Top 5 Questions to Ask Yourself If You Don’t Think You've Been Indoctrinated

Here are five questions to ask yourself to identify if you have been indoctrinated. While these questions all refer to religion, they may also be applicable to other beliefs such as political views or your understanding of an event.

1- Did you believe in Santa Claus at the time you accepted your religion?

2- Were you taught only one religion and that’s the one you've accepted?

3- Were you told you must accept your religion on faith and that faith is all you need?

4- Have you been discouraged from learning things which might challenge your religion as it might be Satan trying to deceive you?

5- Have you read the entirety of your holy book?

If you answered YES to any of #1-4 and NO to #5, then you HAVE been indoctrinated. If you care whether your beliefs are true, I urge you to examine them as critically as you would if they weren't your own. If you don’t care whether your beliefs are true or will only look for evidence to confirm them rather than looking for evidence against them – then don’t waste your time. If a belief is correct, you won’t be able to find evidence to disprove it. However, if you look only for evidence to confirm your belief - you will be able to justify believing whatever you want.

If you chose not to challenge the claims of your religion - please don’t teach others your religion or vote in elections. You also waive your right to mock other religions no matter how ridiculous they may seem.

Why Republicans Didn’t Celebrate MLK’s “I Have a Dream Speech” as Democrats Did

Yesterday, August 28, 2013, was the 50^th Anniversary of Martin Luther King's famous "I Have a Dream Speech". Many liberal/Democratic Facebook pages celebrated the speech, but on popular Republican pages such as Being Conservative, Mr. Conservative and Conservative Daily there was little to no mention of the speech. 

However, Positively Republican made a post encouraging people to watch the speech, but it didn't go over too well. It didn't get nearly the amount of "like's" as other posts on the page and in the comments many called Dr. King a "plagiarists", "a racist", along with a comment that said, "My family will never sit down and listen to King a communist backed negro… Stop being ashamed for being white!" (this comment sadly received many likes).

This was odd since Republicans often like to claim MLK as their own. But as I have said before, "Republicans care about the political label MLK identified himself with - Liberals care about the rights MLK fought for." Yesterday showed this to be accurate.

Republicans get upset when they are called racist, and rightfully so for those who aren't (and many aren't). If Republicans are not racist, then what possible reason would they have to not want to celebrate this famous civil rights speech?

The only conclusion for ignoring this speech is that the GOP didn't want to anger the racists who identify as Republican. The GOP likes to claim moral superiority, but there is nothing moral about choosing not to celebrate equal rights for fear of losing the support of racists. To not speak up against racism seems to be just as immoral as racism itself.

Some may say it's unfair to judge people based on what they don't talk about and to some degree that is true, but we can understand what people really value based on what they support and celebrate. The fact Republicans didn't celebrate MLK's speech speaks volumes. Let's hope voters remember this next time Republican leaders try to claim moral superiority.

The Root of the GOP’s Problem

We often hear from Republicans that they need to improve their message in order to better connect with minorities and women, and the GOP is struggling to figure out this new message. Texas senator, Ted Cruz suggested recently that Republicans just need to “stand up and win the argument”, as if they haven’t already tried that. But is changing their message enough to turn the party around? I don't think so. There are many issues with the Republican Party’s positions, but there is no need to mention any of them because their positions are only a result of the party’s real problem.

In Carl Sagan’s book “The Demon-Haunted World” he wrote, “Those who have something to sell, those who wish to influence public opinion, those in power, a skeptic might suggest, have a vested interest in discouraging skepticism.”

The GOP may claim to be skeptical, but they have confused skepticism for denialism. Denying reality and creating conspiracy theories is not skepticism despite what they may think. Skepticism is the approach that requires all information to be well supported by evidence - creating theories based on no evidence and demanding others to prove it wrong is not skepticism, yet this is what Republicans continue to do.

Science is a way of gaining knowledge through observation, experimentation and carefully examining evidence - it is absolutely mind blowing that we have leaders who are against this way of thinking. This is the root of the GOP's problem - they discourage critical thinking and are anti-science.

The GOP is against critical thinking because they prefer their own traditional beliefs over reality - in order to hold these beliefs, they must deny any facts that would undermine their beliefs. Many Republican politicians believe God is on their side and if information disputes the Bible then it must be wrong. The religious right believes evidence and reason is “Satan’s” way of testing their faith, and they aren't interested in considering that they might be wrong.

