An Open Letter to Persons of Faith

[En_Route]

To cast religion as the big bad wolf which is the perpetrator of all our ills ...

I don't think anyone's being quite so simplistic.  But (to put it in the fairest possible words), Religion is and very often has been associated with and a channel for
mankind's worst instincts.

Thus it seems reasonable to hope that if we can sideline religion, such unpleasantness will be reduced.

I don't think this necessarily follows. The point is that religiious belief of some kind has been pretty well universal in every society since time immemorial. so that it would almost have been impossible for it not to be implicated in much of the nastiness that has occurred. However, the fact that human beings can inflict all manner of horrors each other without reference to religion, suggests to me that your optimism may be misplaced. I think that the more benign forms of Christianity and the original, non- theistic philosophy of Buddhism are potentially in fact quite civilising influences.

[xSilverPhinx]

Let's not forget just how powerful religion can be as a shepard of scared people and for oppression. What better way to get people to shut up and follow you than saying that you have the infinitely powerful creator of the whole universe on your side?

It's all very problematic, some countries are filled with people who are too religious and scared to think for themselves because their religious leaders keep filling their heads with night-time monster story nonsense. Religions win people over and own them.

It's a very sophisticated manipulation tool because it uses the human psyche as its landscape.

[The Black Jester]

To cast religion as the big bad wolf which is the perpetrator of all our ills ...

I don't think anyone's being quite so simplistic.  But (to put it in the fairest possible words), Religion is and very often has been associated with and a channel for
mankind's worst instincts.

Thus it seems reasonable to hope that if we can sideline religion, such unpleasantness will be reduced.

I don't think this necessarily follows. The point is that religiious belief of some kind has been pretty well universal in every society since time immemorial. so that it would almost have been impossible for it not to be implicated in much of the nastiness that has occurred. However, the fact that human beings can inflict all manner of horrors each other without reference to religion, suggests to me that your optimism may be misplaced. I think that the more benign forms of Christianity and the original, non- theistic philosophy of Buddhism are potentially in fact quite civilising influences.

I agree with the spirit of E_R's suggestions here.  It may be true that divesting humankind of its religious superstitions would remove one manner in which atrocities were rationalized, but to assume that the atrocities themselves would be removed seems to me another kind of wishful thinking.  It could perfectly well be that other ideologies would simply take religion's place as the prime mover in such tragedies.  It seems to me we have deep instincts for conflict, and easily rationalize brutality in myriad ways.  My instinct is that humanity has some distance to go before eradicating such horrors.

[OldGit]

Thus it seems reasonable to hope that if we can sideline religion, such unpleasantness will be reduced.

[The Black Jester]

Thus it seems reasonable to hope that if we can sideline religion, such unpleasantness will be reduced.

I did notice that nuance, but still respectfully disagree.  I'm still not convinced that eliminating religious thinking will necessarily lead directly to even reduced human suffering.  I'm thinking it's just as likely we'd find another reason to kill and torture one another.

[Ihateyoumike]

Thus it seems reasonable to hope that if we can sideline religion, such unpleasantness will be reduced.

I did notice that nuance, but still respectfully disagree.  I'm still not convinced that eliminating religious thinking will necessarily lead directly to even reduced human suffering.  I'm thinking it's just as likely we'd find another reason to kill and torture one another.

This. There will still be territory, money, drugs, gangs, etc... There would always be something to fill that void.

[En_Route]

Thus it seems reasonable to hope that if we can sideline religion, such unpleasantness will be reduced.

I did notice that nuance, but still respectfully disagree.  I'm still not convinced that eliminating religious thinking will necessarily lead directly to even reduced human suffering.  I'm thinking it's just as likely we'd find another reason to kill and torture one another.

I think human beings need to become much more self- aware, less locked in their own egos,  more empathetic and compassionate, better- informed, and readier to question what they are told before the long roll call of man's inhumanity to man tapers off. Will it happen? I'm not betting on it, personally. I tend to see aggressive religiosity as more of a symptom than a cause. As I've said before, all freethinkers are atheists but not all atheists are freethinkers.

[markmcdaniel]

Thus it seems reasonable to hope that if we can sideline religion, such unpleasantness will be reduced.

I did notice that nuance, but still respectfully disagree.  I'm still not convinced that eliminating religious thinking will necessarily lead directly to even reduced human suffering.  I'm thinking it's just as likely we'd find another reason to kill and torture one another.

I think human beings need to become much more self- aware, less locked in their own egos,  more empathetic and compassionate, better- informed, and readier to question what they are told before the long roll call of man's inhumanity to man tapers off. Will it happen? I'm not betting on it, personally. I tend to see aggressive religiosity as more of a symptom than a cause. As I've said before, all freethinkers are atheists but not all atheists are freethinkers.

Thus it seems reasonable to hope that if we can sideline religion, such unpleasantness will be reduced.

I did notice that nuance, but still respectfully disagree.  I'm still not convinced that eliminating religious thinking will necessarily lead directly to even reduced human suffering.  I'm thinking it's just as likely we'd find another reason to kill and torture one another.

It may be true that eliminating religious thinking will not lead directly to reducing atrocities, but it will remove the because God want it this way barrier to decent and debate.

[En_Route]

Thus it seems reasonable to hope that if we can sideline religion, such unpleasantness will be reduced.

I did notice that nuance, but still respectfully disagree.  I'm still not convinced that eliminating religious thinking will necessarily lead directly to even reduced human suffering.  I'm thinking it's just as likely we'd find another reason to kill and torture one another.

I think human beings need to become much more self- aware, less locked in their own egos,  more empathetic and compassionate, better- informed, and readier to question what they are told before the long roll call of man's inhumanity to man tapers off. Will it happen? I'm not betting on it, personally. I tend to see aggressive religiosity as more of a symptom than a cause. As I've said before, all freethinkers are atheists but not all atheists are freethinkers.

Thus it seems reasonable to hope that if we can sideline religion, such unpleasantness will be reduced.

I did notice that nuance, but still respectfully disagree.  I'm still not convinced that eliminating religious thinking will necessarily lead directly to even reduced human suffering.  I'm thinking it's just as likely we'd find another reason to kill and torture one another.

It may be true that eliminating religious thinking will not lead directly to reducing atrocities, but it will remove the because God want it this way barrier to decent and debate.

People who believe in purported facts or concepts which are manifestly unfounded don't engage in debate , whatever their persuasion, religious or otherwise.