Atheists only, please.......?

Question

I just have a few serious questions, and would like some honest, reasonable answers (without the usual "believers in God are dumb as a bag of hammers" answers, please.)

1-Do you believe the world would be better of without religion? Why?
2-Do you think all organized religions should be monitored by the government and be restricted only to activities that don't involve evangelism or prosletyzing? Why?
3-Do you think atheism is the only hope for mankind? Why?
4-What do you think is the greatest harm religion has ever done to mankind?
5-Would you ever concede that some religious organizations have been good for mankind? Why not?

I'm asking because I'm curious. Thanks for answering.

Answer 1

1. The world would be better if religion didn't exist yes. See my answers to your other 4 q's and you know why.

2. It is a tough one, do people have the right to not be brainwashed? Yeah.

3. I think that there is no hope for mankind, I am way too nihilistic and pessimistic. there isn't enough resources on earth to get us to another galaxy, we don't have much time even if we could find a way. Did you know if bees went extict the entire biological ecosystem would collapse within 5 years? Einstein himself said it.

4. suffocating our technological progression, corruption of our philosophy, discrimination against innocent people and holy wars.

5. I think that good people do good things, bad people do bad things, but for a good person to do a bad thing, that takes religion.

Answer 2

I am agnostic -- hope you don't mind me answering

1-Do you believe the world would be better of without religion? Why?

No, not really, religion has been a vehicle for much that is good and bad. If religion was eliminated the bad stuff would just find another vehicle.

2-Do you think all organized religions should be monitored by the government and be restricted only to activities that don't involve evangelism or prosletyzing? Why?

No, and I don't know know anyone who does.
3-Do you think atheism is the only hope for mankind? Why?

No, I think religious freedom & tolerance is the best.

4-What do you think is the greatest harm religion has ever done to mankind?

Witch burnings, crusades, etc.

5-Would you ever concede that some religious organizations have been good for mankind? Why not?

Yes, religious organizations have done alot of good things.
A lot of good things have been done by people with no religion, yet I hear constantly that atheists are atheist because the "love their sin" or that atheists have no morals because withough a belief in God, they have nothing to base it on.

Answer 3

1. I believe it would. There will be one less reason for us to have wars and one less reason to not believe science that goes against beliefs. We already have morality from society and laws that we no longer require religion as a method to teach people how to socialize.

2. I believe that all organized religions should be monitored by the government so that they do not commit crimes. As long as they do not break the laws set by an outside force, I'm fine with it, but it's becoming a little harder to trust government because of corruption and religion taking too much control.

3. I don't think atheism is the only hope for mankind. I'd say it'd be an improvement, but we can still survive as long as religion don't take too much control.

4. I think the greatest harm religion has done so far is that it has prevented human development. It's a bit broad, I know, but religion has caused wars and prevented some facts to be heard by the world.

5. I believe that some religious organizations have been good for mankind. Without religion, some of our moral ideas wouldn't be so widespread, but religion has also spread it a bit too much. I think an example of a helpful religion is Buddhism, but like any other religion, if it grows too large and starts forcing their morality upon other people, it wouldn't be good.

I have to break it up to you, I'm not Atheist. I'm Agnostic, but isn't that close enough? I do highly doubt god exists.

Answer 4

1 - Nope. I believe in the right to think and that includes the right to believe what you choose. Without this I think we would be a much poorer society.

2 - Nope. Same reason as above. They can do what they want as long as they aren't harming other people. This would include forcing people to believe as they do or prosletyzing to children without the parents permission. But if someone hands me a pamplet to read I just accept it, say "thank you" and toss it in the nearest trash can.

3 - I think freedom of thought is the only hope for mankind. I favor atheism and the reason and rationality that I think goes with it but that's just me.

4 - I hate the fact that some religions train people to not think for themselves, to not question, and to assume that they are born "bad" and that the religion is their only hope.

5 - Sure. A lot of religions have done a great deal to make the world a better place.

