are doing evil.

[matthew]

I think it is fine to have sex with out being married ... their is sex and making love . Lots of girls and boys men and women do it all the time. Its not wrong unless your not careful .

Religion hinders the development of scientific knowledge.



http://volokh.com/posts/1089312375.shtml

Not true i think....

[gEo_tehaD_returns]

"teen suicide and murder is caused by not having something or
someone like God to believe in"

Teen suicide is mostly caused by the fact that teens explode small things to epic proportions, and feel sorry for themselves, and want others to feel sorry for them too. Thus, suicide. When a teen feels shitty enough to consider suicide, they probably have lost any faith in god they may have had anyway. Murder is caused by greed and anger. Not believing in a god has absolutely nothing to do with it. Do you know how many people were killed for the judeo-christian god? A very large number. The only way a religion can prevent murder is it's rules (ten commandments), and that only work by creating a fear of going to hell.

I am agnostic (leaning towards atheism) because common sense was able to somehow break through the thick christian barrier they nailed to my head during my youth. Guess they didn't fasten it tight enough, they're successful with most of their other little sheep.

[POPthree13]

DNA-



One of my moms friends committed suicide as a teen... when she realized she had been lied to and brainwashed by her church.

Percentages of religous adherents in ALL developed countries is on the decline. Europe is in what is called the 'Post-Christian' era. Religiouns are only growing in developing countries where we still practice conversion on people who want our prosperity.

[Shane99X]

you don't believe in God for no other reason than the fact the
you love sin and don't want to pay a price for it.
stop pretending you are good when you are doing evil.
In other words you think that in order to be morally good it is neccesary to have the threat of eternal torture hanging over your head?

[FreakyJoeMan]

I'm going to go kill a six year old jus to spite you, DNA. Hail Santa!

[Lodui]

#9. If you were religious... your priest would probably just wanna fuck ya.http://www.hipforums.com/forums/images/smilies/humm.gif