Republicans wouldn't be struggling if it weren't for the growth of critical thinking and atheism in the US; it’s difficult to manipulate voters through their religion when more people are questioning religious claims. This puts the GOP and especially Republicans who haven’t completely denied science and critical thinking in a tough position. If they speak up against the party’s irrational views - they won’t get elected. If they pander to irrational beliefs – moderate and semi-rational Republicans won’t vote for them.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has even said, “We've got to stop being the stupid party.” But he doesn't understand that as long as the Republican Party sticks to their current positions – the party will be dependent on ignorant voters.

Republicans can continue to talk about how they need to improve their message, but the problem is that they don’t really want to change their message. They like who they are and even if they do change their message they won’t mean it. Engaged voters are smart enough to know that changing their message is only an attempt to manipulate them for their vote. Because let’s be honest, when we hear Republicans say, “we need to improve our message” they are really saying, "we need to do a better job manipulating the public by telling them what they want to hear even though we don’t really believe it." If they believed it, they wouldn't need to change their message - because it would have been their message from the start.

If Republicans aren't going to embrace critical thinking, their only hope is that the public doesn't either.

Conversation Between Inquisitive Muslim and an Atheist

A couple weeks ago, I received a message from a girl from Saudi Arabia with questions about atheism. With her permission, I have decided to share our conversation as I think many will find her willingness to ask questions encouraging. I also ask her a few questions about living in Saudi Arabia and her Muslim faith (which may expose my ignorance as I have no idea what it is actually like to live there).

I've done very little editing (as you will see) in order to keep the feel of our casual conversation, so please excuse the grammar. I will be using her initials "IN".

-Start of Conversation-

-IN

hello.. well im not an atheist i just wanna know what do you atheists believe in? do you not believe in anything at all? and for who and why do you think you live? im really curious how atheists think..

-Discovering Reason

IN, thanks for your questions, I think they are excellent questions and I'm glad you are asking an atheist and not a believer what we believe. Would you allow me to post this question on the page and you can see answers from many other atheists and not just my own answer?

-IN

alright sure.. but without mentioning my name please

thank you

-Discovering Reason

But to answer your question, we believe in many things we just don't believe a god exists. That is the only thing that atheism describes. But for me I also don't believe in anything supernatural - I believe everything can be explained through natural processes. I'm also a humanist, I believe that people should treat everyone equally and that society should do everything it can to make life better for everyone.

Why do I think I live? That is an interesting question, I don't think there is any grand purpose for why I'm alive, but my consciousness tells me I am alive and I want to make the best of it. Because I understand that this is the only life I get, so it is important for me to make it the best one I can. I could go in depth further, but not sure if you are interested. If you have a question or would like me to go in depth further about anything I'd be happy to do so. I hope my answer has helped.

-IN

so not all atheists are humanists right? i mean those who aren't might harm people or something? And how do you think earth was created? you believe in the big bang?

and yes thank you and sorry for disturbing

-Discovering Reason

Of course, I will definitely respect your privacy. Thanks, I'll post your question now. Where are you from? It looks like you may be Muslim? May I share your religion and what country you live in?

-IN

yes i am a muslim, and im lebanese living in saudi arabia, thank you again

-Discovering Reason

You are not disturbing me at all, I appreciate the questions!  But yes, not all atheists are humanists, but most are.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean when you ask, "those who aren't might harm people or something?" I think there is an awful stereotype that atheists are mean people or something and you have believed that stereotype. People say awful things about people that are different from themselves and unfortunately religious people say that about atheists all the time. In my experience atheist are more caring and loving people than most religious people because they realize that once they die it is over and they want to treat people respectfully during their life. Atheists aren't prefect just like everyone else, but you never see atheists bombing buildings because of their atheism but you do see this with religious people. In fact in America, less than 1% of the prison population is atheists and the other 99% is religious. That may help answer that question.

-IN

one more question please.. do you believe in demons?

and yes it did thank you

-Discovering Reason

no, I don't believe in demons or angels, or heaven or hell. I use to though, I grew up Christian and about 4 years ago after studying the origins of religion and searching for answers to questions I always had but no one ever had an answer to, I realized that it was not true. It is just a deep seeded belief humans have that have been passed down generations and altered through time.

I posted your question on the page, so check it out from time to time to hear their answers. If you have a question you want to ask someone about their answer, feel free to copy and paste their answer and the question you have so you can keep your identity private.

-IN

thank you for making things clearer now  and yes i will, i appreciate your help a lot.

