Is religion relevant in the modern world
freedom of non belief
Side Score: 10
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rejection of atheism
Side Score: 7
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Religion now just causes conflict. Maybe comfort for individuals but it's a bit of a smudge on the world itself. With medicine being prevented massively in the middle ages because of Christianity and whole wars being done on behalf of religion and now ISIS, it's getting a bit ridiculous now. People fighting because their supposed man in the sky is more valid than someone elses or their view on the world is the better one because it's in some old book. Honestly, it just causes conflict and prevents progression in my opinion and should be irrelevant. It certainly shouldn't still hold the power it has today in politics. Side: freedom of non belief
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The less religious the world becomes, the more mass violence that is commited. Stalin mass murdered Russians. Mao mass murdered the Chinese. Liberal atheists are the most violent unhinged people in the West as a whole. Nonetheless, one then has to define religion. Modern Christians are very compliant and compromising compared to Islam. And Atheism is Islam without the God. Our way or death. That doesn't make the world a better place. It makes it worse. Side: rejection of atheism
It's not accurate to equate mass violence with decreasing religiosity because religion is gaining traction in many parts of the world. It is only accurate to say the world is becoming less religious when we refer to the Western world (though the USA may be argued to be an exception to this pattern). I think the most important thing to consider when talking about Stalin, Mao etc. is whether these atrocities were done as a direct result of their atheism. In secular totalitarian regimes the leader of the regime may place themselves as the object of worship so necessarily religion must be suppressed (otherwise there's a danger religion ends up having more power than the despot and / or results in that despot's dominance being challenged). It seems unlikely that most dictators commit mass genocide with the mindset of "God doesn't exist so I can do whatever I want" when there are more compelling reasons for them to want to wipe out organised religion. The second point I wish to dispute is your argument for the strength of Christian belief versus Islamic belief. Both religious groups are very diverse and have different denominations, e.g. Sufi, Quaker, Shia, Protestant and so on. In the United States, Christian fundamental attitudes remain quite prevalent; multiple radio stations and TV channels are dedicated to it, and traditional Christian values still have a strong hold in the Republican party, for example. This being said, Europe, though traditionally Christian for the most part, reports lower levels of religiosity although many would still identify themselves as Christian. Islam is most strongly followed in places like the Middle East and some parts of Africa; Christianity is strongly followed in Africa and Latin America. In places like Kosovo and Tunisia, it is often followed more liberally. To imply that Islam is always followed with fundamentalism is a fallacy and I think disingenuous of you to assume. Your third main point - "Atheism is Islam without the God" is meaningless, especially with regards to my response to your second point. Atheism is, at its basic definition, a lack of belief in a deity. Many secular countries, such as those in Europe, are peaceful. With the exception of a few vocal advocates for militant atheism, such as Richard Dawkins, the majority of atheists live peacefully side-by-side with those of a more religious persuasion. I also think you've made an error in equating lack of religion with atheism. People tend to identify more as "spiritual" and tend to adhere less to organised religion than they used to, but this does not mean they have all stopped believing in God. It is also worth noting the rise of new religions, such as Wicca. Side: freedom of non belief
How is it that you forget that the number one killer of mankind is godless communism? You, if you had your way and society was what you think it should be, would be one of the communists cheering the killing of your own people if they hold a world and life view different from your own. Side: freedom of non belief
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What about the Atheist ....... When Christopher Hitchens observes that .. “Religion is violent .. irrational .. intolerant .. allied to racism and tribalism and bigotry .. invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry .. contemptuous of women and coercive toward children" .. he is both right and wrong . . . . . Hitchens is right because humankind is sinful and selfish .. Indeed .. I believe it was G.K. Chesterton who said that the one Christian doctrine that was demonstrably provable .. even to casual observers .. was the sinfulness and depravity of man .. Thus .. human expressions of the religious impulse will inevitably produce some religious practices and beliefs that would fit Hitchens’ rather grim description . . . . Human history is replete with such flawed expressions of religious faith However . . this would be true of all secular philosophies and ideologies as well .. Three of the most heinous and barbaric ideologies .. which produced the greatest cruelties and violations of humanity in the 20th century .. were fascism .. Nazism and communism . . . . all secular Hitchens is wrong in that he condemns all