The Bible (a discussion)

WW3

That's been going on since WW2 ended.

It sure would be nice if this dangerous societal disease called Christianity would finally die off.

Replaced with what?

They don't ever dare answer that question neo. They know the pitfalls. Or the brighter ones do at least.

Why does it need to be replaced?

An atheist, not even bright, doesn't need erzats for that.

It's like you stop smoking or some other addiction..

As a fellow atheist do you not see the psycho-social need of a religious (or quasi relgious) belief system for most of humanity. ? Indeed even the labelling and rationale of our own atheism is predicated on theism.

A more interesting question perhaps is: can different religions be graded in terms of perniciousness on the assumption that their viral character will exploit any vacuum ? And a secondary question mght be that since forms of religion seem to be correlated with tribalism, is it inevitable that religions fragment and become a focus for internicene strife ?

I see it quite well and said so on several instances.

I don't want a pyrrhic victory.

Btw, you meant "internecine", right?

But it doesn't prevent me of wishing a society rid of those "happiness diseases".

An atheist has some advantages in a Christian culture. None in an atheist culture. So he is talking against his own interests if he promotes atheism.

And, if the "societal disease" were to be replaced wouldn't whatever succeeded it be an opiate as well. Habits are opiates. (see Marcel Proust).

Moaning about our culture suggests that some people will never be satisfied. They must live in a permanent and unremitting stupor of dissatisfaction.

And their cars have electric windows which they can lower at an ice-cream emporium to get a nice cornet full of (choose flavour) ice-cream sprinkled with hundreds and thousands (if desired) in return for money the government gave them for being prepared to entertain themselves at a work station where they engage in some rigmarole without purpose or reason.

One thing is certain to a scientific mind and it is that if the "societal disease" was cured another "societal disease" would replace it. As with medical treatments which cause other conditions the treatment of which causes further conditions. And so on.

It's a bit like being dissatisfied with your legs.

Yes ..internecine ...sorry.

I can't see much wrong with "happiness" as long as it is not at the expense of that of others

I suggest that atheistic "wishes" are evoked by three observations.
1. The observation of indoctrination of children such that their free thinking is curtailed.
2. The direct or indirect interference with the lives of "others".
3. The observation of the chauvinist use of religion to perpetuate gender based, and other power structures.

.

Same problem fresco.

Are you an adept of the utopian hope of the phalanastery of the medieval fraternity of the Brethren of the Free Spirit? A Situationist?

Are you opposed to power structures in principle or is it that you see yourself as a member of one in the very unlikely event of the "societal disease" being cured.

A religious revival is much more likely imo and you atheists might be better keeping quiet in case the experiments with your ideas create such a mess that the backlash is necessarily ruthless and unprincipled.

That's precisely the sole reason for which I want get rid of religions.

I don't mind people having a religion as long as they don't try to shove it down my throat.

Your subsequent comments are elaborations of the first one..

What's wrong with you today, guys?

JC mentioned only christianity. There are other systems beside atheism to fill the void.

Just asking . . . .

I refer you here:
http://able2know.org/topic/50801-1
This will happen

I am not an idealist, more a pessimistic realist.
I don't consider so-called "atheistic" regimes any different to theistic ones since they also tend to impose their version of "right thinking". I think "belief systems" is the price we all for being cognate/planning animals with a concept of, and a desire to control, "our future". Some of us concoct a homemade " map for living " and some of us are content to accept someone else's version of the territory either in whole or in part.

At least they are up front about it which enables you to resist. Secularism is coming in on all sorts of mysterious entry points which are not as easy to identify.

Giving people the sense that we can live without constraints is very easy to do as long as describing the result is put on Ignore.

How about Bingo? It’s a game where they might win a little money and they don’t need a brain for that either, plus they can play in the church. That would get them off the streets from harassing people and cramming their beliefs down other people’s throats.

My mom was an Orthodox Bingoan

There’s a bingo hall not far from us, all the good Christian folk go there on Saturday night, come out cussing when they lose then head to church on Sunday.

I went to the market this morning, while shopping I picked up a couple bottles of wine, well it was before eleven and the cashier made me put the wine back. You can’t buy any alcohol before 11am on Sunday, that’s what happens when you live in the bible belt.