-Discovering Reason

Oh I'm sorry I forgot to answer your question about how the earth was created and the big bang. These may take longer to answer, but there are many great videos on YouTube of my favorite scientists Carl Sagan and Neil deGrasse Tyson answering them. If you want me to suggest some to you let me know.

-IN

Alright I'll check them out

Next Day

-Discovering Reason

Hey IN, I was thinking about why you asked me if I believed in demons, so why did you ask that? Were you told that atheists worshiped demons or something?  I'm just curious.

-IN

good guess, yeah well they gave me this idea that you drink blood and do those crazy stuff or submit yourselves to satan, so i didnt wanna judge the way they did, so i asked a real atheist ..

and im sorry i thought about atheists that way

-Discovering Reason

haha, I figured, it happens all the time unfortunately. Drink blood? I think they are confusing atheists with vampires... very very different things haha. Well I'm glad you asked and can now correct them.

Do you ever question your Muslim faith?

-IN

well they kind of gave me the idea that atheists are more likely to be those gothic people who worship satan and doesnt believe in god, thats why i asked what do you believe in, and well yeah i do, i wonder a lot, but i dont think i can ever give up on religion, it makes me feel safer somehow.

-Discovering Reason

I understand, many people feel that way about their religion. If you gave up Islam, would you fear for your safety because of how others would treat you? Do you ever fear being stoned? I see pictures of horrible things like that happening to women in your part of the world and I wonder how often girls think about that happening to them.

-IN

No thats not what ill be afraid of, in my religion when we get scared from something we ask God to help us, and it feels safe to know he is there listening to your prayers, and no such people cant represent the arab world and the islam, in saudi arabia it might be a bit hard, but yet it's really peaceful, when the woman respects her man he will respect her, if not he will treat her the same way, but in our holy book such abuse is forbidden, and as i mentioned above, i do wonder what if all of this was a lie, but then i think what if it wasnt, hell isnt a good place to go to..

-Discovering Reason

I get that, when I was a Christian I used to pray to god in the very same way and it was a comforting feeling. I just came to the conclusion that I rather care what it true rather than how it makes me feel. And yes, if hell existed it wouldn't be a good place to go and that was a fear I always had as well. But the more you learn about the world and the universe the easier it becomes to let go of those ideas.

But I don't want you to feel like I'm pressuring you to lose your faith or anything, was just curious if you were questioning your faith or what.

What do people think about Malala Yousafzai? I'm a big fan of hers, I know she is Muslim but I have a feeling she will become an atheist when she is older similar to Ayaan Hirsi Ali. If you don't know her - look her up on YouTube or something. You might really enjoy listening to her.

-IN

well i never really heard about them, ill research them on youtube, well the reason i wanted to know more about atheists was because i had the scary image in my head and i thought they would kill me to give my blood to Satan or something, i know it sounds crazy but this is what i thought, sorry, moreover, i actually thought people would attack me when you told them im arab, but they didnt, and thats why i made sure what i heard was untrue.. I got ashamed of the way i pictured atheists in my head last night

-Discovering Reason

You have nothing to be ashamed of! Just by asking the questions and seeking the truth puts you leaps and bounds ahead of people much older than yourself. Too many people are afraid to ask questions and assumed that what they hear is the truth and forever are fearful of something they know nothing about. If only they had cared enough to learn more.

You remind me a lot of Malala, I think you will find her story really inspiring. I can't believe you haven't heard of her!

Let me know what you think.

-IN

yeah ill listen to what she has to say, it's good to know atheists are good people

-Discovering Reason

haha yes it is.

Well to give you a summary of Malala, she is about your age maybe younger and I believe from Pakistan. She is an activist for education and was shot in the head while on a bus to school by the Taliban. She survived and is still fighting for girls to get an education.

-IN

yeah im watching this video where she speaks at the UN, she's a great inspiration, her speech is beautiful

-End of Conversation-

Check out the Facebook post where I asked others to answer her original question. If you have a few minutes, please consider answering her question here in the comments section or on the Facebook page.

Coming Out As an Atheist Can Mean Stepping into a Bizarro World

The religious are questioning their beliefs more than ever before, and for those who conclude their beliefs have no validity and no longer believe in a god struggle with how to tell their loved ones. Many keep it to themselves until they feel it’s the right time to “come out” because they know it will hurt the ones they love, and some never come out for fear of being discriminated against in the workplace and/or losing relationships.

