Atheists, would you feel bad about this?

Question

Even if you could disprove religion, would you feel any remorse for taking away the only source of happiness that millions of people possess? As illogical or unreasonable as it is, these people live and die for their god. Without it they have nothing. I'm not saying it shouldn’t happen, but if you had the power to erase religion, would you feel bad about the effect and trauma it would cause all these people?

Answer 1

As a man of faith, but not religion, this is my answer. A world without God is impossible, but a world without Religion is ~1~. God exists, you can feel him in you, it's that 'voice' in your head that most relate to consciousness. But Christian - Catholic - Jew - Muslim - Islamic, they're all labels. It's amazing how almost every story, from every 'scripture' tells the same story. With minor things added and taken away. I think disproving religion is a good thing, we need to stop this 'Divide and Conquer' - 'Holier Than Thou' syndrome. It'll be a beautiful day when Religion is disproved, and the only thing left is God & The Holy Spirit, and loving one another.....not out of fear of hell, but because it feels good, and is the way to be.

Answer 2

In my opinion, you're right: religion is a great source of happiness and support, especially to those who have to deal with grief or misfortune.

But religion has also caused so much harm, whether unintentionally - missionaries who "brought the Light" to other countries and in doing so destroyed their culture - or as an excuse for deliberate acts of prejudice.

Both aspects have been seen countless times: much of the Old Testament just looks like regular slaughtering and pillaging if you take away God; similarly with the Crusades - and possibly even the Iraq war. To what extent is it a religious war?

(Man, am I going to get flamed by religiously fanatic jingoists!)

So really, I wouldn't want to take away the only thing that keeps some people - not all, I know, Beverly B - going. But when it is used as a manipulative tool, that's when I want to get rid of it forever.

As a postscript: I don't really think that, even if science were to finally put forth a completely conclusive argument, it would convince everyone. Think of everyone who believes in the faked moon landings, Elvis' continued existence, etc... ;-)

Answer 3

okay, i counter: how would you feel, taking away a drug addict's secret stash of heroin? pleased? think about the enjoyment that heroin has given him.

Religion is a drug, religion does exactly the same as nicotine, it goes in and out and makes the brain need it, causing an addiction.

In answer to your question:
Once the Ex-religious folk got over the three day hump (semi-humerous term for the point at which the body realises the need is no-longer there), there would be absolutely no need for any kind of guild, people could live their lives as THEY wish, not by the will of some two thousand plus year old book, Humanity's progress towards bettering itself could be unhindered by irrational superstitions and i'd say war would be all but extinct because people might just realise that they are all the same and there is no point fighting...

my two cents, remorse is something i only feel when i've done something wrong, removing religion wouldn't be.

Answer 4

I don't have any desire to wipe out religion. I just don't want it involved in public policy. I would also like to see discrimination against athiests become less common.

I agree with you that religion is the only consolation that lots of people have, and lots of people in the world live pretty rough lives.

On the other hand religion gets in the way of clear thinking. Faith means believing without evidence. Believing things without evidence rather than for reasons causes a lot of harm in this world. Some argue that the amount of harm caused is so much that the world would be much better off without religion. I don't think it is quite that clear.

Answer 5

Without it, they can find happiness in other, more tangible things. Just because they have been indoctrinated into being 'dumb and dependent' on the superstitions, doesn't mean that it's impossible for them to lead happy lives if it was gone. Might take some time (all deprogramming does), but eventually they will 'return.' All that unused brainpower can be used to marvel at what the world and the universe IS, rather than wasting time with pointless speculation.

I know I felt no remorse in abandoning Christianity. It actually felt like a weight was taken off my shoulders. I also felt like a better person, because naturally being a 'nice guy,' I could honestly say I was a nice guy just because, not because I was waiting for a reward in heaven or seeking to avoid punishment in hell.

Answer 6

Having been there, it's far from nothing. It's like being blind and waking up with sight. The world is strange, but wonderful. No longer do you have blindness protecting you from taking large steps forward.

That is alittle like the term "institutionalized", how what you knew gave you great comfort, but the freedom of the outside world was to scary to step into.

I was a good Christian because I was passionate about eternal beingness. Now, I am passionate about eternal beingness without Christianity.

The difference is freedom.

Answer 7

Atheism is merely an ignorant self-center phase that many people go through. Unfortunately some get so self-deluded that they never come out of it.

Sarcastic athiests are even more clueless. Athiesm is just another thing to do for entertainment value while they go through life accomplishing nothing but stimulation and self gratification at the cost of others. It's the epitimy of selfishness and ignorance. No wonder the bible calls athiests the biggest fools out there.

Answer 8

Nope. That question operates on a faulty assumption. That religion makes people happy. There are far too many cases (even today) of religion oppressing the people for that assumption to be even close to true.

Second. Even if that were the case, the millions of people who would live, and live free of oppression of a tyrannical theological regime would soothe my conscience.

Answer 9

Religion already disproves itself. I would not feel bad if religion was gone. People who need the crutch of a religion would find some other addictive, co-dependent activity to entertain themselves with.

Answer 10

Sorta. But if the kind of people you describe really have nothing else worth living for to begin with, I feel really sorry for them. There's so much life around us, and so many really wonderful, precious things in the world, that to deny those things for the sake of some invisible man is unbelievably sad to me. I mean this with all due respect - I know there are some who aren't just living to die, but they are out there, denying themselves of so much because of some old book. I would maybe feel badly for them, but it would pass. Hi ho.