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.