Religion dictatorship? Atheism freedom?

Question

Many atheists focus their arguments on the unlogical existence off god.
But whether god exists or not is not the issue here!

A hypothetical situation

You live in Nazi Germany
You can choose from 2 choices
Obey your fuhrer and join the German army
Or join a resistant grope and fight for you freedom

The same as in religion
You have “freedom” to choose your path
But if you don’t choose the right path you will be punished

So do you have freedom?

Well if there is a stupid god I rather rote in hell for all eternity knowing I did what I felt was right
Then be a mindless slave of a dictator

I prefer the roman mythology on monotheist religion
Ulysses had the courage to fight the will of the gods (Neptune). Monotheists haven’t got this courage to stand against their powerful god.

That what atheism is all about
The freedom to choose your way
Your morals and values
And not be dictated by religion cods.

Is it not?

Answer 1

I think Humanistic Judaism is for you, since it is a movement within Judaism that emphasizes Jewish culture and history - rather than belief in God - as the sources of Jewish identity. Its rituals and ceremonies do not include prayer or any invocation of a deity. Its philosophical outlook is derived from Humanism or Secular Humanism, and its beliefs may be summarized as follows:

* A Jew is someone who identifies with the history, culture and future of the Jewish people;
* Judaism is the historic religion of the Jewish people;
* People possess the power and responsibility to shape their own lives independent of supernatural authority;
* Ethics and morality should serve human needs, and choices should be based upon consideration of the consequences of actions rather than pre-ordained rules or commandments; and,
* Jewish history, like all history, is a purely human and natural phenomenon. Biblical and other traditional texts are the products of human activity and are best understood through archaeology and other scientific analysis.


Principles of belief and practice

In some ways, the principles of belief of Humanistic Judaism are similar to those of many within Reconstructionist Judaism, with its emphasis on retaining Jewish identity while accepting a scientific, materialist worldview and a John Dewey-like (an American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer, whose thoughts and ideas have been greatly influential in the United States and around the world.) ethical outlook. However, Humanistic Judaism presents a far more radical departure from traditional Jewish religion than Mordecai Kaplan (a rabbi and the founder of Reconstructionist Judaism) ever envisioned. Kaplan redefined God and other traditional religious terms so as to make them consistent with the materialist outlook, and continued to use traditional prayer language. Rabbi Sherwin Wine (a rabbi and a founding figure in Humanistic Judaism) rejected this approach as confusing, since participants could ascribe to these words whatever definitions they favored. Wine strove to achieve philosophical consistency and stability by creating rituals and ceremonies that were purely non-theistic. Services were created for Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and other Jewish holidays and festivals, often with reinterpretation of the meaning of the holiday to bring it into conformity with Secular Humanistic philosophy.

Humanistic Judaism was developed as a possible solution to the problem of retaining Jewish identity and continuity among non-religious, secular North American Jews at a time when other organizational forms of secular Jewish identity were fading, including Jewish cultural nationalism, Yiddishism, and various forms of Zionism. Recognizing that congregational religious life was thriving, Wine believed that secular Jews who had rejected theism would be attracted to an organization that provided all the same forms and activities as, for example, Reform temples, but which expressed a purely Secular Humanistic viewpoint. The International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism, which is sponsored by the Society for Humanistic Judaism, the Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations, and the Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring, trains rabbis and other leaders in the United States and in Israel.


Jewish identity and intermarriage

Within Humanistic Judaism, Jewish identity is largely a matter of self-identification. Rabbis and other trained leaders officiate at intermarriages between Jews and non-Jews, and the Humanistic Judaism movement, unlike the other Jewish denominations, does not take any position or action in opposition to intermarriage. These views concerning Jewish identity and intermarriage are criticized by those who believe that they will hasten the assimilation of Jews into the general society and thus adversely affect Jewish continuity. Wine and others within Humanistic Judaism respond by saying that such outreach to non-Jews is necessary to prevent their Jewish partners from rejecting Jewish identity. They say that Jewish continuity cannot be preserved by institutions that reject the increasing number of Jews who intermarry and are secular in their outlook.


Egalitarianism

Humanistic Judaism is egalitarian with respect to gender and gender identification, Jewish status, and sexual orientation. Baby-naming ceremonies, similar for boys and girls, are used rather than the brit milah which is thought to give favored status to male babies. Those who identify as Jews and those who do not, as well as openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender members, may participate in all ways in rituals and leadership roles.

