12th July 2010
“We have tried for over a thousand years, as a species, teaching people that killing people and holding others below yourself, and being indifferent to the suffering of others was wrong because God said so. I think we can firmly conclude that that strategy was a dismal failure. Instead, the zeal created by religious conviction has led people to hurt others in the name of God.”
M. LeBlanc
July 12th, 2010 at 2:20
From that aspect religion was a complete failure, but in terms of controlling & fleecing people (which is what I believe the true purpose of religion is) it’s been an amazing success.
July 12th, 2010 at 3:55
Wow, I didn’t think Joey was such a deep thinker!
July 12th, 2010 at 4:14
I think that sort of in line with today’s quote: I read here everyday that the religious members’ don’t have murder and mayhem on their minds and/or how great this belief is or that that person whom killed was not a true believer. My question is where is the outrage as murder is murder? Where is the pressure to stop the killings which is nothing more than man’s inhumanity to man by those followers of that or any and all religions? Murder done by any religious person shouting that religions’ praise; whilst executing that said act is; murder done “in” that religions’ name (period).
July 12th, 2010 at 11:07
Religion does not kill people. People kill people. Religion merely provides the perfect justification for the killing, as in the argument, “God told me to”, or, “It says so in the holy book”. The controlling and fleecing that Braathwaat refers to is perfectly true but created, not by religion per se, but by the ‘interpretation’ of ‘the word of ‘god’. The only amazing thing is that the defence works every time. If I was in court for killing someone and pleaded that ‘the boogey man that lives under my bed told me to kill….., I would be locked up in a funny farm and the key thrown away. If I plead that the ‘god’ that lives in ‘heaven’ told me to kill….. Happy days, I have done no wrong. I am a hero as I have done god’s work.
July 12th, 2010 at 11:52
The Atheists just rant ignorantly following their lusts without guidance.
July 12th, 2010 at 12:04
The (yet another)problem with religion is that despite all protests by its adherence to the contrary it is not a unifying or socialising force. It is in fact divisive as members of one faith effectively define themselves as not followers of the alternatives.
No matter how often Islamic leaders, Popes, Archbishops and Rabbis attempt interfaith reconciliations (fooling themselves they share a common truth at the core) religion is so intrinsically tribal that even within their respective faiths they are constantly battling against schism.
The road to peace will not be paved with superstitions, revelations or gods. Even were they real, they are so open to individual interpretation that no agreement is possible and some people will kill for their particular delusion.
Science, scepticism and rational enquiry are the only epistemological tools capable of providing a world wide concensus and promoting peace.
July 12th, 2010 at 16:29
To quote Robert Green Ingersoll…“There can be but little liberty on earth while men worship a tyrant in heaven.”
July 12th, 2010 at 20:06
I think godkilla hit it on the head. Surely this is M(att) LeBlanc?