Why I Hate, Hate, Hate Religion!

[DakotaGypsy]

First of all, I must apologize, as a newbie to this site, for starting two new threads. I realize that it is not a polite thing for me to do, but I have concerns. Let me explain my angst about religion.

Today’s headline in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer alludes to the increasing level of violence in Iraq between the Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims.
To me, an Atheist, it is just one more occurrence in the strange, hate-filled eccentricity of the human race, religion.

Catholics rage at and kill Protestants. Protestants rage at and kill Protestants. If they run out of Christians to hate, they go after Muslims and other religions.

Muslims do the same things, they fight amongst themselves and they fight and kill people who do not follow their religion.

Buddhists, being almost Atheistic, are somewhat better, but they, too, have had their periods of murderous excess. Not to mention Hindus, Jews, and just about any religion you can name.

I vowed, in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, never again to be anything but an Atheist!

No Atheist hi-jacked those commercial jets.

No Atheist attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Only a bunch of fools who did such heinous acts in the name of their unholy god.

To me, all gods are unholy and unjust and lead humanity into evil.

A pox upon all religion.

 

[Jaymes]

I'm kind of confused... I've never seen headlines of Buddhists going on a rage and killing Buddhists of other sects. Then again, there's not a big Buddhist population where I live and I don't extensively read Eastern news sites.

I find it funny you berate religious people for being so intolerant and violent and go on to be intolerant yourself. Atheists can and have been violent to religious people... being a violent jerk crosses religious, political, and social lines.

 

[Squirt]

First of all, I must apologize, as a newbie to this site, for starting two new threads. I realize that it is not a polite thing for me to do, but I have concerns. Let me explain my angst about religion.

Today’s headline in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer alludes to the increasing level of violence in Iraq between the Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims.
To me, an Atheist, it is just one more occurrence in the strange, hate-filled eccentricity of the human race, religion.

Catholics rage at and kill Protestants. Protestants rage at and kill Protestants. If they run out of Christians to hate, they go after Muslims and other religions.

Muslims do the same things, they fight amongst themselves and they fight and kill people who do not follow their religion.

Buddhists, being almost Atheistic, are somewhat better, but they, too, have had their periods of murderous excess. Not to mention Hindus, Jews, and just about any religion you can name.

I vowed, in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, never again to be anything but an Atheist!

No Atheist hi-jacked those commercial jets.

No Atheist attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Only a bunch of fools who did such heinous acts in the name of their unholy god.

To me, all gods are unholy and unjust and lead humanity into evil.

A pox upon all religion.

Well, I guess we all know where you stand. Personally, I don't think it makes a whole lot of sense to blame religion for all the evil in the world. There are extremists in all religions and I certainly don't condone any of their depraved acts in the name of their God. But to imply that a person can't be religious and good at the same time is just as bigoted an attitude as the opposite extreme.

 

[Atheist_Dave]

Your entitled to your oppinion, but you make it out that all religion is evil or something. It is the people who use it to cover their fascism that are the evil ones. Most religious people, and all the ones I know, are beautiful people.

I thought you were going to be a great member on here, but it seems all you came on to do is bash religions and all religious people. IMO

bye x

 

[michel]

Wow! That sounds angry

Have you been 'pestered' by religious people ? ........I am just wondering from where all this anger comes.

 

[Anastasios]

Because you are looking at the religion in a different perspective, which is not the proper way to learn what the purpose of religion is, actually. All the things you are talking about are politics under so-called "religion". Religion is very good instrument to manipulate people for many.
I suggest you to read some primary sources with commentaries i.e. Bible, Quran.
Don't focus so much on the things you read or watched on tv.
Cheers!

 

[PureX]

No Atheist hi-jacked those commercial jets.

No Atheist attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Only a bunch of fools who did such heinous acts in the name of their unholy god.

To me, all gods are unholy and unjust and lead humanity into evil.

A pox upon all religion.

Please keep in mind that many, many millions of people who hold to religious beliefs have never harmed anyone. Also keep in mind that atheists have done their fair share of torturing, murdering and butchering other human beings as well. Nazi and Soviet fascism were not based on any religion, but together they are responsible for the bloodiest century in all of human history.

It's not religion that makes us so blood-thirsty. It's ideological absolutism. Absolutists can't tolerate any disagreement or opposition, and as a result, whenever they gain power, they immediately begin eliminating by any means necessary, anyone who disagrees with their absolutist ideology. And this toxic absolutism can infect pretty much any ideology, religious, political, or otherwise.

I understand your frustration and anger, but please be clear about what exactly is the cause, here. The cause isn't any particular theological or political ideal, it's the poison of ideological absolutism.

 

[Green Gaia]

First of all, I must apologize, as a newbie to this site, for starting two new threads. I realize that it is not a polite thing for me to do, but I have concerns. Let me explain my angst about religion.

