If someone invented a drug that caused everyone that took it to suddenly "snap-out" of their religious beliefs and to only believe in things that could be proven scientifically and logically, would you want it to be added to the water supply, (sort of like fluoride is to prevent cavities)?
If you had to, would you sneak into the water works plant and dump it in yourself?
Just curious...
2007-07-17 08:45:31 · 28 answers · asked by Azure Z 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Just to clarify a bit...
This question occurred to me because I've seen some atheists imply that belief in a religion is a type of insanity. There are drugs that people are given for certain types of insanity. If someone invented a drug that worked with religion, I wondered if most atheists would see that drug as robbing them of their freewill or as curing their condition.
(Of course, dumping drugs into the water supply wouldn't be a very good way to deliver drugs. It would be hard to ensure everyone got the correct dosage, etc).
2007-07-17 08:55:46 · update #1
No that would be useless. But, if there was a drug that made everyone worship me I would dump it into the water supply!
2007-07-17 08:50:07 · answer #1 · answered by ? 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not an athiest, but people that don't know me tend to assume I am based on the lone fact that I teach biology, so I'm going to answer anyway...
If someone invented a drug that caused people to follow pure scientific reasoning instead of any of the various mythologies out there, I would not advocate it being put in the water supply. I would hope that people would want to be rational about all things, and therefore wouldn't have to take the drug. It sure would make teaching my classes much easier, though.
2007-07-17 15:53:33 · answer #2 · answered by the_way_of_the_turtle 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not by compulsion. Not by stealth.
It would be a fearful thing to have around, but it should be available for consenting adults.
I wonder how many of my beliefs would turn out to be illusions
I *think* I've checked most of them, but then I would, wouldn't I? I'd take it.
There's shades of the pill in "The Matrix", of course, but P K Dick did a very nasty short story about a reality drug.
Reality was so awful few could be allowed to face it.
Then there's the story of the Sorceress' Daughter.
Too long to put here, when I met it it came with a question and the vast majority of those present said they would choose a pleasant illusion over an unpleasant reality.
Would you take the drug, knowing what remained after the "dissolve" might not be as pleasant as what you now think is reality?
2007-07-17 16:00:59 · answer #3 · answered by Pedestal 42 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. In all honestly, that sounds more like a "religious" plan to me - except religion doesn't need to rely on drugs; it has the soporific of sentimentality. I'm sure most atheists would like to live in a world in which people were not constantly working each other into a froth over purely imaginary qualities, but chemical mind control? This isn't "Equilibrium."
2007-07-17 15:51:59 · answer #4 · answered by jonjon418 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No. I'm more concerned with people not just blindly following whatever they're told. It would definitely be nice to see people be able to use logic to really think about the things that they claim to believe. If they could just sort out the difference between things that make sense and add positiveness to the world, and things that contribute to hatred, pain, intolerance, and suffering, then I'd be good with that.
(That goes for everyone of every religious belief or non-belief.)
2007-07-17 15:58:30 · answer #5 · answered by Jess H 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No! I would then have to believe that if a drug was invented that made you believe in God was available Christians could sneak that into the water supply.
2007-07-17 15:52:39 · answer #6 · answered by Eye see! 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nope. Atheism is a choice base in reason and logic. People should reason for themselves the non-existence of god. Study, evidence, and understanding are the key ingredients.
But, it would be nice to get rid of believers. The energy spent worshiping god could be spent in productive work. Helping the poor, medical research, and legislating something other than morality would be of great use to the general population.
2007-07-17 15:54:43 · answer #7 · answered by atheist 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Believe in things that can only be proven scientifically?
Doesnt some emotions we have are based on faith. We cant prove them as why we feel certain things like love. So no IMO that would be a very robotic existence.
Life without unexplained things would be very boring.
2007-07-17 15:53:02 · answer #8 · answered by The Lorax 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I get horrendous side effects from every pharmaceutical I've ever tried. They are concentrated poison. So absolutely no way.
Besides, with everyone on them already adding theirs to the public water supply, there just isn't any reason to bother.
2007-07-17 15:53:56 · answer #9 · answered by The angels have the phone box. 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I frankly don't care what anyone else believes. I'm just tired of their beliefs being forced upon me. I'm not trying to make anyone stop believing in God. I just want people to accept the fact that I don't believe in God and just as they have reasons for believing, I have reasons for not believing. Can you make a pill for that?
2007-07-17 16:45:42 · answer #10 · answered by Xindy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