For me, I was never a closet atheist. As soon as I came to the conclusion that I no longer believed in a god – I told the people who were closest to me. It never occurred to me that I should be ashamed or afraid to tell others that I discovered something new due to my skepticism and research. I naively assumed everyone valued the truth above everything else, but I quickly discovered this was not the case. It felt as if I just stepped into a bizarro world, where evidence and logic was suddenly bad and delusion was good.

I thought people would be curious how I came to my conclusion but instead they became uncomfortable and extremely defensive. So why do believers respond this way?

Atheists get this reaction because when they tell a believer they no longer believe in God, they are also inadvertently telling them they are wrong – this is something they don’t want to hear and the conversation becomes very emotional. Belief in god isn't based on reason or evidence; it is based on emotion and tradition. This is why believers aren't interested in having a conversation about the evidence or lack thereof which has brought someone to the conclusion of atheism - because evidence isn't what brought them to their belief in god in the first place.

Those who constantly try to convert one back to their belief are rarely doing it because they care about the person’s “soul”; we know this because they rarely try to convert those they love if they believe in a different god/religion. For example, from a Christian perspective, there shouldn't be any difference between an atheist and a Mormon – both are wrong in their view. However, according to the Bible the Mormon would be guilty of worshiping a false god, which is an added sin that atheists aren't guilty of. Yet, people try to convert atheists back to their belief because if someone doesn't believe in a god it makes them uncomfortable.

Religious people constantly have doubts about their beliefs whether they admit it or not. Anyone who doesn't doubt their religion are extremely brainwashed because a reasonable person can’t look at the world and see the 100’s of religions that exist which all claim to be correct and not doubt their own. A reasonable person sees this and asks, “How can so many people be convinced their god is real when everyone can’t be right?”

Sadly, many are satisfied with believing everyone else is just wrong and they are right. But if they take the first question even further they may ask, “If so many people can be convinced their god is real, could I be wrong as well?” Unfortunately, these questions are extremely uncomfortable for believers to ask themselves which is why it is so uncomfortable for them when they hear that someone they love no longer believes as they do.

Even though I understand why coming out as an atheist can be difficult for both atheists and believers, I’m still dumbfounded that those who have the courage to think for themselves and question their beliefs can suddenly be viewed as immoral and hateful simply for no longer believing in a god. Polls have shown that in America atheists are distrusted as much as rapists - this is astonishing! Although, it shouldn't be a surprise that when people disregard reason and logic and rely solely on their emotions that they can come to such illogical and absurd conclusions about others - it truly is like living in a bizarro world.

The Attack on Religion in America

We hear a lot from politicians and televangelists such as Pat Robertson claiming religion is under attack - and they are right. Religion is under attack, but not in the way they want us to think it is. When they say religion is under attack, they really mean Christianity because it is the most popular religion in America. We don’t hear them complaining when Islam, Scientology, Mormonism etc. is being ridiculed.

Let’s be clear, there is a difference between the ideas of a religion being attacked and attacking the right to worship. The right to worship or practice a religion is not under attack, it’s the credibility of religious claims which are being attacked.

In a free society, ideas are and should be up for debate because ideas matter, especially when those ideas influence government. America is a nation built on freedom, and because of that everything can be under attack including freedom itself. In order to keep this freedom we must stay vigilant of those who want to restrict our freedoms and in many cases, religion is the tool used to achieve this.

Those complaining that religion is under attack aren't upset because their religious beliefs are being misconstrued (because they aren't). They are angry because the facts and evidence show that religious claims lack credibility, and they don’t care whether their beliefs are true – they care about how their beliefs makes them feel. When the credibility of one’s religion is put into question it is very uncomfortable for those who don’t value the truth. If more people are losing their faith in Christianity, then Christianity eventually will lose its power and influence in government. This is a power it should never have had in the first place and losing it is what frustrates and scares them most.

When we hear people whining about an attack on religion, we need to realize that what they are really complaining about is the fact that people are waking up and telling them they have no right to force their views on others – because no one is trying to take away their right to worship. There is not a decline in churches or religious programming in America – freedom of religion is very much alive but so is the amount of people who are thinking for themselves and questioning religious claims. Just because religion is losing the argument, it doesn't mean that religious freedom is under attack. 

Why People Become So Fearful of Government and Politicians

We all know someone who distrusts and is even fearful of the government and politicians. It seems no matter what facts are presented to them, they continue to hold these fears despite having good reasons for this fear. It is almost as if they want to be fearful because it provides them some form of comfort.