Today’s headline in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer alludes to the increasing level of violence in Iraq between the Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims.
To me, an Atheist, it is just one more occurrence in the strange, hate-filled eccentricity of the human race, religion.

Catholics rage at and kill Protestants. Protestants rage at and kill Protestants. If they run out of Christians to hate, they go after Muslims and other religions.

Muslims do the same things, they fight amongst themselves and they fight and kill people who do not follow their religion.

Buddhists, being almost Atheistic, are somewhat better, but they, too, have had their periods of murderous excess. Not to mention Hindus, Jews, and just about any religion you can name.

I vowed, in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, never again to be anything but an Atheist!

No Atheist hi-jacked those commercial jets.

No Atheist attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Only a bunch of fools who did such heinous acts in the name of their unholy god.

To me, all gods are unholy and unjust and lead humanity into evil.

A pox upon all religion.

What ya got against UUs? :bounce

 

[Mike182]

i would also ask that you bear in mind that not all religions are organised, or set up like the ones you mentioned

you generalise religious people, yet forget that many atheists have done cruel wicked things

maybe its just a flaw in man kind, regardless of religion

 

[jeffrey]

I think it's just mankind, using religion to vent his anger. There is good and bad in everyone.

 

[may]

i can quite understand why you feel as you do, the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one (satan the devil) 1 John 5;19 but not for much longer, because wars will soon be a thing of the past

He(God) is making wars to cease to the extremity of the earth psalm 46;9

(Isaiah 2:4) And he will certainly render judgment among the nations and set matters straight respecting many peoples. And they will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.

They will not do any harm or cause any ruin in all my holy mountain; because the earth will certainly be filled with the knowledge of Jehovah as the waters are covering the very sea..isaiah 11;9 all of this badness will come to its end with no more influence of the wicked ones

But there are new heavens (rulership)and a new earth( earthly society of people)that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell...2 peter 3;13

 

[Aqualung]

LDS as a group don't persecute people like you say.

 

[Revasser]

Frubals to you for that post, PureX. I agree completely.

DakotaGypsy, that sure is a lot of angst you've got there. I hope you feel better now that you've had a chance to vent it a little.

It's all too easy for the those lacking religion to blame religion for all the evils of the world, and I've seen it happen many times. It saves a lot of effort to just say "If we got rid of religion, everything would be better!" instead of looking into the real causes of the problems and the real ways to begin trying to solve them. In my eyes, it's not a great deal different than saying "It's those damn communists causing all the problems! Get rid of them!" or "It's the damn Jews!" or "It's the damn Arabs!" or even "It's the damn atheists!"

A convenient scapegoat to pin all the problems on and good way of making yourself feel good because you, not belonging to whatever group you're blaming, obviously can't be part of the problem, yourself!

 

[Feathers in Hair]

While I can sympathize, I find that it's a lot harder to rage against the political and societal influences that also bring about hatred and wars than it is to hate an entire group of people. Actually, I don't find either of them easy, or healthy. I don't understand how blaming all the world's problems on one subject is any healthier than blaming it on one nation, or a group of people, or even one non-violent theology as opposed to all of them.

 

[Ormiston]

I thought you were going to be a great member on here, but it seems all you came on to do is bash religions and all religious people. IMO

bye x

Not to get off subject, but I came to this site because I hated religion. After some time now I feel like I've learned more than I could have any other way. Now, I just hate Christians (just kidding, I swear!). I think it's good for them to get it off their chest and, in time, mellow out and look at things from a more reasonable view. I hope you continue to post.

 

[c0da]

"Football's not a matter of life and death...It's much more important than that. "- Bill Shankly

Shankly is an absolute legend!!


And..

I vowed, in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, never again to be anything but an Atheist!

No Atheist hi-jacked those commercial jets.

No Atheist attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Only a bunch of fools who did such heinous acts in the name of their unholy god.

By doing what they did, they went against the teachings of their religion, so they are not true, koran following, Muslims.

You unleash this rant against religion, and name examples of violence which is supposedly caused by religion, yet overlook the good religion contributes to.

 

[Buttons*]

I'm sorry you feel that way. Looking for the negative in any situation will always land you where you are. Life's not long enough to be pissed all the time...

Yes, some people take their beliefs too far, but those are extremists, and should not define a religion, or idea. I think people should think together rather than act together... Instead of trying to get people to see things the way we do, maybe we should try to understand the way others feel instead... maybe we'd understand a little bit more about ourselves.

 

[Evenstar]

You can't tar everyone with the same brush, maybe you do hate religion, but it can't be blamed for todays world.
People are to blame, not religion.

 

[finalfrogo]

A pox upon all religion.

Religion? I don't think religion is responsible for violence. People are responsible for violence. If religion didn't exist, they would just find a different excuse to hurt others.

General religion is opposed to violence. When religious people act in violence, it's usually effected by reasons other than religion-- though it may be masked with religion.

 

[finalfrogo]

Good point.