Are atheists so focused upon overturning religion that they risk

[NutmegofConsolation]

throwing the babby out with the bath water? So to speak…Religion does have some benefits and if all religion is abolished, all these benefits will go too.

[desainte76]

I'm not trying to rid the world of religion.

I'm trying to keep it out of politics, schools, and having it pushed on people.

Anyway, babbies are for eating, not for batheing.

[RicoJPA]

Yes. I don't want to ignore the power of the myths that shaped our civilization. I just don't want to say one set of myths is more powerful than another. Also, there are benefits to having a shared set of myths to form a community around, to meet and discuss, to have cookies and coffee with, to organize community service activities around, a center for the dibursement of charity where you know the people who are doing the distributing and no how much or your charity dollar is truly going toward charity, not to mention all the art, architecture and music that various religions have inspired over the centuries. As long as the dogma is kept in check, and the whole God business kept in perspective, it can be a babby we don't want to toss OR eat. Just look at the way UU congregations function (when fundamentalist Christian wackos aren't opening fire upon their children during a singing performance).

Although, I'll always keep a warm spot in my heart for WC Fields, who, when accused of not liking babies, said, "Madam, I love babies, with a light garlic sauce and a good bottle of white."

Of course, that still leaves the eternal question:

How is babby formed? How girl get pragnent?

Ohh, the instainity.

[DubhG]

If you are to accuse us of throwing the baby out with the bath water, should you not first provide evidence that there WAS a baby.?

[hypno_toad1]

We wouldn't throw out the babby.
We'd save him for the barbecue.

[KyleJ]

I assume you're talking about morality or something like that? Different non-spiritual systems have morality as a component. Secular humanism believes people should act for the good of humanity, and that all moral values come from humans themselves. I think that's a perfectly acceptable moral system that has nothing to do with religion.

[PirateAM™]

Other than a social gathering, there are no benefits that are inherent in religion.

[Franklin]

I could care less about overturning religion. Just keep that crap out of my kids science classroom and we won't have a problem. Is that really to much to ask?

[GeorgeG]

Most people seem to do quite all right without it.

[Kjelstad3e0]

Hell no!