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> I've never quite understood the predilection towards hatred of the subject of religion, and the persistent nagging claim that it must be eradicated. Most of

> I've never quite understood the predilection towards hatred of the subject of religion, and the persistent nagging claim that it must be eradicated. Most of the really strident atheists and anti-theists grew up in very oppressive religious environments. The parenting of American evangelicals in particular can get pretty horrifying - not to say that it always does, but it can. It's easy to say that these atheists are going overboard, but bear in mind that often they grew up in the worst of the worst. I used to be like you and not understand why they were so loud about it, but then I realized that was partially because I've always been non-religious (my parents just didn't care) and I have not had their experience. I still don't think they're right-- my own attitude toward religion, which I think is the "most correct" one for an atheist to take, is total disinterest and not even taking any negative view-- but I see how they got there.

mmjaa 10y ago
I see every religion as an opportunity to claim the founding of a new one. You know, like software; i.e. an expression of the infinite principle. So most of the hassle is just cultural, in my opinion, and if religion is killed, culture will be next, i.e. literature, i.e. the idea beyond the horizon, a sunset on the human mind and imagine and desire to conquer the universe, infinite and finite and all the space between.
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kirse 10y ago
very oppressive religious environments Arguably the definition of "oppressed" has shifted these days. The vast majority of these "oppressive religious" upbringings that supposedly turned someone atheist rarely sound like Frederick Douglass' autobiography and sound more like a lot of angsty venting over some over-protective parents. At least for Christian households, Paul writes about this to parents in Colossians -- "Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged." -- but the blame for creating a strident atheist is generally on both sides of the relationship. It's firstly on parents for being overbearing, but also on the adult children who fail to forgive and honor their parents as they mature... The ironic thing is that the atheists who are unable to forgive and are still deeply resentful/angry about their oppressive religious upbringing are the ones who are still chained to the very thing from which they wanted to be free. Not that I wish anyone would be free from truly understanding the gospel of grace, but simply a matter of fact.

mmjaa 10y ago

I see every religion as an opportunity to claim the founding of a new one. You know, like software; i.e. an expression of the infinite principle. So most of the hassle is just cultural, in my opinion, and if religion is killed, culture will be next, i.e. literature, i.e. the idea beyond the horizon, a sunset on the human mind and imagine and desire to conquer the universe, infinite and finite and all the space between.

deleted 10y ago

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kirse 10y ago

very oppressive religious environments Arguably the definition of "oppressed" has shifted these days. The vast majority of these "oppressive religious" upbringings that supposedly turned someone atheist rarely sound like Frederick Douglass' autobiography and sound more like a lot of angsty venting over some over-protective parents. At least for Christian households, Paul writes about this to parents in Colossians -- "Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged." -- but the blame for creating a strident atheist is generally on both sides of the relationship. It's firstly on parents for being overbearing, but also on the adult children who fail to forgive and honor their parents as they mature... The ironic thing is that the atheists who are unable to forgive and are still deeply resentful/angry about their oppressive religious upbringing are the ones who are still chained to the very thing from which they wanted to be free. Not that I wish anyone would be free from truly understanding the gospel of grace, but simply a matter of fact.