So why do people tend to be so fearful? Well, there are many variables that can cause this fear such as a lack of education, media, indoctrination of an ideology etc., but another explanation for this fear can be found in the history of human evolution.

Humans evolved to be fearful, for example - if 100,000 years ago a woman was picking berries and heard something in the bushes but didn't think anything of it - that thing she ignored might have been a bear and was likely to be killed (resulting in her genes not getting passed on).

If the same situation happened but this time she became fearful and ran home even though she didn't know what was in the bushes - then she was more likely to live long enough to pass on her genes. What she heard may have just been the wind, but in this situation being scared is better than not being scared - because in evolution it is better for a species to be safe than sorry, otherwise they are likely to go extinct. So those who are paranoid and easily scared are more likely to survive; hence why the world is full of individuals who are fearful of those different from themselves.

This doesn't mean we shouldn't be skeptical of government and politics, it is healthy to question and not blindly follow authority - but we must have a healthy balance.

So how do we find the right balance of being cautious but not too cautious? The key is educating ourselves on the things we don’t understand and admitting that our current understanding could be wrong. Having a better understanding of government and the views of those we feel disagree with us etc., will lessen our fears of the unknown and help us make better decisions going further. Not being educated on issues and simply relying on gut feelings to make decisions often makes the problem worse.

This video of Romney supporters being interviewed at a rally in Ohio is a great example of how ignorance enhances fear. My favorite is “he is a Muslim (President Obama) - his father was a Muslim, his father was an atheist, and his father was a communist." If you don’t understand what is wrong with this statement - please leave a comment below so someone can explain it.

How Science Pages on Facebook Are Influencing Politics

There are many excellent pages on Facebook focusing on science and the most popular of these with over 5.6 million "likes" is I F#@%ing Love Science and its child-friendly mirror page Science is Awesome. Pages such as these are educating people on the discoveries of science and inspiring more people to become interested in this subject. But these pages may be doing more than just educating people on science -they could be the foundation to improving the state of politics in countries such as the United States.

In the past, if one didn't finish high school or didn't continue their education by going to college, they weren't likely to ever be scientifically literate; and even if they did go to college, they may not have been scientifically literate after graduating. Today, we no longer need to go college in order to be scientifically literate, and Facebook makes it easier for those who are passionate about science to share their passion with others. But how can these pages have a positive effect on our politics?

When Astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson was asked if he would run for President he said, "One objective reality is that our government doesn't work, not because we have dysfunctional politicians, but because we have dysfunctional voters. As a scientist and educator, my goal… is not to become President and lead a dysfunctional electorate, but to enlighten the electorate so they might choose the right leaders in the first place."

Citizens often complain about how government is broken and some even think we need to get rid of government altogether. But they forget that government is made up of their own citizens and they are the ones who voted for them to lead the country in the first place. They are equally at fault for the country's problems whether they admit it or not.

Government is not the problem; it is the electorate not being scientifically literate and easily being manipulated into voting for politicians who have no business in government in the first place. If we vote for politicians who don't accept evolution as fact, then we can't be surprised when they try to teach "intelligent design" in the science classroom. If they don't accept the scientific evidence of climate change, then they won't be motivated to solve the problem - because to them, there isn't a problem to solve. And if they do accept the fact that earth is getting warmer but believe their savior will return before it gets too bad, then that is even worse as they may be hoping it gets bad.

There are many countries that would love to have a government that is set up like the United States'. America didn't become a great nation because of a lack of government; it became great due to how the government was structured. But no matter how well a government is set up, if the politicians aren't scientifically literate and are relying on gut feelings or faith when making decisions - then a government will not be able to solve problems effectively.

Science is the best tool we have for understanding our world and as Neil deGrasse Tyson has said, "Scientific literacy is an intellectual vaccine against the claims of charlatans who would exploit ignorance." If voters are becoming more scientifically literate due to these Facebook pages, then the number of voters making better decisions at the voting booth will go up as well. This leads to more politicians in office willing to look at the evidence when making decisions.

If you have not liked pages such as these, make sure you do and share posts you find interesting with your friends! Here are a few other great pages to check out - The Universe, The Earth Story, Science Cosmos, Space.com, The Beauty of Science & Reality, and Universlings for Science and Reason.

Is Heaven Real or a Tool to Control the Masses?

