Question for Atheists or Agnostics out there

Why am I so passionate about this? I know I can only answer that question for myself but I guess I'm curious as to others main reason for even being part of this 'group' and speaking up?

I guess I am passionate about logic, reason & especially science. I think that organized religion could be the destruction of the human race. I don't want creationism & Intelligent design to be taught in science classes. I don't want to be blown to smithereens because I don't believe what the terrorists do. I think that yes, the religion I grew up in is different than what the terrorists hold dear, but the way of life we are used to ( you cannot get in the way of other's religious beliefs) has spawned what we see today, it is now the way it is because we allowed it to happen. Allowed it to happen by not wanting to infringe on religious beliefs, we tip toe around them. why?

I don't think many of my friends & relatives can understand why I am an atheist and feel it is important to talk about religion & god. They do believe it has been, and is a positive thing in their lives.

I am not in the least bit bitter about my catholic upbringing. I went to catholic school, did the sacraments as I was supposed to and went to church occasionally. It wasn't a strict catholic upbringing and it was/is a great community of people who I believe cared about one another, especially when the shit hit the fan in someone's life and they needed help. Not that atheists wouldn't do the same for their neighbors.

Some of my family do think that my catholic upbringing gave me structure and kept me in line. I disagree. My parents & teachers kept me in line. I used to be scared to miss church, but I was scared of the priests and teachers more than god. I used to visit my grandmom on the weekends and I actually had to get the priest at that church to sign something to prove I went. I did what I was told. No big deal.

My dad is an atheist and grew up catholic also but he never said anything to me about god or how  religion was ridiculous to him. He let me grow up and figure it out for myself. We are very like minded. He is the only human I know in the flesh who has read the God Delusion and other books of the kind. He gave me Letter to A Christian Nation on a visit. I am so happy to have someone in my life that is on the same page as me.

I don't even know where I'm going with this but just writing what comes to mind at the moment.

Why even discuss it? Why not just leave those with religious belief alone? This is kind of what I think I'm being asked.

It is an interesting topic, religion and god, besides that I feel everyone else can say what they believe and its accepted but my views are looked at as 'bad' in some way. I do tend to hurt people's feelings in the process of putting my thoughts out there. Another question I get is 'why would I want to make someone feel bad about wanting to see their relatives who passed away', when they too die? Why would I want to burst someone's bubble?

Thing is, I really equate this whole thing with the movie The Matrix. Keanu was asked if he wanted to take the red or blue pill. The blue pill would keep him in the dark and in his bubble as he knew it. The red pill would bring him into reality. No matter how bad reality really ended up being. He took the red pill.

But there was that one guy, Cypher, who after knowing reality wanted to go back to not knowing. It was better, he thought, and in the movie it seemed so (reality really sucked). I feel that most people kind of know reality but the bubble is better & easier so that is where they want to stay.

Reality is that we all are going to die. My grandfather said some things a few days before he died. Something like, you can't escape it, everyone will be here at some point. He knew it, I know it..we all do. I think that religious belief helps people deal with their death and the death of loved ones. I know that is no great idea to be writing that, but maybe they want to stay in that place, fuck reality and what really makes sense. Why do I want to ruin it for them by trying making them really think about why they believe what they do? I don't know. We can't shove the red pill down their throats.

Why not let them just be in the reality they want to be in? 

Its really not fair to the new people, meaning the children brought into the world. Its not doing them any good service to believe in god. I don't think so.

Just looking for other thoughts...

ok, off to watch a scary movie, my escape from reality!

Comments

[HumanistDad]

I have no problem with people who want to live in a 'religious reality'. I DO have a problem with them trying to impose their fantasies into the 'real world'. As long as they keep their beliefs personal - and impose them only on themselves - there is no issue.

Thanks to Richard Dawkins (and Dan Dennett) for pointing out how important it is to protect children from their parents' beliefs as well!