To get my opinion out the way, my personal belief's seem to change according to the type of day I'm experiencing. On most normal days I would say I'm an agnostic who hopes that there is some kind of supernatural force out there, and that there is life after death. On a miserable day I would probably be a stone cold atheist, and on a really bad day I would sometimes think that a God is just hanging in the sky, making me angry and laughing at my expense. Nevertheless, there is always a part of me deep down in my head that says: "Face it mate. There is no proof of a God, so there probably isn't one, end of".
Whenever there is an 'Atheists vs Christianity/Islam' thread, one person usually ends up saying 'look, just let people believe what they want to believe and don't force your opinions on others'. Its a good thing to say, and I try to take it heart. If everyone just keeps their beliefs and op opinions to themselves, then we would all get along better.
However, I've started to doubt that idea. Whenever I see Islamist extremists causing mass murder and hysteria on the news, or hear about evangelicals trying to stop children from learning basic biology at school, it really concerns me. I believe society as a whole would benefit if organised religion was removed, and I hope it will die out over this century thanks to the advancements of technology, allowing people to share their ideas and knowledge across the world instead of just sticking to one particular view of reality.
This does not mean at all that anyone with a religious belief is an absolute idiot, or inherently violent.
Being an Atheist doesn't mean your superior in any way, believing in a God is not wrong. It would make sense that a species that defines itself with its scientific and artistic creations would assume that they themselves had a creator. And not all religious people are bigoted extremists. My family, hell my local priest, are some of the nicest and most selfless people I know (whether this is a result of their belief or a personal choice, I do not know). I've seen a lot of Atheists who would rant and pester at the slightest display of religious belief, and its not good for anyone. It just makes theists believe all Atheists are pretentious twats, and drives an either bigger gap between the two.
Not to mention its likely an insult to Atheists who have actually been persecuted, who may get an even worse reputation to face up against. Its just fanning the flames.
If anyone is going to have a religious argument, please, and this goes for everyone, and me, think before you speak. Use reason and a little bit of empathy.
[spoiler]Now that small part of my brain is saying that this is the -blam!-ing offtopic section of a game company website, so who gives the slightest -blam!-.[/spoiler]
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Oh we're beating [I]this[/I] horse again?
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We're all humans we should all shut up and work together. And also people need to stop basing outlooks on a group based on extremists such as all Christians are like Westboro and hate gays and believe no sex etc. or how all Muslims are jihadists or all Atheists are cynical assholes
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Screw extremism. Religion, in its entirety, is destructive, immoral, divisive and arrogant. I don't care if someone feels that liberal theists are the better 'type'. No they aren't. They're wishy-washy and worship a god of the gaps who is ever receding and shrinking. I don't feel prosecuted, as an atheist, but equally I have no respect for something that denies both Hitchens' and Ockham's Razor while demanding proof of a default negative. Fuck comfort. Fuck faith. Truth is what matters.
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I agree to the above. I'm fine with atheists, and every other religion, but when an indevidual or group try to make people convert and tell other how stupid their beliefs are and blah blah blah, it doesn't make anything better. Go right ahead! Be atheist! Be Muslim! Be Bhuddist! Be whatever! But don't force your beliefs and you won't be forced on yourself.
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Atheists feel they are prosecuted. Solution: Move to Canada. It's great up here.
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To sum up every thread of religion >Atheists feel persecuted, whine about it on forums >Insult religion >Call it stupid > Religious War breaks out >Cliche voice of reason "Choose to believe what you want." >Rinse and repeat several times in one thread.
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Wholeheartedly agree that organised religion should be removed. Extremism and hatred are so common in religion that it's staggering. Religion is supposed to be about faith and hope, not about murder, violence and chaos. No god, should they exist, wants that. Religion in itself is flawed anyway. How can 2 billion Christians and 1.5 billion Muslims live on this planet believing that their one true god is the one true god? How can there be so many different teachings and interpretations? The simple answer is that there can't be, if a god or gods truly exist. That's my logic behind it. Religion has started wars, resulted in the deaths, torture and prosecution of millions in the past and present day. Hell, I'd be surprised if that number wasn't in the billions. Religion needs to be this: personal belief. If someone asks about your beliefs, share them. No more churches. No more mosques. No teaching of gods. Let people form their views without religion in their lives, and see how they turn out. Can you be raised without religion? Yes, but chances are you'd have to be home-schooled or live in a society where everyone is anti-religion. That could work.
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I think until religion stops interfering in normal people's lives all together atheists aren't going to stop hating on religion, and in my opinion, rightly so. Until the word of Jesus/Allah/*insert god here* has been spread to everyone, I don't think religious people are going to stop either, so until there is undeniable proof that God does or does not exist, we will never be free of the argument.
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Sounds like you have some kind of personality disorder.
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They can believe whatever. They just can't say stupid reasons for believing in it around me. Such as "The feeling of cold is the absence of heat, and that is why God exists." I'm willing to believe in some sort of deity/ies, but not any related rituals or taboos.
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tl;dr
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I praise, I do not reproach, arrival. I believe it is one of the greatest crises, a moment of the deepest self-reflection of humanity. Whether man recovers from it, whether he becomes master of this crisis, is a question of his strength!