Close the harbors
Getting god-believers to "see the light" is going to be tough, but somehow it's got to be done. We atheists can't change their minds for them, of course, but perhaps we can give them ALL the reasons to change... and where logic doesn't work or if ridicule fails, what course remains to us but to let those at sea remain asea - close the harbors.
I no longer engage religionist in their favorite subjects: the truth of the bible, intelligent design and creationism, school prayer, the power of prayer, divine hope and love, the wrongs of gay rights, god given morality, afterlife... and, of course, there are loads of others. Rather, I remind them that these topics have all been aired time and again, and by people far smarter and wiser than most of us, only to arrive at the same result: religious beliefs and Judeo-Christian values are full of shit. 'No further discourse is necessary,' I tell them, 'and its high time for some serious decision-making on their parts.'
I'm all for what's been happening across the country, for holding religion's feet to the fire whenever they're caught "bending" the church/state separation laws, and for admonishing them at every turn for expecting special privilege or recognition for their beliefs, holidays for example. I'm for shaming them and rubbing their noses in the messes they've made by supporting pedophiles or by allowing kids to die without medical attention because their wacko parents decided to 'faith heal' them. I'm for the atheist ad campaigns that are ruffling-up so many believing feathers. These kinds of actions are more than merely helpful for causing change, they're causing it. Yet more is needed.
We must, no doubt, keep communication with religionists open, but make no mistake, that openness shouldn't be, and must not include, affirmation for their beliefs; rather, it must be instructional, dictatorial, and demanding on how religionists need to rethink their world view, and on how they must adapt to living in secular society according to secularist rules. God-beliefs can no longer be tolerated. That time has passed. Build a museum of the church. Hang Jesus up to dry.
I'll quote the words said by a good friend, "Being religious must become unacceptable in the same way that being racist is unacceptable."
Close the harbors to those still at sea... let then drown in their silly beliefs.
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Getting god-believers to "see the light" is going to be tough, but somehow it's got to be done. We atheists can't change their minds for them, of course, but perhaps we can give them ALL the reasons to change... and where logic doesn't work or if ridicule fails, what course remains to us but to let those at sea remain asea - close the harbors.
I'm all for what's been happening across the country, for holding religion's feet to the fire whenever they're caught "bending" the church/state separation laws, and for admonishing them at every turn for expecting special privilege or recognition for their beliefs, holidays for example. I'm for shaming them and rubbing their noses in the messes they've made by supporting pedophiles or by allowing kids to die without medical attention because their wacko parents decided to 'faith heal' them. I'm for the atheist ad campaigns that are ruffling-up so many believing feathers. These kinds of actions are more than merely helpful for causing change, they're causing it. Yet more is needed.
We must, no doubt, keep communication with religionists open, but make no mistake, that openness shouldn't be, and must not include, affirmation for their beliefs; rather, it must be instructional, dictatorial, and demanding on how religionists need to rethink their world view, and on how they must adapt to living in secular society according to secularist rules. God-beliefs can no longer be tolerated. That time has passed. Build a museum of the church. Hang Jesus up to dry.
I'll quote the words said by a good friend, "Being religious must become unacceptable in the same way that being racist is unacceptable."
Close the harbors to those still at sea... let then drown in their silly beliefs.
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