Saturday, July 12, 2014

It Is Time to be Disrespectful of the Evil Known as Religion

Question: - Should atheists show more respect and deference to religion? Isn't it disrespectful to religious theists to be so critical of their beliefs and values?. . . Response: - There is an increasingly popular notion that religion deserve automatic respect and deference from everyone — even those who don't share that religion or that theism. People attack atheists for failing to show the "appropriate" respect to religious and theistic beliefs. Atheists shouldn't say things which constitute pointed, direct, or harsh challenges to religious and theistic claims. At the risk of further accusations of myself being intolerant and disrespectful, I say to you believers: so, so what? . . . Atheist/scientist Richard Dawkins writes in The God Delusion: "As long as we accept the principle that religious faith must be respected simply because it is religious faith, it is hard to withhold respect from the faith of Osama bin Laden and the suicide bombers." Most religious believers don't respect the beliefs of bin Laden; that, however, requires not treating religious beliefs as inherently and necessarily deserving of our automatic respect; instead, we evaluate those beliefs on their own merit and react accordingly. This is what the "new atheists" or "militant atheists" do, but they do so to all religious beliefs.". . . Atheists are not responsible for making religious believers feel better about their religion or their theism. Atheists are not responsible for helping validate religious theism by treating it with a respect or deference that it hasn't earned. Atheists are not responsible for protecting the feelings of religious theists by not speaking out, showing where theists haven't supported their claims or where they have used childish arguments. . . Theists who believe they can't handle pointed, direct, and even harsh criticism of their religious and theistic beliefs always have the option of just not bringing them up. This is precisely the same choice facing every person and every belief: you can either put your belief out in public for comment and critique, or you can keep it to yourself. You don't have the option of putting your belief out in public and then insisting that everyone respect it or not criticize it. . . Indeed, as an atheist, I say it again: The most terrible thing we can do in this life, in this world, is to respect existence of evils, especially the greatest of evils - religion. One need not look far and wide to see the evil results of religion in a country like the Philippines. Today, in this already 21st century, Millions of faithful Filipinos are still hoping, waiting, and praying for the arrival of a Savior - a Son of God Jesus to introduce good health for ourselves as a people; and, to introduce good wealth for ourselves as a nation! Sadly, however, insanity comes in many shapes and forms. The worst kind of insanity in our country is the one that comes from the teachings of Christianity. She continues to support and maintain social and political and religious insanity in our poor and backward country! . . . In other countries, people eat to live in order to work harder for the achievement of the good life - the one inspired by love and guided by the learning of more and deeper knowledge. . . In the Philippines, however, thanks to Christianity and its teachings, we Filipinos eat to live so that we may continue to pray harder for the forgiveness of our insane sins against divinity; and, for the forgiveness of our insane crimes against our own country. Indeed, thanks to our endless respect of stupid religion, we Filipinos have neither time to grow healthy as a people. We have neither the energy to develop in wealth as a decent nation. Poch Suzara Twitter Facebook# Google#

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