And what turns these things into a religion is your shaking off of facts and causing pain and suffering in order to further them. Take alcohol for an example. Alcohol is linked to almost one hundred thousand deaths in the US alone each year. It is a major health problem. It is involved in a signficant amount of diseases, violent crimes, sex crimes, etc.. Something like half or more of all rapes or violent crime are done by people under the influence. Not to mention all the cancers, organ and organ system destruction it causes, the drain on resources...And these deaths can be linked to alcohol scientifically.
Not news to me, I work for a drug court and have an alcoholic father.
People always say things like "religion caused this or that horrible thing or atrocity". But the fact is, not a single death in human history can be scientifcally linked to religion. You will never find a single medical or health study that shows the cause, link, or mechanism or death as religion. But I can show thousands that alcohol can claim scientifically.
I don't disagree about alcohol, and I don't believe going to church causes cancer, the social aspect of religious affiliation has positive health benefits.
My personal concern with religion is the power it can potentially give to dangerous beliefs, just like alcohol companies, or the media, etc...What would you consider the cause of something like the repeatedly mentioned crusades or witch trials, etc? Otherwise, individual faith and religious organizations that do no harm do not bother me in the slightest. I will argue my points in a meaningless debate on an internet forum, but I don't feel churches should be closed or rights to religious expression be taken away.
So the logical question is, do you think alcohol should be banned?
It would seem to be a great help to society, wouldn't it? I don't think it's possible to, just like I wouldn't think it's possible to "ban" religion. Banning things people like rarely goes well, so it would be foolish of me to dedicate my life to the stance, it's just not practical. There will be ills in the world, it cannot ever be harmonious. Smoking, overeating, drugs/alcohol, these are serious ills to society, yet they are valued as freedoms like religion. I'm not a huge fan of anything that harms innocent people in general, and I question their place in our world. If you drink alcohol and get cancer, one could argue no one is hurt, or one could argue the cost to health care is impacted and it is still a negative thing for innocent people... I think it's sticky.
I bet you would say no. But what is your justification? Your justificiation is merely your own pet superstitions, things like freedom and self determination.
In my case, my reaction was one from experience. Banning alcohol didn't work, did it? It could be possible in a differently run society, say if the penalty for consuming or purchasing alcohol was death, but our system as is, with the addition of a ban on alcohol, cannot make people avoid alcohol.
Of course, another main reason aggressive atheists want to eradicate religion instead of alcohol is becuse of another simple concept: They don't want to appear uncool. Because we all know that anybody railing against the evils of alcohol on this foruum, like they do with religion, would look like the absolute biggest prude and and close minded person in the world. Hating religion is hip. Hating alcohol, which is far worse, is not hip. I really can't respect people who prioritize issues on how much they would effect their cool, contrarian, against anything traditional image. Alcohol simply does not fit with that image. Alcohol is cool. Religion is not. I mean, can you imagine people creating a thread on here every day about how evil alcohol is and how it needs to go away? They would be the laughingstock of the forum. But when you rail against religion in the same way, you are speaking truth to power and being a free thinker. I am sorry, but I just can't back that kind of juvenile mindset.
Do aggressive atheists want to eradicate religion?
I haven't had a drink in nearly two years, I have never been a drinker, I openly admit it, I have a passing fascination with bottles of booze and a couple preferences of type the same way I have for Greek Mythology and Jains.
It's interesting you've picked this topic, because from a personal level I have felt the effect of not being "cool" because I don't drink. It's nearly impossible to get a group of friends in your early 20's who don't get wasted...but that hasn't changed my behavior.
It would be very beneficial for me to take up Christianity, because I would adore having a big group of people to go see every weekend like churches often have. It would meet so many of my needs to "fit in", but it would be a farce. It's just not something I have a conviction for.
