How hostile are you toward religion?

* and * :evilgrin:

In general, religion is simply not a factor in my life, until it's thrust in my face. I live in a red state, so this happens quite a bit. Anyway, I save my hostility and annoyance for religions that actually hurt people, like the $cieontologists or the faith-healing types that won't allow their children to be treated for illness or injury. I get mildly annoyed at idiots who charge $20 to do an astrological chart on someone or read their palms. I get really pissed off by scam artists who specialize in taking advantage of the recently bereaved by fooling them into thinking they can communicate with the dead. But if someone wants to pray to a dead Jewish carpenter, that's their perogative. I guess it's all a matter of degree with me.

even impossible, for me to feel anything but deep resentment and anger at religious beliefs, which have killed hundreds of millions, still do, and drug the rest. This said, I accept the reality that the overwhelming majority believe in something or another. I often feel like a stranded alien or anthropologist and silently weep on the waste.

I realize a lot of people need a belief system and a lot of good is done in the name of religion, so I try to respect those whose religion makes the earth a better place, but I FRICKEN' HATE those who misuse their religion to validate their hate and violence and to control others. I have absolutely no tolerence for Fundamentalists.

I see it as mental slavery to brainwash people to believe what they are told and to do as they are told. I consider teaching children the concept of hell to be extreme psychological abuse. I especially cannot abide the insanity of the dominionists (700 club types) who preach that they must have dominion over all nations before Jesus will return. They already have achieved dominion over the republican party and thus our government.
My favorite website on this topic is:
http://www.theocracywatch.org

i'm in a pretty down-on-religion phase. Religion has so clearly been a major part of the problem WRT the enlightenment of our species that I find it difficult to sanction even the benign, touchy-feely new agers "christians," who I view as just too gutless or too blinkered to just admit Xtianity (like all the other theisms) is a crock of shit.

Even if it goes benign, like it has for almost half a century, religion (of all stripes) seems to cycle in these ever-more-outrageous peaks of fundamentalism that eventually kill millions and set civilization back centuries, if not virtually wiping it out altogether.

All in all, I feel about as dark as the dark ages the bible thumpers are trying to bring on.

Whatever hostility we feel toward the religionists cannot match the hostility they feel toward us. Or, perhaps a better way to put it, when we're hostile toward them, their feelings get hurt; when they're hostile toward us, we wind up in the bonfire. Because of their hostility toward us, we are neutered politically, at least in being able to run openly as atheists for political office. I don't feel bad about hurting their feelings.

Or, perhaps a better way to put it, when we're hostile toward them, their feelings get hurt; when they're hostile toward us, we wind up in the bonfire.

Very well said. It's worth noting that both the Bible and the Koran advocate violence and even murder for non-believers.

:evilfrown:

Many people become better/nicer because of faith, and that is a great thing.

Many people find personal comfort and relief in it, no problem, more happy people the better.

Many people keep their religion personal and do not try to convert the world, fine and dandy.


However, and these are the ones I don't like:

Many people try to pester others into converting, strike one.

Many abuse their faith (and other) to make a name or image for themseleves, hypocracy

Many people use their faith as an excuse to harm (read: massacre) others, beyond contempt.

Many people (ab)use faith to demote science and education, now you are really pissing me of.

Ungfortunately, there are too many of the latter and the former often dont stand up and try to fight it.

It depends on the person, not the religion

If they honor my right not to believe in anything, and they don't attempt to take my civil rights away because I don't, I can coexist.

Not that saying that doesn't push the majority of world religions into the 'get out of my face' category, but there are some that aren't obnoxious and feel like we all have a right to believe -- or, more importantly, not believe -- as we choose.

So the UCC, the Unitarians and the Liberal Quakers are okay with me. There probably are others, too, who don't spend much of their time reveling in the fact they believe I'll burn in hell because I don't share their dogma.

The rest ... not so much.

...it gives the people that need it hope to live on and establishes some sort of social order. If people's hopes and dreams (some being religious in nature) are dashed to pieces, it would be chaotic. Unfortunately, many see it like this: If there is no God, then there is no eternal punishment, so it doesn't matter what I do or how bad of a person I am. There are no consequences after I die. This is why so many people automatically believe that being an atheist means you are immoral and a generally bad person. Why would you be good if there is no "father figure from thousands of years ago saying 'do it and I'll fucking spank you'"? (quoting Dogma).

Hostile...but it really depends on how good or bad my day is going.

:)

If I'm having a good day then I'm only "Somewhat Hostile" and it doesn't push my buttons, but if my day hasn't been to great just like all other anonying things in life it's easy for the subject of religion to push my buttons.