The Pitch: Banning All Religion

[Zophia]

The reason that he feared Darwinism had nothing to do with the fact that it challenged the Christian creation story, not really. No, he was very much afraid of Spencer and Malthus; he was afraid that if people started seeing each other as mere animals, they would start treating each other as mere animals; he was afraid that “the survival of the fittest” would not only be a scientific principal but also an economic and social principal, which was very much against his religious beliefs. Of course, as we learned a few years later with the German experimentation in eugenics, he was terrifyingly accurate in his concerns.

I have to say that I'm entirely ignorant about this person. So I can't comment much on this but to say that I definitely believe science and morality are two separate spheres. Also, Eugenics, according to current knowledge, doesn't make sense for human beings. There is more genetic diversity between people within same "race" than there is outside of it. Race is more of a social construct than anything else. (More about science and morals further down.)

What we don’t have much of in my opinion, are people who are willing to try and listen to each other on either side of the argument. And I think that it is this fact, which causes us to move farther and farther to extremes, and I am sure that you know the dangers of extremism.

I hope you didn't get that from my post because I am more than willing to listen to other peoples' points of view. I'm sorry if I gave you the impression otherwise!! I enjoy talking to other people even when I disagree with them. It's a great opportunity to learn things or to look at something in a way I wouldn't have thought to, left to my own devices. I've already gotten a little bit of that from speaking with you!

After all, it is not religion that is responsible for the crusades and witch hunts, the violence between Catholics and Protestants, Jews and Muslims, or even the Inquisition. Religion was only the vehicle of extremism and extremism CAN AND WILL attach itself to any idea we humans can have if left unchecked, and that includes atheism.

I definitely agree with you. I think that extremism needs to be dealt with, though, and not ignored. I would never stand for someone trying to take rights away from Christians, for example... which is why I would never support the banning of religion. Do I think we're better off without it? Sure thing! Do I think I should do my best to educate people out of it? Sure thing! But in the end, it is their choice. Forcing such a choice on them would be an affront to personal freedom, something i feel is very important. But I don't believe there is anything wrong with trying to sway someone to your side, especially through education (not public education, you know what I mean!).

Many people make the mistake of treat science as if it is an objective, godlike entity;

I do not feel that science is godlike or infallible. But it at least tries to find out the answers and is ever changing as mistakes are corrected. It is an ongoing process based on our current knowledge and not a static position staunchly defended by the faithful. And that's what I like about it. Some things are very well established though. Evolution ties well into many different fields... and a literal interpretation of the Bible does not hold a place for that. Neither does it hold a place for basic knowledge about our solar system.

Einstein once said, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” This is true in my opinion. Science has not been able to help us develop our humanity.

Nice quote! I agree that science is not where humanity should go for moral knowledge, because that is not science's purpose.

Really, the perspective I have is that I don't know what is good for other people, what they should do with their lives, what they should believe, who or what they should or should not worship. I cannot know, just as they cannot know what is good for me or what I should believe or do. Who would want that responsibility to begin with?

Perhaps I am arrogant to think that I know better than so many people who embrace religion... But I look at the havoc that religion has wreaked in my own life and those of others around me and I think, "there has got to be a better alternative to this." I think one could make a great case for how humanity at large would be better off without certain teachings. But would the faithful give them up if they believe those teachings were born on the lips of their god?

And I don't get upset when they believe something that I don't, though I do dearly love to be right.

Me, too! Haha.

The only time I get upset and try to do something is when people begin to try and impose their beliefs on me. And, yes, SOME religious people try to do that very thing . . . some secular people do too.

I don't mind proselytizers. If someone tried to force me to be a Christian I'd get a little feisty, though. Force is not the way. How do you feel about people taking their beliefs and imposing them upon others by making it law, though, such as in the case of gay marriage? Because that's a pretty big issue for me, even though I'm currently in a heterosexual relationship. It boils my blood.

For that reason, I won't try and slander their beliefs no matter how much I may disagree with them,

I don't believe it is slander, though. I think (but am not sure) that to call it slander would mean it had to be untrue or misleading. And it is neither. It just isn't positive...

I won’t try and ban them or prohibit them from practicing their religion. Why? Because it is not what I believe in, and I won’t let those who stand against me change who I am.

I wouldn't ban or prohibit them either. It has never and would never be my goal to force anyone to give up what they believe.

Also, I can't post the video I spoke about in my last post yet because I'm new and my post count has to be 50 or greater. If you go to youtube and search for "RSA Animate - The Empathic Civilisation" you can find it.