I don't believe there are gods but I can't prove it any more than theists can prove they exist. I can't prove there are no fairies at the bottom of the garden either. The whole thing is irrelevant because we don't need gods or fairies. Unicorns would be nice though.
However I am strongly anti-religious. I am not aware of anything that has caused more harm in this world than religion, particularly the Abrahamic religions. History is full of the atrocities that have taken place in the name of Christianity and now it seems it's the Muslim’s turn and their believe in Islam. I have heard all the arguments that it is only radical Muslims that are the problem and that the majority are peaceful. Read the Qur’an and judge for yourself which group is following what is taught in that book. The bible is just as bad and possibly worse based on a simple count.
Sam Harris said to imagine a future where people murder each other over interpretations of Star Wars or Windows 98. Could anything be more ridiculous? But that is no more ridiculous than the world we live in now.
When the last temple has been torn down, when the last holy book has been destroyed, when the last preacher has been defrocked, then, and only then, will there be peace.
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I'm not religious myself, but your post is full of bad information. How many of those verses were pulled out of context to be counted? Is "though shall not kill" recorded as a mark against it because it references voilence? As friends your last paragraph... you don't think the elimination of religion would lead to an overall decline in morals, thus leading to more crime and violence? Lastly, do some research. The number of people killed in the name of religion is far lower than that of people killed over things like land, oil, money, etc. Should we get rid of all those as well?
As far as how many see http://dwindlinginunbelief.blogspot.com/2010/04/drunk-with-blood-gods-killings-in-bible.html That covers about 25 million. The table shown has been updated but I lost the link to the update. You don't need religion to have morals. If you can't determine right from wrong you lack empathy not religion.
@lostcanadian: you seriously use a link from a biased site... and count the flood in your number? How can you say god killed 20 million people in a flood and then claim there is no god?
@DesiredNightmare: I don't remember ever saying I thought the bible was anything more than a fairy tale. I think you have missed the point. I was commenting on the contents of the books not on their veracity. I don't believe 20 million people were killed in a flood. I don't believe anything in either book. Of course any statement that disagrees with your point of view is "biased". It must be, it doesn't agree with you, LOL. Rather than say it is biased why don't you check some of the verses for yourself and let me know where the list is incorrect.
@lostcanadian: one of your points is that people are killed in the name of religion. I called you on it, and you cite numbers from a book you don't believe. That has nothing to do with my viewpoint and everything to do with you failing in spectacular fashion to use simple logic. It's a shame you're not capable of an intelligent conversation.
@DesiredNightmare: Are you saying that people aren't killed in the name of religion? It wasn't one of my points but now that you mention it I think they certainly are.
I said: 1. [i]I am not aware of anything that has caused more harm in this world than religion, particularly the Abrahamic religions. History is full of the atrocities that have taken place in the name of Christianity and now it seems it's the Muslim’s turn and their believe in Islam.[/i] I used the term "harm".
2. Then I asked people to read the Qur'an to determine whether fundamental Muslims or peaceful Muslims were following the teachings of their holy book intimating there were horrible things in the Qur'an and then said the bible was just as bad.
3. Then I provided statistics on violence and cruelty in the bible to support my claim.
As far as the rest of what you said, have you ever heard the term "Ad hominem argument"?
@lostcanadian: it's not my fault you can't back up any of the claims you've made. I disputed the claim that religion has caused all the harm you claim. Your reply is best guess numbers from a website that thrives on bashing the bible... the Bible you don't believe in?
