I am an Atheist because religion is a get-out-of-responsibility-free card.
“My (cleric) told me to do it.” “god wants me to do it.” “(my book of myths) says so.”
This is an excuse for every kind of laziness, abuse, crime and hatefulness. Their rules not only encourage them to ignore and break society’s rules, their rules give them a pass on breaking their own rules. Repent, beg forgiveness, and go back to doing to same thing again while loudly condemning anyone who acts like a human being and takes responsibility for their actions.
I am an Atheist because religion moronifies and roboticizes the population. Democracy is impossible when the majority of voters follow clerical orders without thought – when the majority of voters are so trained to unquestioning obedience to authority that they are incapable of independent thought.
I am an Atheist because religion obstructs human progress. Religion is fundamentally reactionary and hidebound, and can only survive in the absence of advances in science, community, morality and humanity. Conversely: science, community, morality and humanity advance only where religion is kept outside the wall of secular government protecting society from theocracy.
But it’s the responsibility-abdication of religion that makes atheism so attractive.
lisaaug
I agree. Responsibility is empowering.
Well, at first it was frightening. Then it was empowering. Like taking the training wheels off.
Well, at first it was frightening. Then it was empowering. Like taking the training wheels off. Taking the training wheels off is an interesting metaphor. Current thinking, which is backed empirically, is that training wheels are not useful. Children learn to rely too much on them and are actually slower to learn the essentials of balance. It seems to be better to learn balance first by using a smaller bicycle similar to the historical “boneshaker” without pedals. If both feet can be in contact with the ground at the same time, a kind of running motion will be learned first, and with it, a sense of balance on the two wheels is gained confidently. After this skill is mastered, pedals are added and the seat height is increased so the pedaling motion is added sequentially. Cycling is learned faster and without as many falls for the child and cringes for the parent.
In a similar matter, we rely on the training wheels for far too long and most never get rid of them at all. Rely on yourself for learning.