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Hitchens was wrong about religion...

Dans La Lune

Dans La Lune

Do you read Sutter Cane?
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Hitchens said that 'religion ruins everything'. I was in some ways a big fan of his (in other ways a harsh critic), but he was he was definitely wrong on this score. In actuality, the right-wing ruins everything, and they've ruined religion.

What could have been a uniting force for humanity has been used throughout history until the very second, by the right-wing, to oppress and otherize groups of people, and all that entails. It has been used to promote ignorance and suppress knowledge. It has been used to accrue economic and political power for the corrupt and wicked. It has been used to spread hatred, fear and turn neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother.

I have no problem with religion. I have a problem with the people who've corrupted it and turned every mainstream outlet of religion into rank cesspools of greed and hate, and in many cases to protects dirty old men from criminal justice.

Religion won't survive, because the right-wing have abused it, tortured it, and robbed it of all spirituality. It's now almost exclusively a weaponized political tool to rally credulous people and to suppress the rights of already-powerless people.

It's a damn shame.
 
Dans La Lune said:
Hitchens said that 'religion ruins everything'. I was in some ways a big fan of his (in other ways a harsh critic), but he was he was definitely wrong on this score. In actuality, the right-wing ruins everything, and they've ruined religion.

What could have been a uniting force for humanity has been used throughout history until the very second, by the right-wing, to oppress and otherize groups of people, and all that entails. It has been used to promote ignorance and suppress knowledge. It has been used to accrue economic and political power for the corrupt and wicked. It has been used to spread hatred, fear and turn neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother.

I have no problem with religion. I have a problem with the people who've corrupted it and turned every mainstream outlet of religion into rank cesspools of greed and hate, and in many cases to protects dirty old men from criminal justice.

Religion won't survive, because the right-wing have abused it, tortured it, and robbed it of all spirituality. It's now almost exclusively a weaponized political tool to rally credulous people and to suppress the rights of already-powerless people.

It's a damn shame.
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Humans created religion.
Humans allowed it to be corrupted by power.

Spirituality will survive it all, and always be a part of the human condition.

That’s generally not a bad thing.

Religion should not carry with it a “power”.
 
The truth will always prevail over the fake/corrupt...you're right about one thing, though, the corrupt will be taken down...
 
Dans La Lune said:
Hitchens said that 'religion ruins everything'. I was in some ways a big fan of his (in other ways a harsh critic), but he was he was definitely wrong on this score. In actuality, the right-wing ruins everything, and they've ruined religion.

What could have been a uniting force for humanity has been used throughout history until the very second, by the right-wing, to oppress and otherize groups of people, and all that entails. It has been used to promote ignorance and suppress knowledge. It has been used to accrue economic and political power for the corrupt and wicked. It has been used to spread hatred, fear and turn neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother.

I have no problem with religion. I have a problem with the people who've corrupted it and turned every mainstream outlet of religion into rank cesspools of greed and hate, and in many cases to protects dirty old men from criminal justice.

Religion won't survive, because the right-wing have abused it, tortured it, and robbed it of all spirituality. It's now almost exclusively a weaponized political tool to rally credulous people and to suppress the rights of already-powerless people.

It's a damn shame.
Click to expand...

The Four Horsemen review - whatever happened to ‘New Atheism’?

They're old news.
 
Dragonfly said:
Religion should not carry with it a “power”.
Click to expand...

It does, though. It has to power to rally people for a common good, or for a common evil. The former is overshadowed by the latter to an almost infinite degree, both in moderns times and throughout the history of mankind. The Bible could have been used to improve the human condition; to contrast what we were to what we could become (you know, like a spiritual guide), rather than bind us to the worst elements of human history 'because it was written'.

Of the main religions, you could say Buddhism is the most compatible with non-theistic thought and spirituality, but damned if the right-wing hasn't corrupted that religion too. It's ultimately no different as a result.
 
Dans La Lune said:
Hitchens said that 'religion ruins everything'. I was in some ways a big fan of his (in other ways a harsh critic), but he was he was definitely wrong on this score. In actuality, the right-wing ruins everything, and they've ruined religion.

What could have been a uniting force for humanity has been used throughout history until the very second, by the right-wing, to oppress and otherize groups of people, and all that entails. It has been used to promote ignorance and suppress knowledge. It has been used to accrue economic and political power for the corrupt and wicked. It has been used to spread hatred, fear and turn neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother.

I have no problem with religion. I have a problem with the people who've corrupted it and turned every mainstream outlet of religion into rank cesspools of greed and hate, and in many cases to protects dirty old men from criminal justice.

Religion won't survive, because the right-wing have abused it, tortured it, and robbed it of all spirituality. It's now almost exclusively a weaponized political tool to rally credulous people and to suppress the rights of already-powerless people.

It's a damn shame.
Click to expand...
Hitchens was wrong about a lot of things - but he wasn't wrong about religion.
 
Galactic Spin said:
I'm not sure who came up with such a goofy headline or an idea for an article, but new atheism is stronger than ever.
Click to expand...

Of course, in the eyes of its followers.
 
Dans La Lune said:
Hitchens said that 'religion ruins everything'. I was in some ways a big fan of his (in other ways a harsh critic), but he was he was definitely wrong on this score. In actuality, the right-wing ruins everything, and they've ruined religion.

What could have been a uniting force for humanity has been used throughout history until the very second, by the right-wing, to oppress and otherize groups of people, and all that entails. It has been used to promote ignorance and suppress knowledge. It has been used to accrue economic and political power for the corrupt and wicked. It has been used to spread hatred, fear and turn neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother.

