I'm jumping back to three pages ago only to address Dooj, as this conversation seems to be definitively ended.
Boredalt wrote:
It only matters what you think they are, I suppose. There is a HUGE portion of these people who probably think you're an idiot and a terrible person because of your lack of faith. You don't care what any of them think. They don't care what you think.
I care what they think insofar as what they think negatively affects the lives of others. The reason I so despise religion is because it's a giant hindrance, and it's crippling to humanity. And no, it doesn't only matter what they think they are, because their mistaken assumptions that they are good people doing god's work is leading to the deaths of their dependents. Fuck them. By no definition are they decent human beings.
Boredalt wrote:
Sweet. We can start with religion, then we can start legislating against other forms of freedoms and thinking we don't agree with.
In a perfect world, neither religion nor conservatives would exist.
My Utopia aside, I'm well aware that legislating away something as divisive would only encourage true believers to become even crazier, since they positively thrive on false victimization. As Aestu said later, though, I definitely think it's long past time religious institutions got saddled with the same rules affecting everyone else. They should be paying taxes. They should be subject to the same freedom-of-assembly rules and restrictions on defamation/libel/slander as everyone else. There should be unassailable separation between church and state, and that means no more public officials swearing on the bible because that shit has no place in politics.
Boredalt wrote:
I completely understand everyone's disagreement, because I don't agree with these people. However, I personally know a LOT of people who have strong religious beliefs. These friends are from various faiths, including Catholics, Mormons, Methodists, Lutherans, Episcopalians, Baptists, Muslims and even a couple of JW's. I have had spirited discussions with many of them due to my disdain for organized religion. We don't agree, but they aren't idiots. They aren't bad people. They are some of the most intelligent, caring, helpful, productive people you could ever meet. Lumping all of these people into one pot of religious insanity is like saying all attorneys are over-litigious, douche bag liars out to cheat everyone in sight out of every cent they can get. Heeey... maybe after we legislate religion into oblivion, we can use the same tactic to rid ourselves of lawyers.
They aren't idiots,
except when it comes to belief. They aren't bad people,
except when religion interferes with morality. At the end of the day, they believe in the same unprovable, invisible sky being that the lunatics protesting funerals and the mad bombers believe in. So long as they continue to be religious, I'll continue to lump them in the same pot of religious insanity.
And let's be honest, only lawyers write legislation. Do you think we'd be silly enough to outlaw ourselves?
If destruction exists, we must destroy everything.
Shuruppak Yuratuhl Slaad Shrpk Breizh