Answer 5

.1. Yes - religion is the biggest threat to world peace and always has been.
2. Yes - to restrict their influence over innocent children.
3. No - people must have dreams even if they are unrealistic.
4. Divided societies and nations from each other and taught them to hate each other on the basis of a lie.
5. Yes but that is because people can be good despite their religious beliefs. Plenty of secular organizations have also been good for mankind

Answer 6

1. There will be less war/fighting considering some of them are/were/will be over religion and religious articles.

2. No, I think people should be able monitor themselves and respect the views of others. Since religions teach morals and harmony (according to the followers) there should be no need for monitoring.

3. No. Atheism works for some people just as religion works for others. If believing in _____ makes you a better person without harming others that's great.

4. Religion has driven people apart and caused conflicts and wars whether it be directly or indirectly. Anything done in the name of or under guise of religion came about because of someone's religious view.

5. No. Anything that has given rise to so much violence, hatred, intolerance, and death can't be good for mankind.

Some would like to dispute me, but cause and effect support my view.

Cause= people don't follow the same religion
Effect= persecution of non conformists

Cause= people in the same religion don't see eye to eye
Effect= conflict to various degrees (verbal to war)and creation of sects

Cause= belief that one's religion is the only true religion
Effect= disharmony, lack of respect, conflicting rules and morals

My view doens't represent any certain people, groups, or religions. This is my view of all religion over the years.

I find it sarcastic that follwers of religion want a peaceful existance but can't get along with fellow followers of the same religion.

Answer 7

1. Maybe maybe not... but I think the world would be better off if each individual religion would keep to itself and regulate its own people rather than try to regulate ALL people.
2. Monitored- no. There is a right to assemble- but there comes a point with proselytizing where it crosses the line of harassment (and this happens too many times to count) in which case I believe the authorities should be more involved.
3. No- atheism is atheism. Belief in a deity isn't the problem- its when your belief becomes more important to you than someone elses personal space...
4. Held us back in various sciences and technologies- medical for one...
5. I'm sure many of them have. People can certainly take beliefs they find and do a positive thing with them... I see it all the time. The problem is that the negative things they do with them FAR out weigh the positive (obviously not the same people in each example).

Answer 8

1 - religion is divisive. If you claim the one truth the others are automatically wrong. So yeah, I think the world would be better off. Not that I think it would be an instant utopia.

2 - no. Religion should be allowed to fade naturally in history. What you suggest will cause resentment and more fanaticism. We should not be working against religion, we should be working on better education. I see people telling others "we didn't come from no monkeys", showing both incredible misunderstanding and deplorable pride.

3 - huh?

4 - well, claiming they own the truth. Whether religion attracts or creates fundamentalists, there they are.

5 - no. PEOPLE have done good to mankind. It has already been established that non-religious people are just as prone to do good deeds. Therefore, good deeds are independent of religion. (and privately I would argue that doing good out of hope of a reward in the afterlife is much lower on the scale of morality than doing good because it is the right thing to do).

Answer 9

1. No. I think that religion keeps society in check. If people want to think that they will go to hell if they commit sins on Earth, let them. Be good and you go to heaven, keeps people from killing and stealing.

2. I dont think that religions and government should be connected unless the religion affects national security.

3. I think that if everyone was atheist, there would not be as many wars since there would be one less thing to disagree on.

4. Religion = War

5. I do think that religious organizations do some good for mankind. They do a lot of community services like food drives, blood drives, etc.

Answer 10

1) Yes. Mostly every war ever fought, and currently being fought, is religious based, be it a difference in ideology or incited by religious fervor.
2) No. Freedom is freedom. Voltaire - "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will die defending your right to say it."
3) Sometimes yes. Or, if a person must believe in something, try some of the eastern religions, no magical sky fairies and pretty peaceful. I would suggest Daoism, it is my favorite. Unfortunately, some religions despise learning. Why, I don't know. Bhuddists, however do not.
4)Killing. Being Haudenosaunee: Manifest Destiny. But the Crusades were equally as evil.
5) Organizations? Sure. Bhuddists, Daoists, mostly. The major difference is: no invisible magic man.