Seriously? It’s not your standard “these are my wives at the Mount of the Rock” photo?

“However, on religious issues there can be little or no compromise. There is no position on which people are so immovable as their religious beliefs. There is no more powerful ally one can claim in a debate than Jesus Christ, or God, or Allah, or whatever one calls this supreme being.But like any powerful weapon, the use of God’s name on one’s behalf should be used sparingly. The religious factions that are growing throughout our land are not using their religious clout with wisdom.They are trying to force government leaders into following their position 100 percent. If you disagree with these religious groups on a particular moral issue, they complain, they threaten you with a loss of money or votes or both. I’m frankly sick and tired of the political preachers across this country telling me as a citizen that if I want to be a moral person, I must believe in “A,” “B,” “C,” and “D.” Just who do they think they are? And from where do they presume to claim the right to dictate their moral beliefs to me? And I am even more angry as a legislator who must endure the threats of every religious group who thinks it has some God-granted right to control my vote on every roll call in the Senate. I am warning them today: I will fight them every step of the way if they try to dictate their moral convictions to all Americans in the name of “conservatism.”

I’m not any sort of conservative, or a politician but I feel very similarly.

And again, notice that I haven’t said that this makes all religious people bad or anything.

Notice that I haven’t really attacked anyone personally. What I have done is more akin to attacking communism instead of attacking a person directly.

My personal beliefs do not liberate me when I live amongst religious people who wish to create religious laws here and there. The same is true for millions of others, all held hostage in theocratic regimes and sometimes political like in North Korea, a complete failed state. Now, if I say that NK is a failed state its hardly that I’m attacking all of its people, but again its rather about the ideology and its leadership.

In Ireland for instance there now is a blasphemy law. This assaults free speech and therefore freedom of thought. How far will it go, can a journalist even report how a priest has molested children?

A goal.. I suppose its the same as for many others.. I’ll quote someone instead to save a bit time:
“Meanwhile, the writer ignores the other essential fact of contemporary religiosity: that it seeks to impose itself, and its values, on me, and you, and everyone else in the public square. That’s why all the “new atheists” have come out of the woodwork. Thank God. – Ellis Weiner

I’m not anti-religious to the extent that I wish for it to be banned. I don’t even expect religion to ever die out, as I think it might something very natural which developed through natural selection. As a sort of primitive coping-mechanism. I think however that its time we outgrew it.

But I would support secularization at any place, preferably through peaceful changes (not the barrel of a gun, where the goal often is something else).
I don’t always comment on religion btw, I’m mostly into politics and music online. It often humors me how one can make very harsh comments on political viewpoints and no one lifts an eyebrow, but if you mention religion all hell seems to break lose if you pardon the pun.

I guess part of the reason I’ve begun to speak against religion is personal, I’m simply tired of hearing that I’m immoral or that I will go to hell because I don’t buy into something which lacks evidence.

I try to live after this:
“A wise man proportions his belief to the evidence.” David Hume

If god exists he has a VERY abusive relationship with his own creation.

Some good things with religion:
1. It can give solace, meaning and guidance
2. Some people actually need it to behave more morally
3. A lot of people give aid because of their faith
4. Its a cultural thing, as well as social

It liberated millions.

Many say that these Burka’s and such are cultural. That may be true, but it was adopted by religious people and now has become something of their own (just like pagan ritiuals and holidays became christian) There’s a strong urge from the religious (not all by any means, but if you read the scriptures..) to control women… and I strongly resent that.

No one would today accept Christianity if it was started today (well few). Because we know so much more today.

Y’know, if they were Japanese we’d all be going “Cool! Ninjas!”

You can keep being open-minded about religions then, because the burqa is not a prerequisite of islam, but rather a cultural thing.

(Kidding. If it makes you feel any better, I’m British and by your standards should have bad teeth, a ridiculously effete manner and a passionate longing for tea and cricket, which describes pretty much nobody that I have ever met in my life. Racial stereotypes suck.)

Plus, this is basically the entire His Dark Materials trilogy in twenty seconds. I highly recommend it to basically everyone.