There are many different versions of heaven, and they all have their promises. In a post called How to Manipulate the Public so You Can Rule the World I wrote, “tell them they will receive their rewards after they die. (Another reason why inventing an afterlife will come in handy) You can promise them things they wish they had such as a mansion made of gold, beautiful women, a new attractive body with six pack abs, or even the ruler of their own planet, feel free to get as creative as you’d like on this one just make sure it is something they cannot refuse.” There are many different claims made about heaven, and many religious leaders claim they know the correct way to get there and are eager to let us in on the truth that everyone else has wrong.

The most common way taught to get to heaven is basically by believing in the god which a religion teaches and accepting him into one's life. But if the only way into heaven is to believe and by just believing even a child molester or murderer can get in - then is it really a place one would want to spend all eternity? What does that say about the morality of that God? If being a nice and caring person your whole life isn't a quality heaven is looking for - then it’s not a heaven one should want to go to.

Why would a god demand that the only way into heaven is by allowing other people to control our mind? If Satan were a real figure, this is exactly the same tactic he would use. In general, we are all against the idea of mind control, but when heaven is on the line - it seems most of us prefer it.

If heaven is real, then why does it need an ancient security system such as gates to protect it? Does God have a problem with people breaking in and trying to steal things or is this evidence that ancient men who at the time used big walls and gates to protect their cities came up with the idea of heaven?

It should be obvious to any rational person that heaven is a mythical place used to control people. If religion can promise a better place after death by obeying them today, then they have the ability to control the lives of others. Just as someone can control a mule by dangling a carrot on a stick just beyond its reach, religion dangles heaven in front of wishful thinkers in an attempt to control lives - then scares them with thoughts of hell so they are too fearful to question it.

Not all religious figures are out to deliberately manipulate the masses; many of them have just been manipulated by men themselves who were also manipulated. However, there are many figures that know that what they are teaching is false but it is either too profitable for them to stop or they can’t find a way out (see The Clergy Project).

Let’s find the courage to think for ourselves and challenge our beliefs by asking the tough questions about god/religion. Because if God exists, then there is nothing to fear by asking these questions, and if we find no evidence to support the claims of god, then we'll have a better understanding of the world and our place in it.

If we only get one life, we should strive to live it wanting to know as many true things and as little false things as possible. Because when we believe things which are false, it allows others to easily manipulate us into doing harm.

Religion is often defended by saying it gives people hope, but often it is the harm of religion that causes people to seek hope. And because religion can be used to justify harmful acts, it is important to fight the harmful ideas of religion not with violence but with the power of our arguments, because those with poor arguments are not afraid to use violence.

Are atheists Angry and Intolerant?

Atheists are constantly being told by the religious that they are angry and intolerant. We are always being asked, "why can't you just leave people's beliefs alone, they aren't hurting anyone.” But if they would step out of their bubble for a moment - they would see that religion is the main cause of harm in the world. It is overwhelming the main cause of terrorist attacks, it allows delusional people to think that a god is telling them to kill their children (Google Andrea Yates), it gives people a reason to discriminate, in many states atheists aren't allowed to hold public office, people are hanged for being gay, gays are denied the right to marry those they love, gays are constantly blamed for natural disasters by televangelists, many parents have let their children die of a treatable illness because they prayed instead of taking them to a doctor, children are molested by priest and the church covers it up, and the list goes on and on.

These injustices go on each day without the religious getting upset, but once an atheist points out how ridiculous their religion is – that’s where they draw the line.

Why is it that when atheists point out these injustices and immoral actions that the Bible or the Quran endorse, atheists are accused of being intolerant?

Pointing out that something is immoral doesn't make atheists “rageful” or “intolerant” just as it doesn't make a police officer intolerant for arresting a child molester. But what does it say about them for making this claim?

It says that they value dogmatic beliefs over actions - even when those actions are blatantly immoral (they may not agree with these actions but they aren't willing to stand up against them due to their religion). This demonstrates that religion has nothing to do with morality, but instead is about being submissive to authority and not caring about the injustices that take place underneath the banner of their religion. Yet they still like to claim moral superiority.

Atheists aren't angry or intolerant, most of us just care about equal rights and freedom of speech and even support religious freedom, but we draw the line when religion denies others of their rights.

Confusing a Passion for Reality with a Passion for atheism

Some think that atheism is its own religion, and that atheists are just as guilty of having faith or dogmatic beliefs as those who are religious. But those who make these statements understand that they can’t prove that their god or religion is true so they say atheism is no different and therefore we are on equal ground. Religious people often confuse an atheist’s passion for reality with a passion for atheism which is why they make this claim.

