Atheists, how does it make you feel when religious points of views stand in the way of progress?

Question

For example, stem cell research federal funding getting veto'd by the president, or homosexual marriages?

All these religious points of view based on this outdated book we call the bible stand in the way of progress!

serf I would counter that science says an embryo is not alive per say, and that religion gives us the impression that it is so I respectfully disagree with your disagreement.

Maxim... the type of morals that impede stem cell progress were handed down through religion. You're correct in saying that the government is standing in the way of same sex marriages however, you neglect to say that the majority of politicians are religious. "In god we trust" and all that nonsense. Put an atheist in office and watch things get done. Guaranteed.

Answer 1

It's annoying.

Religious nuts harm more people than even they realize. Let's go down a list, shall we?

1. Religious nuts harm the people they hate. Have you heard the recent case of Samantha Dobrich? She was the only Jewish student at her high school, and at graduation, the preacher giving the official prayer (ick) said a special line about how he hoped God would lead her to conversion. And guess what? The community rallied against *her*, simply because she's been pushing to cut back on all the hardline Christian proselytizing in the school system. Her younger brother had to endure even more harassment, and her family eventually had to flee, costing them money and time and putting them through such financial straits that Samantha had to drop out of Cornell. It's sick. A bunch of bigoted Christians thought that a Jewish family had no right to live in "their" community. One guy said that if they didn't want to be harassed, they should become Christians. Another said that they should move out.

2. America as a whole suffers when fundies make jackasses out of themselves. Most Americans are decent people, but popular perception is that Americans are religious nuts, mostly because the religious nuts in America pretend that they speak for everybody. If someone looks down on me because I am an American, I blame the religious nuts.

3. Southerners suffer, even when they are perfectly normal people. Despite my getting a good education, rejecting religion, and living in a big city and working at a technical job, I get compared to a stereotypical slack-jawed yokel by people who assume everyone south of Missouri must be a religious nut. I have to put up with idiots who want to remove parts of the science curriculum from high school classrooms (further destroying credibility despite how I received a decent enough education in evolution in high school and then again in college). And yet, I still occasionally run into someone who thinks I must be an idiot because of where I live and where I was born.

4. Northerners suffer because the insufferable fundamentalists build themselves up as representative of everyone in their areas, and this can turn otherwise intelligent northerners into bigots. It's reasonable to dislike rabid fundies for many reasons, but it's not reasonable to dislike entire states because of the loud (but by no means dominant) presence of Rabid Fundie Group X in that state.

5. Jews and Muslims suffer from fundies, for many reasons. Beyond the typical hatred they have to endure, they also suffer from having to be associated with the fundies (fundies love Israel, and some think Israel should work to kill Muslims--and this reflects very poorly on Jews!) and from the distorted picture of reality the fundies create (fundie fanaticism making it easier for certain Muslims to have irrational hatred for Jews).

6. Atheists suffer because we are routinely demonized by fundies to the point where we are essentially second class citizens. If you don't believe me, try running for a political office while mentioning that you are an atheist. When the voters stop mocking you, try seeing how even somewhat more reasonable politicians (e.g. Barak Obama) can get away with religious rhetoric. It's a double standard.

7. Anyone who disagrees with fundamentalists can suffer. Look, for example, at the boycott of certain businesses (the latest case being in Meade, Kansas) simply because the people owning the businesses don't hate gay people.

Too many people suffer these days because certain religious factions won't shut up. I'm sick of it.

Answer 2

I personal find it more annoying how atheists blame all their problems on religion, get a life!! Please tell me how a religious point of view are impeding progress!

Your examples are stupid and wrong neither have anything to do with religion. First stem cell was vetoed by the president for ethical reasons not religious, many people believe it's morally wrong.

As for gay marriage it's the government that's stopping it, I have a few friends that are married to a same sex partner (in a church) but can't get the government to acknowledge it so they don't get the same rights as regular couples do. There are many Churches that will marry a same sex couple, but not nearly as many state that will recognize it.

You blame it on religion but it comes right down to the bigotry of the human race, and idiots like you who think that theirs is the only opinion that is right!!

Answer 3

Religious bias has always stood in the way of progress. No other force in human history has held humanity back than religion.
As for the stem cell issue you brought up, I for one am VERY happy about it!
Now Canada will be a world leader in Stem Cell research (it's been worked on legally for years here) and my company does consulting work for two different labs conducting research. Trust me, we are not only moving medical science ahead (and believe me, the American hospitals will be using the technology and drugs that are develloped here because of this science) but making trainloads of money as well.
So you see, Canada like the rest of the world is moving forward, while the USA slips further back to the dark ages...

Answer 4

I don't necessarily agree that only religious barriers stand in the way of stem cell research. Many people of different persuasions (religious, atheisth, agnostic) are for and against stem cell research.
There are ways other than voluntary abortion and excess blastocysts to obtain stem cells. Removing the religious slant to the question, I can see why people might be leery about messing with "life" and the definition of when it starts.
I can think of few cases where religion stands in the way of progress that cannot be overcome by conversation or revolution.

Answer 5

True and true.We must gain hope from the fact that it has always been like this.Religion stood in the way but science made progress and religion had to back down in the end.
I wish to remind everyone who ever had surgery that in the developing stages of that medical procedure the church was very much against it.
Fact is that if everyone had always listened to the religious dogma's that you today still would die from an appendix

Answer 6

Hitler perhaps, or Stalin. Chose your godless man.
How can someone proclaim themselves an atheist.
How can one know god doesn't exist.
One can say I don't know if god exist, but to say god doesn't exist that is a assumption.
How dose one get something from nothing.
Are there not laws that govern the universe?
Who wrote the laws that say, there will be stars and planets?
Who wrote the law that said I would come across your question?
You have eyes but can not see.
You have ears but cannot hear.
What is worse than not knowing the truth?
It is the belief in a falsehood.

Answer 7

I find it frustrating. However, I find your example to be a poor choice. There are several secular ethical issues involved in stem cell research. Embryos are, biologically speaking, living human beings. Harvesting another human for his genetic material is an activity that raises many non-religious questions.

Answer 8

I know, I know. I believe in God, but I have no religion. Religious views totally screw up progress, especially when it comes to women's rights. Church and Government have never really been separate.

Answer 9

i dont care bout da ppl n da bible n da quran all r **** written by some men for sure their rules. y do ya want to spoil ur life readin & preachin dat **** crap i dunno.
So leave ur relegion & try to make world a better place to live intead of tryin ppl to convert to some particular relegion.

Answer 10

religion was created for that very purpose,by a force outside our realm.do you think that alien races want our dumb asses flying around the galaxy spreading religion.no they don't, they want us to stay this way so they can take over by claiming to be gods.lol
just playing but i see your point.