Should atheists do more to fight religion?

Question

It seems that the average atheist hardly cares about religion and just rolls their eyes at faith. Is this the right reaction? Should atheists take a stronger stance against religions?

Answer 1

No, fighting religion doesn't work. I fight for better education. Western Europe tells us this works, if slowly. But at least humanely.

Answer 2

No

The religious come in all types and some base their faith on truth and live their lives without worrying about YOUR soul figuring it will all work out. To attack it you will just aggrandize the freaky freaks.

The true fight is not against the religious but the organization of religion...all religions should be on an individual basis

Answer 3

why stand against something that you don't believe in. If its false to you then it shouldn't be an effort to prove it to be false.

I think the natural reaction such as rolling of the eyes etc is because atheist don't believe in it and its not worth the energy to try to change or prove religion wrong.

Answer 4

Acid Zebra nailed it. The better an education our children get, the better they're able to think for themselves. Once they can think for themselves, they'll see how insane the stories they are told are, and will be more apt to question than to accept everything told to them on blind faith. It does take time, but it's much more effective in the long run.

Answer 5

The above average atheists just go on with their lives and allow others to believe what they want. Seems to me the average atheists does nothing but try to abuse, insult and generally destroy religion. I know all your little atheists guides and bibles tell you to hate religion and destroy Christians every chance you get. You have as much chance of destroying Christianity as you do of becoming decent human beings. All your insults and bigotry does is make our beliefs stronger every day. For that...I thank you.

The Skeptical Christian
Grace and Peace
Peg

Answer 6

Why? People have every right to be religious. I'm not going to tell people what to believe or not. I think that would make us as bad as the door-knockers... and they're pretty irritating. Instead, we focus upon reeducating the blatantly ignorant, and keeping their rules out of our laws. This is more productive, as it deals with individual problems between the church and state without knocking down people's constitutional rights.

At least that's my take on it... it is an American point of view.

Answer 7

Education is the answer. Its dying its own death slowly but surely, as people are getting more educated. UK used to be very religious in the 19th century, early 20th century but influences from continental europe have spread and now we are a secular nation. I bet it will happen in USA in time too.

Answer 8

Added Remark:
Check this out: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17594581/from/ET/


I think it would be better to just be more outspoken about OUR views and our atheism. I think we tend to shut up when there are Christians in the room because we don't want to deal with it and we've all had the experience of "those" discussions. (They're more fun online than in person.)

This silence of ours means they have a lot more influence over laws, policies, and social practices than we do.

And to be honest, yes, I think there are some religions that need to be exposed for what they are- dangerous. (And I'm not just talking about fundamentalist Muslims, my friends.)

Answer 9

I'm not the emperor of atheists, but speaking for myself there are some things that demand resistance and some that don't. What we used to call mainstream denominationalism, before fundamentalist evangelicals took over the public face of Christianity, required no opposition. For example, the church I was raised in, the Methodists, embraced Kingdom Theology (as did others) toward the end of the 19th century and became focused on remaking the world in Heaven's image through charitable works that were not tied to proselytizing. Some Lutheran Synods and others did so as well. I served for a year on a countywide social services coordinating council where three quarters of the membership were church aid agencies from the Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, etc. It's telling that not one single fundamentalist church was involved in these efforts, even though the county was home to one Assembly of God congregation of over 20,000. The poor got more help from a Covenant Church of 130 members. So the short of it is, where religion seeks to be a positive force in building a better future for humanity I see nothing to actively oppose.

The problem with fundamentalism, a problem that does require active opposition, is the over-arching medievalism and desire for theocratic totalitarian rule. It isn't simply that they hold ignorant pre-scientific beliefs based on mythology, but that they intend to have these ignorant beliefs taught as fact in our schools and they intend to suppress science that conflicts with their mythology. At that point their faith goes form being a curious aberration of the uneducated to being a danger to all of us. Taken to extremes, fundamentalism produces clinic bombings, assassinations, Jihadists, etc. So when the religious begin to imagine that they are god's conquering army, they have to be opposed. When they insist that the nation's education system must affirm their ignorant pre-scientific beliefs, they have to be opposed. When they insist on using our laws to declare women government regulated incubators from the moment of conception, they have to be actively opposed. As to the rest, I'll confront and contradict the assertions, but I'm only interested in mounting political opposition where their efforts cross from holding their beliefs to insisting the government enshrine their beliefs as public policy.

Answer 10

I've got to say that religion, as long as it doesn't tread upon the rights of others in a Democracy, can do whatever it likes, but when it starts foisting "moral" laws and injecting only specific religions into public school, it's time to stand up in whatever way we peacefully can... educate, pressure our politicians, etc.

_()_

Answer 11

I think we should do more to educate people.

I mean, people seriously don't "believe" evolution.

But they are okay with people coming from dirt, a rib, and magic?

Most religions are much more agreeable than the above referenced faith system.