Religious people are proud and passionate about their beliefs, and atheists can be passionate as well but they are not passionate about atheism itself. They are passionate about reality and often proud that they have overcome the brainwashing and indoctrination they endured as a child.

I’m not passionate about atheism; I’m passionate about helping others get unshackled from mind controlling religions and living a life that attempts to understand reality to the best of our understanding. If a religion could demonstrate that their beliefs were a reality, I would accept that religion/god to be true, but we need to follow the evidence.

Religious people say they don’t want help (and I believe them), but those addicted to drugs say the same thing, and we all know they will live a more productive and happy life when off drugs - the same goes for those who are religious. I have never heard of anyone who has lost faith in their religion and is now an atheist who didn't appreciate their new perspective of the world and their place in it, and most have a better appreciation for life and the life of others (but even if this weren't the case - it wouldn't make their religion anymore valid).

Atheism is simply the label that separates us from those who are religious; it is nothing more than that.

Top 10 Popular Memes

This is a list of the top 10 memes posted on the DR Facebook page that have to do with religion.
The link to the post is above so you can easily see what others had to say about it or so you can share your thoughts with others who have commented. Because unlike religious pages, I encourage people who don't agree to comment and won't block those who do (unless they are immature or obnoxious). 

1. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=463700467017261&set=a.279728938747749.92041.218404284880215&type=3&theater 

It is no secret that people who deny evolution can rarely explain it. It could be that people deny evolution because creationism is so easy to learn, or they are afraid to learn it because it may jeopardize their faith. But it is intellectually dishonest to deny something before understanding the claims that are being made. Creationists have to agree with the statement that a 3 year old who can say “God did it” knows more about the origin of life than a biologist studying evolution. This of course is absurd but if you are a creationist you have to admit you believe it. And they wonder why they get labeled as anti-intellectuals.

2. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=457986044255370&set=a.279728938747749.92041.218404284880215&type=3&theater

Christians claim that their God can do anything, so apparently that claim comes with an asterisk which says, “God can do anything *except create a book that is consistent and moral so that everyone will agree on what it says and there won’t be 1000’s of different interpretations.” 

3. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=450663731654268&set=a.279728938747749.92041.218404284880215&type=3&theater

Many religious people think that their faith is correct and that all others are wrong when in reality they all lack good reasons for believing. This can only be explained by brainwashing and not being educated about other faiths and scientific discoveries. If people only know one side, then there is only one conclusion they can come to.

4. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=443180199069288&set=a.279728938747749.92041.218404284880215&type=3&theater

If a god demands people to have faith in his existence, than gullibility would be his main requirement for heaven. Because there are thousands of religions that require faith, so if one faith were correct, how could we possible pick the correct one? We can’t possibly make an informed decision without evidence to guide us. This means our fate would likely be left up to hoping that our parents taught us the right faith and that their parents taught them the right faith and so on. And where our parents lived plays a big role in which faith they were taught. A moral god would not base whether we are sent to heaven or hell on where our parents’ lived and what faith they taught us.

5. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=460491437338164&set=a.279728938747749.92041.218404284880215&type=3&theater

This one was created to show how ridiculous religion is when it’s not something we are taught as a child. If we have been indoctrinated to believe something when we were young, it can be hard to see how absurd it is when we grow older, but all we have to do is look at the claims of other religions to understand how absurd it is.

And if I may go on a little rant, these claims in the meme originate from people who thought heaven was just above the clouds, and with our technology today, we can see billions of light years away and heaven has never been spotted. So to still believe claims such as flying to heaven with or without a horse is completely loony. Even if traveling at the speed of light for the last 2000 years, that still wouldn't be fast enough to get out of our Milky Way galaxy, as it is 100,000 light years across!

6. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=498624890191485&set=a.279728938747749.92041.218404284880215&type=3&theater

Here are just a few of those verses that if followed you might find yourself in prison today. 

Exodus 22:19; Exodus 35:2; Deuteronomy  22:20-21; Deuteronomy 13:7-12; Leviticus 20:13; Leviticus 20:27; Leviticus 20:9; Leviticus 20:10; Leviticus 24:10-16; Exodus 32:26-29; Romans 1:24-32 

7. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=470933999627241&set=a.279728938747749.92041.218404284880215&type=3&theater

Christians seem to think that because the Bible says that their God was the first to exists makes it a fact, but any study of ancient religions will show that there were many gods that came before their own.