religious expression to the category of such violent and negative expressions . . . Many of the noblest expressions of humanity throughout the centuries have been performed in the name of religion . . . One thinks of William Wilberforce and his long campaign to end the slave trade in the British Empire . . . Both the British and American abolitionist movements were founded .. nurtured .. financed and led to victory against the horrific evil of slavery by people who were most often inspired and motivated by deep religious conviction The great social reform movements of the last half of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century ( child labor reform .. etc ) were often led by people of deep religious faith .. Protestant and Catholic And of course .. in the lifetime of many of us who were born in the last half of the 20th century .. the most successful and greatest reform movement was the civil rights revolution .. led by a Baptist minister .. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr .. who often said that the movement and the faith that inspired it could not be separated . . . As many will remember .. the civil rights revolution was supported by and led to victory in large part because of the leadership of clergy .. black and white Lastly .. one is led to ask Mr. Hitchens some questions .. • Where are the great atheist-sponsored charitable and reform movements ? • Where are the atheist children homes and orphanages ? ( no .. the government will not count ) • Where are the atheist leaders who are taking vows of poverty and giving themselves in sacrificial service to others ? As Arthur C. Brooks .. professor at Syracuse University .. points out in his recent book .. Who Really Cares ? (2006): Religious people are far more generous with their own time and money than secularists .. Brooks concludes .. “Religious folks are by far the most charitable people in America today” . . . . . Dr Richard Land Side: freedom of non belief
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I think you are misunderstanding the concept of Atheism. Atheism has no specific organization, we are not bound into doctrines. Which means all of us are responsible for our own actions, and we do not reflect the community of Atheists because of our individual actions as well. Our difference is that you are guided by leaders such as priests, popes, and your Bible you are expected to manifest the teachings of your Holy Book or your God and some of these leads into violence because you are being leaded by an evil person aka proxies of God. I also believe that we have organizations or charities built by an Atheist. I do not however believe that particular atheist reflects every Atheists in the world which your questions suggests that why are there no charity sponsored atheist movements or what so ever. Side: rejection of atheism
Religion just causes issues today. Jews and Islam can't figure out who gets what land and Christians are diverting from there original beliefs as there are more than 30,000 different versions of it with each and everyone believing that they are the only way to god. You really can't call it "Christianity" Anymore as people don't follow what is in there holy book... oh you know the parts that say no woman can have authority over a man and so on. Islam is following there holy book and those that commit suicide bombings are technically going to there heaven as it says that you must kill a non believer in your lifetime. All those that say Islam is peaceful simply haven't read and understand what the Koran actually means. Most people who claim to follow a religion don't follow all of it and so why even bother calling yourself a Jew or a Christian? Side: freedom of non belief
"freedom of non belief" gives you communism which is the number one killer of mankind. Religious killing is number two, so obviously the problem is evil in the hearts of people. And the "freedom" you proclaim in non belief is not freedom at all, you are in chains of death, imprisoned on death row. Believing you are exonerated in death and exempt from judgement is a fatal mistake; it will keep you in eternal dying in the fire of Hell. Side: freedom of non belief
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I'll psycho analyze atheism for you real quick. Atheism is like when you have a dad who made you do chores, mow the lawn, get an allowance, do your own laundry, taught you how to be with money, etc and you thought, one day I'll be away from this tyranny and do things my way. So in an inner rage, you forget all thoughts of your dad and erase him from your memory, and no matter how much you fuck it all up, you can never admit that your dad's way was better and even smarter than your way. Nevertheless, instead of adopting your dad's ways or following any of his advice, you ignore him, pretend he isn't there, and continue to watch your world go down the tubes while claiming that anyone who agrees with your dad's worldview is an idiot. Your dad sadly watches from his 5 bedroom house, wishing you'd let him help you, as you live in a beat up trailer in a bad part of town in a dead end job. Side: rejection of atheism
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I have to ask which "dad" are you talking about? Because as far as I'm concerned we already had thousand of Religions in the history of Mankind. If that's your logic, then it means that modern religions also rebelled against the original dads because the first Dads are the ones who developed the real concept of God. Side: freedom of non belief
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