Please visit the link below to learn more about Humanistic Judaism.

Answer 2

"The percentage of atheists in the world is less
than 5%"

http://www.positiveatheism.org/india/s1990c48a.htm

"Atheists are all scientists" ?

http://www.non-religious.com/statistics.html

Religion is not a blind following. It is a sub-consciously driven
group ritual. It calms the 'collective unconscious' mind. The
religious culture brings unity and belongedness among the followers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collective_unconscious

" Are Atheists More Depressed than Religious People?

In recent years, the view that religious belief and
participation in religious acts of worship has a positive
effect upon the well-being of man..."

http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php

"Is a Belief in God Beneficial? Or, What's an Atheist to Do?

1) Religious attendance is correlated with longevity.
2) Religious belief has been associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms.
3) Religious beliefs may help with addiction.
4) Religious attendance is correlated with lower blood pressure.

http://jewishatheist.blogspot.com/2006/01/is-belief-in-god-beneficial-or-whats.html

Answer 3

Freedom is just a word for the unknown ultimate expression of what people only experience when they cut down on that which would influence them..... a state of mind if you will.

And while theists willingly incarcerate themselves with layer upon layer of living restrictions..... most atheists are bound by the shackles of society themselves, and relegate themselves to a similar, if lesser, role of enslavement.

For real freedom comes only in death, and from the release of the self from all limitations and the shackles of existence.

Answer 4

It is God's plan to have all of his children, ever man, woman and child to have free will. It is given us to know good from evil according to our upbringing. Mankind will choose as they will yet the consequences, good or bad, are inescapable and will affect others no matter what people think. Let me ask you, would you rather be a slave to the state or a slave to backwards, barbaric tribal/feudal ways of life? Do you call that happiness? Do you wish to return to the way things were before the printing press, before the industrial revolution, before the American revolution? True happiness is only found in righteous liberty that which the founding fathers of The United States of America believed. America cannot prosper and be happy except they worship the God of that land who is Jesus Christ. Anything else will diminish that liberty and happiness. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness. All of you can interpret this as you will but happiness is found only by obedience to the commandments of God which hinge on the two great commandments: 1. Love God with all your heart, mind and strength and 2. Love your neighbor as yourself (the golden rule) There is no other way to be truly happy. This is freedom/ liberty. And I know, you know this is true. some of you will shove this from you heart and mind and will continue to live in the dark yet I know without any doubt in my heart and mind it is true, it is a principle from all eternity to all eternity and should the earth and its people be destroyed today these principles would not cease to exist and neither would God.

Answer 5

Here in England, religion has very little influence, so it's not really a burning issue. Therefore, discussing the existence or non-existence of gods is more interesting, as an intellectual exercise.

Answer 6

So what's you're trying to tell us? Are you saying we are forcing people to believe on God? Because we share our faith in Lord Jesus?

For God, Himself being a Just and Righteous God give us free will, else we are like robots or a machine that need an operator in order to function or to act and obey.

Deu 11:26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse;
Deu 11:27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day:
Deu 11:28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For truly each of us is accountable to God even Lord Jesus to our actions and deeds, our words, our thoughts;
Rom 14:7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
Rom 14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
Rom 14:9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
Rom 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at naught thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Rom 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
Rom 14:12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
Rom 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

Answer 7

Choose your way????
That's moronic in itself. Before I decided to live the way He wants me to...before I accepted Him....my way was miserable.

Illicit sex that led to disease, heartbreak, and low self-esteem. Drug use that got me into trouble with the authorities.
Constant depression I couldn't do anything about but medicate.
Anger over every stupid thing including why Christians thought they were so much better than everyone else. (My own insecurity and had nothing to do with Christians...whom don't think they are better than anyone else but just wish to share the secret to their joy in life.)
The list goes on......I had something missing in my life that nothing I did could fill. That was a hole put in by my Creator that can only be filled by Him.

I'm not mindless. I'm not subjucated.

I'm free from the pain and emptiness that "doing it my way" got me. I am more free now than I've ever been.

Answer 8

You can still believe in God without believing in or giving worship to the violent Judeo-Christian-Islamic God.

Answer 9

Your points are valid, but if God doesn't exist he's not worth worrying about. Really, we have better things to do.

Answer 10

you have a point, but what about atheist dictatorships, like the former soviet union, or communist china? we're going to be ruled by SOMETHING. there is no true freedom. it's only an illusion.