Also, there is a mistake in this meme, Odysseus and Romulus were not considered gods which was pointed out in the thread. But the rest were and there were many more that could have been used. But even if there was only one god that predates the god in the Bible, the point still stands.

8. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=478983652155609&set=a.279728938747749.92041.218404284880215&type=3&theater

It seems like this phrase is often used to convince people that they are trustworthy. But what is so trustworthy about believing in things without evidence?

9. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=480099652044009&set=a.279728938747749.92041.218404284880215&type=3&theater

I often think about what kind of reaction religious people would have if humans discovered a planet with intelligent life and they had 100's of different stories/religions that explained their origins and even fought each other over who was right. It obviously seems ridiculous and extremely sad that a species would kill each other over such ideas. We would think, why don't they just test each stories claims to figure out who is right? As rational as that sounds, many humans aren't willing to do that with their own claims about our own origin. So who are we to laugh at them for being so irrational when we are no different.

10. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=485673991486575&set=a.279728938747749.92041.218404284880215&type=3&theater

This one obviously ruffled some Christian feathers. If they are going to be against gay marriage because they think marriage should be only between a man and a woman or because their holy book says it's wrong, fine. We can disagree, and history will show that they are on the wrong side just as those who were once against interracial marriage. But if they are going to be against two people of the same sex who love each other getting married and even go as far as protesting it, then they better be protesting when clergy members are molesting children and demand that they are prosecuted for their crimes! But unfortunately many say nothing because they are afraid it will damage the image of the institution that they follow, and they still try and claim moral superiority at the same time. 

Hopefully some of these ideas will help you when debating religion. However, if you are religious and disagree with any of these, please leave a comment and share your thoughts on why you disagree and why you think your religion/god is real.

The Best atheist, Science, and Skeptic Shirts on the Internet

With atheism on the rise, it is making it easier for closet atheists to come out and be heard, and Smart Apparel is doing what it can to ensure that this movement continues to grow by creating a wide variety of shirts that promote science and reason. Some of the atheist shirts are very subtle promoting skepticism and reason while others will expose you for the godless heathen that you are. 

But Smart Apparel doesn’t just create shirts about atheism and skepticism; many of the shirts focus on philosophy, politics, and of course science. The Recycled Stardust shirt is one of the most popular science shirts on the web. And if you like chemistry—you will love the new line called elemeNtS which focus on the history and facts about each element in the periodic table.
Smart Apparel has a special promotion going on until March 23^rd 2013, offering free shipping when purchasing at least 2 items and you can find the checkout code for this on the Facebook page.

Is Science and Religion Equally Responsible for Harm Caused in the World?

Atheists often mention the harm that religion has caused in the world, and the common rebuttal to this is, “science has done just as much harm”. The arguments against science range from the obvious nuclear weapons to the less obvious oil and gas which create pollution and contribute to climate change. To decide if science and religion are both equally responsible for harm, it is important to look at the claims both are making.

There are thousands of different religions and all of them make different claims, however they all basically make the same claim which is that it improves the quality of our lives. It attempts to do this by giving us moral guidelines to live by, and more often than not the religion claims that these morals are given to us by the creator of the universe.

Science however, doesn't make claims and unlike religion there is only one scientific method and it was created by men to help us better understand the world around us. The scientific method includes: formulating a question, hypothesis, prediction, test, and then analyzing the data. While science doesn't make claims, scientists do, and when claims are made they can be tested by others using this same method.

The difference between both of these is that one is making a claim and the other is a tool to investigate how the universe works. A method for understanding cannot be guilty of harm but those who use science for evil of course can be.

Religion is often used to justify harmful acts, but you can’t say the same for science. Science has never been used to justify acts of violence even though science may have been used to cause the act. It is similar to the argument “guns don’t kill people - people do”; anyone who has used that argument can’t also say that science is as much to blame for harm as religion, because like guns, science doesn't harm people - people who use science for evil do. Science works and it is our responsibility to use it responsibly.

Religion doesn't work, and when it doesn't - religious individuals have used science to do what their god can’t. Those making the argument that science is harmful - know that religion is guilty and project the same blame onto science to somehow justify the continued belief in their own religion. If both are equally guilty, then in their mind there is no reason to question their own position and the debate is a draw. Arguing that science has caused harm in the world is completely illogical, and anytime someone makes this claim - they expose the fact that they don’t value knowledge.