I don’t disagree that all religions are based on mythologies. I just don’t think because they are that that’s a significant criticism. Fundamentalists think their mythologies are literal truth, and that’s certainly idiotic, toxic, and dangerous, but not all sects/adherents are fundamentalists. The mythologies that are the basis of world religions aren’t inherently good or bad, but are mixed, and depending on interpretation and which aspects are focused on can serve a more or less positive role. If they focus on the sexist, discriminatory and violent aspects of some mythologies they’ll be toxic, if they focus on the more universalist, anti-discriminatory, anti-violent aspects of the same mythologies they can work for good.
How would we know? There’s never been a world like, and fantasies have a way of overlooking things that show up in reality. It feels like that might be true, but maybe the world would really be no different or worse, with other crap being used to divide us.
I do not agree with other aspects of his life, but I do agree with this one quote by America’s 1st president and founding father, George Washington.
“Religious controversies are always productive of more acrimony and irreconcilable hatreds than those which spring from any other cause.”—George Washington
I believe that the world would be a better place without religions (like Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Mormonism) and their scriptures, that inject into this world rigid religious dogma, characterized by discriminatory, sexist and violent rhetoric, encased within the before mentioned religion’s extant scriptures.
That is my opinion, you may disagree, that’s fine.
It would be a much less complicated world without religion.
Especially for LGBTQ pre-adolescents and teens. It should be considered child abuse and a crime in all 50 states and U.S. territories, for conversion therapy to be used (with or without religion) in trying to change the biologically predetermined at birth, sexual orientation of pre-adolescents and teens.
Map of states that have banned conversion therapy.
Oregon becomes third state to ban conversion therapy.
Oregon became the third state in the country to prohibit the practice of conversion therapy for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth when Gov. Kate Brown (D) signed the ban into law on Monday.
Brown, the nation’s first openly bisexual governor, was widely expected to authorize the bill, which prohibits mental health professionals and social workers from performing therapy that tries to change the sexual orientation of children. The American Psychological Association highly opposes gay conversion therapy, and the practice is widely condemned because it can lead to anxiety, depression, substance abuse and suicide among young LGBT people
Or North vs. South, which wasn’t about religion. Or the Chinese Revolution. Or the Russian Civil War. Or the famine in the Ukraine. Or Pol Pot’s depredations. Economics, the dismal science, puts Religious Wars to shame.
“Washington didn’t live to see the vi vs. emacs, space vs. tabs., Pepsi vs. Coke.”
Who else didn’t see…?
The millions or billions of people who have been killed throughout the history of this earth, to the present day, over religious conflicts and beliefs–who weren’t given the opportunity to see and fulfill their life’s journey.
Sure. Most are perfectly sane. Some, like Clegg mentioned above, have no actual expertise or affiliation, and exist in the same general ecosphere as conspiracy theorists and new agers. A few, like Lionel Jeffries at CCNY, are insane hatemongers despite being legitimately credentialed and tenured. While loud, and very attractive to the naive and gullible, they aren’t of much consequence (though a PITA to the schools that mistakenly hired them).
