I'm waiting to see some data before I believe that. Because, and I don't think I'm alone in thinking this, but doesn't common sense dictate that if you stop forcing something on people they will generally become less hostile to it? (I don't count "disliking" or "disagreeing with" as "hostile") If it is optional and doesn't affect you, then why waste time hating it? Certainly you can agree that if you forced it on someone that they would hate it *more* than if you didn't, correct?
Absolutely, but its not the government that is doing the forcing. Its misguided zealots who think browbeating folks with it will change anything. Thats part of the self inflicted reasons for the bashing that religions based on God are taking.
http://b27.cc.trincoll.edu/weblogs/AmericanReligionSurvey-ARIS/reports/ARIS_Report_2008.pdf What do people have to say about this?
Hopefully this means less people will be calling themselves Christian who never were to begin with. But it seems to me that you do more evangelizing for your position in these threads, generally, than those who come from a faith background.
coming from a total fraud, your position doesn't surprise me. go away baylorbear09. your act is tired.
That is pretty amazing that "No belief/No religion" is the fastest growing segment of the population in terms of spiritual identification.
It's not surprising to me. As we come to know more about the scope and nature of the universe the traditional religious myths get harder to rationalize. But if you can believe by all means do so, as long as your beliefs don't include imposing choices on others.
give it a rest. I am not a Christian but don't despise them. Can I assume you also hate Jews and Muslims? I take my kids to some church-sponsored events once in a while (ie. Halloween, Christmas festivals, Easter egg hunts, etc.). I've rarely been asked to join and the vast majority of the people there have been nice and are not pushy. And it generally does foster a good family-oriented environment. For a lot, this is what it is about. I don't know why a lot of people are religious but I'm not going to bash them for it. Be it Xtianity or whatever, a lot of people find comfort in believing that there is such a thing as an afterlife or final justice. If something horrible ever happened to my kids, I'd probably turn to God out of desperation and nothing any atheist ever told would dissuade me. It is faith and belief-based.
I'm curious how many of the anti-religious here have kids? I used to scorn religious types too until my wife started popping them out. Still am mostly atheist but just a lot more tolerant of church-goers and see some value in it.
"Religion is mass delusion, get rid of it" Reality is desolate, uncaring and unforgiving; delusion is understandable.
I don't have problems with religious people who keep it to themselves. I have a problem with those who promote things that are simply not true, and call us nonbelievers evil. If they had their way they would wipe us all out. To me, if you promote something that has no evidence whatsoever, like virgin birth etc, that is criminal. People in this country are protected from religious power but the laws should go further. No child should be told the Jesus crap as truth. I think Catholics who go to Africa and tell local people that Condoms have no effect against HIV virus is the most evil thing I have ever heard.
Why does having kids change it? To me, if anything I would do anything to shield them from religious influence. I could never understand how people still worship the powerful god when a child falls victim to crimes as well as disease. God meant to let them get tortured and die? Why would the religious folks even live if heaven is such a better place? Just kill yourself and go there.
The purpose of the self delusion is to maintain a sense of hope in the face of a hopeless world. Proselytizing reinforces the correctness of the group-think to the individual. Stepping across the line to test your theory? Well, that is another thing altogether. And it is the same for those who believe the end is oblivion and nothing matters. Why work, have pain or fear your day of death? Swallow a bottle of sleeping pills and it's like you never existed (to you).
Exactly... Hope. That's the problem. People are too insecure. You can live a perfectly normal life without religion.
So you don't have kids then. My question was whether or not those who do have kids have softened their anti-religious sentiments. I suppose you have to have kids to appreciate the family-oriented aspects of some church events, etc. I have no problem with atheists. The ones who want to outlaw religions or think some family going to some church easter egg hunt should go kill themselves are, if anything, some of the most intolerant of all.
