Steve 41oo wrote:Green Witch wrote:However, peaceful, law abiding zealots like peaceful, law abiding atheists, should be left alone to follow their own paths.
Why should we leave them alone when they come back and bother us? Why should we tolerate the spread of superstitious nonsense? In particular, why do we allow brainwashing and abuse of children in the name of religion?
Steve, I'm also not a hugger of religion. However, I don't see it as all bad. Societies like North Korea, Russia and China have been doing their best to eradicate spiritual beliefs for decades, and I think they have gained nothing from it, and perhaps they've even lost much by this policy. I think religion can be a moral compass for the masses. I think the US (at it's best) is a generous nation because of it's spiritual core. Part of the "superstitious nonsense" that is preached is do unto to others as you would have them do unto to you. There is great beauty in many religious beliefs, it's not all burn the heretics and send the sinners to hell.
I think there is a big difference between the Taliban and a church that doles out emergency food packages, no questions asked.
I would never want to live in a world in which I had to follow a religion, and I admit often resent how our society can push faith into areas it does not belong. However, I do see many positive things come about because of people's religious beliefs. Hmmm, maybe one day we will have evolved enough not to need the dogma, but until then- if they stay off my doorstep I will stay off of theirs.
Just a last thought - superstition and brainwashing is not only the domain of religion. Many children are raised with silly ideas that have no religious foundation. How many children are told they must grow up to be a doctor, lawyer or CEO in order to be considered successful? How many children are raised to believe that you are what you own? Many children are abused- and religion plays no part in it. It's easy to point at religious belief and claim it's the core of all our problems, but I don't think the end of religion would be the end of human superstition, mind control or man's inhumanity to man.