I have no problem with religion. I have a problem with the people who've corrupted it and turned every mainstream outlet of religion into rank cesspools of greed and hate, and in many cases to protects dirty old men from criminal justice.

Religion won't survive, because the right-wing have abused it, tortured it, and robbed it of all spirituality. It's now almost exclusively a weaponized political tool to rally credulous people and to suppress the rights of already-powerless people.

It's a damn shame.
Click to expand...

Exactly. Same with patriotism. The right wingers have hijacked both religion and patriotism. They are STILL claiming that the riot on Jan 6 was “patriotism” rather than what is was, an attempt to disrupt and prevent the peaceful transfer of presidential power.
 
Schism said:
Of course, in the eyes of its followers.
Click to expand...

New Atheism is basically an unwillingness to continue to hide in the shadows, but rather to be confidently vocal in proclaiming the reason and logic of atheism. So what exactly do you have against both sides of the First Amendment, the right to be free of religious belief and the right to use free speech in the public arena to say so.
 
watsup said:
New Atheism is basically an unwillingness to continue to hide in the shadows, but rather to be confidently vocal in proclaiming the reason and logic of atheism. So what exactly do you have against both sides of the First Amendment, the right to be free of religious belief and the right to use free speech in the public arena to say so.
Click to expand...

Hooray for the misguided and their voice of stupidity!
 
watsup said:
Do you know what psychological projection is? Looks like you’re good at it!
Click to expand...

Well, it's not projection, although I'm sure that's a BIG WORD in your new vocabulary.

Since I'm neither an atheist, much less a New Atheist, what is your criteria for claiming "psychological projection"??

Do you even know what those BIG WORDS mean? LOL!
 
Logician Man said:
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You do understand that there will be those who abuse and carry things to the extreme in most any setting...that is true across the board...that does not mean it is the norm for the majority who are striving to, not only talk the talk but walk the walk...if you refuse to admit that truth...then I pity you...
 
Schism said:
Well, it's not projection, although I'm sure that's a BIG WORD in your new vocabulary.

Since I'm neither an atheist, much less a New Atheist, what is your criteria for claiming "psychological projection"??

Do you even know what those BIG WORDS mean? LOL!
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If is YOU who apparently does not understand the phrase. Look up the definition, and then slowly read both parts of post #17 and see if you can figure it out.
 
watsup said:
If is YOU who apparently does not understand the phrase. Look up the definition, and then slowly read both parts of post #17 and see if you can figure it out.
Click to expand...

Enjoy your use of BIG WORDS that you don't understand. I've been happy to challenge you to learn something.
 
Dans La Lune said:
Hitchens said that 'religion ruins everything'. I was in some ways a big fan of his (in other ways a harsh critic), but he was he was definitely wrong on this score. In actuality, the right-wing ruins everything, and they've ruined religion.

What could have been a uniting force for humanity has been used throughout history until the very second, by the right-wing, to oppress and otherize groups of people, and all that entails. It has been used to promote ignorance and suppress knowledge. It has been used to accrue economic and political power for the corrupt and wicked. It has been used to spread hatred, fear and turn neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother.

I have no problem with religion. I have a problem with the people who've corrupted it and turned every mainstream outlet of religion into rank cesspools of greed and hate, and in many cases to protects dirty old men from criminal justice.

Religion won't survive, because the right-wing have abused it, tortured it, and robbed it of all spirituality. It's now almost exclusively a weaponized political tool to rally credulous people and to suppress the rights of already-powerless people.

It's a damn shame.
Click to expand...
Religion is only as good as those who believe in it require it to be.

Or only as bad, if they let themselves go that route.

Can blame leaders of religion, but that assumes that their followers are incapable of thought. Which may be the case in some cases. But it can't be all.
 
Schism said:
Enjoy your use of BIG WORDS that you don't understand. I've been happy to challenge you to learn something.
Click to expand...

Ah ye, more ad hom just like in your post #15, instead of discussion. If you are unable to actually DISCUSS the topic, then perhaps you should say nothing at all instead of engaging in nastiness and hatefulness.
 
Dans La Lune said:
Hitchens said that 'religion ruins everything'. I was in some ways a big fan of his (in other ways a harsh critic), but he was he was definitely wrong on this score. In actuality, the right-wing ruins everything, and they've ruined religion.

What could have been a uniting force for humanity has been used throughout history until the very second, by the right-wing, to oppress and otherize groups of people, and all that entails. It has been used to promote ignorance and suppress knowledge. It has been used to accrue economic and political power for the corrupt and wicked. It has been used to spread hatred, fear and turn neighbor against neighbor, brother against brother.

I have no problem with religion. I have a problem with the people who've corrupted it and turned every mainstream outlet of religion into rank cesspools of greed and hate, and in many cases to protects dirty old men from criminal justice.

Religion won't survive, because the right-wing have abused it, tortured it, and robbed it of all spirituality. It's now almost exclusively a weaponized political tool to rally credulous people and to suppress the rights of already-powerless people.

It's a damn shame.
Click to expand...

I don't agree with every post you make, but you hit the nail on the head with this OP. (y)

A religion that advocates inwardness, improving oneself, kindness toward the poor, and justice for the oppressed is a religion I will not only tolerate but support.

A religion that advocates forcing views onto others, contempt toward the poor, and further oppression of the oppressed is a religion I have no problem with flagging as evil and in need of dying out.

Oh, and young people would agree with me. Hateful religion is causing young people to flee Christianity in droves.
 
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