Please do read the whole thing. I know it's lengthy, but the end vastly differs from the beginning.
I cannot stand religion. Religion is a pointless set of contradicting rules, reinterpreted millions of times by the most corrupt people ever born to control and manipulate its hapless followers. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are the worst, as they have bred intolerance more than any other social force ever created. You can find no war that does not involve religion in one form or another. Religion is the only force that could possibly drive people to war.
Wake up, people! Religion is the cancer of our global society! It prevents social, medical, scientific, and moral advancement based upon ancient and out-of-touch rules further based upon things that may or may not have happened thousands of years ago. Why are we so weak-minded as to continue to let this influence our decisions?!
Those of you who serve as the Christian big-talkers out there tout the things that "god" has done for you. But this isn't so. You found inspiration and did things for yourself! The power was all yours! Why give this fairy-tale credit for the way YOU shaped YOUR life? Why surrender your authority and personal power to FICTION?! Worse yet, the intolerance of homosexuals, other religions, new ideas, science... Christianity's practitioners allow themselves to impede new ideas, and therefore, a better world! Its ideals promote the dehumanization of those who are different, and makes it okay to ostracize, exile, and kill anyone who disagrees. Does this help the world as a whole? I think not.
Practitioners of Islam surrender a lot of themselves for their fiction. They let it determine what they wear, what they eat, where they go, what they do, what they say, who they're with... and it is wholly intolerant! Intolerant of homosexuals, intolerant of other religions and atheism alike, and by and large intolerant of women, devaluing them and restricting their lifestyles, rights, and freedoms. Its ideologies have inspired countless acts of violence, war, and dehumanization, continuing to this day. There is no more intolerant religion than Islam.
Judaism is not quite so overtly offensive, but the foolish pride of those in Israel in demanding a Jewish Homeland matches the foolish pride of the Muslims in Palestine, and has itself contributed to the continuing turmoil in the middle east. Both sides are wrong, and both sides are to blame.
Anyone who acts in the name of a GOD is foolish! FOOLISH BEYOND BELIEF! One might as well commit their life to acting on the things they saw while on mushrooms.
I understand that everyone is scared. Everyone wants to know what happens after death, and everyone would like it to be a good thing. The truth is, barring religion, no one knows for sure... and that's GOOD!! If you know what happens when you die, what does it matter what you do while you're alive, especially if the afterlife is better than the current one?
Religion in its current state is a Gangrene-stricken limb hanging off the collective body of society. It is useless, inflexible, and cannot be made any better. It prevents us from doing things to help ourselves collective. It is long-past overdue for amputation.
Why do we need religion to motivate us to be good people? Why can't we be good just for the sake of being good? Why can't we help others simply because they need help? Why can't we spread happiness, rather than intolerance?
Think about it. You do something nice for someone. You do a favor, say a kind word, simply give a smile, and you have made someone a little happier. That person might then feel good enough to pass a kind action to someone else, or maybe even two people. Those two people may pass kindness onto four people! You can see where this is going. The effect ripples across society as a whole, and everyone is made just a little bit happier! Why can't we just do that?
Empathy, people. Empathy because it feels good. It feels good to have it, to give it, and especially to receive it. Why can't we just care about each other because we can? I'm not suggesting you give equal care to all 6 billion of us, but just to treat those around you as well as you can! Life, with all of its challenges, is hard enough... and no one knows what comes after... we need to support each other while we're here.
I am going to live my life by this principle. Not because I read it in a book, not because anyone told me to, not because my parents raised me to, but because I want to! Because it feels good, because it feels right! I don't have an answer for what happens after I die, but I know that if I have made the world even a slightly better place in my time here, I can die without regret.
So, will any of you out there join me?
I cannot stand religion. Religion is a pointless set of contradicting rules, reinterpreted millions of times by the most corrupt people ever born to control and manipulate its hapless followers. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are the worst, as they have bred intolerance more than any other social force ever created. You can find no war that does not involve religion in one form or another. Religion is the only force that could possibly drive people to war.
Wake up, people! Religion is the cancer of our global society! It prevents social, medical, scientific, and moral advancement based upon ancient and out-of-touch rules further based upon things that may or may not have happened thousands of years ago. Why are we so weak-minded as to continue to let this influence our decisions?!
Those of you who serve as the Christian big-talkers out there tout the things that "god" has done for you. But this isn't so. You found inspiration and did things for yourself! The power was all yours! Why give this fairy-tale credit for the way YOU shaped YOUR life? Why surrender your authority and personal power to FICTION?! Worse yet, the intolerance of homosexuals, other religions, new ideas, science... Christianity's practitioners allow themselves to impede new ideas, and therefore, a better world! Its ideals promote the dehumanization of those who are different, and makes it okay to ostracize, exile, and kill anyone who disagrees. Does this help the world as a whole? I think not.
Practitioners of Islam surrender a lot of themselves for their fiction. They let it determine what they wear, what they eat, where they go, what they do, what they say, who they're with... and it is wholly intolerant! Intolerant of homosexuals, intolerant of other religions and atheism alike, and by and large intolerant of women, devaluing them and restricting their lifestyles, rights, and freedoms. Its ideologies have inspired countless acts of violence, war, and dehumanization, continuing to this day. There is no more intolerant religion than Islam.
Judaism is not quite so overtly offensive, but the foolish pride of those in Israel in demanding a Jewish Homeland matches the foolish pride of the Muslims in Palestine, and has itself contributed to the continuing turmoil in the middle east. Both sides are wrong, and both sides are to blame.
Anyone who acts in the name of a GOD is foolish! FOOLISH BEYOND BELIEF! One might as well commit their life to acting on the things they saw while on mushrooms.
I understand that everyone is scared. Everyone wants to know what happens after death, and everyone would like it to be a good thing. The truth is, barring religion, no one knows for sure... and that's GOOD!! If you know what happens when you die, what does it matter what you do while you're alive, especially if the afterlife is better than the current one?
Religion in its current state is a Gangrene-stricken limb hanging off the collective body of society. It is useless, inflexible, and cannot be made any better. It prevents us from doing things to help ourselves collective. It is long-past overdue for amputation.
Why do we need religion to motivate us to be good people? Why can't we be good just for the sake of being good? Why can't we help others simply because they need help? Why can't we spread happiness, rather than intolerance?
Think about it. You do something nice for someone. You do a favor, say a kind word, simply give a smile, and you have made someone a little happier. That person might then feel good enough to pass a kind action to someone else, or maybe even two people. Those two people may pass kindness onto four people! You can see where this is going. The effect ripples across society as a whole, and everyone is made just a little bit happier! Why can't we just do that?
Empathy, people. Empathy because it feels good. It feels good to have it, to give it, and especially to receive it. Why can't we just care about each other because we can? I'm not suggesting you give equal care to all 6 billion of us, but just to treat those around you as well as you can! Life, with all of its challenges, is hard enough... and no one knows what comes after... we need to support each other while we're here.
I am going to live my life by this principle. Not because I read it in a book, not because anyone told me to, not because my parents raised me to, but because I want to! Because it feels good, because it feels right! I don't have an answer for what happens after I die, but I know that if I have made the world even a slightly better place in my time here, I can die without regret.
So, will any of you out there join me?
