Should religion be eliminated

Should religion be eliminated?

  • Yes

    Votes: 6 14.6%
  • No

    Votes: 35 85.4%

  • Total voters
    41
I don't really think it's possible to eliminate religion, per se. Religion (in a very broad sense) plays some fundamental role in what it means to be human. Specific religions though, and especially specific institutions of religion, inevitably change over time in any case, and some will fade and new ones will form.

I think the world would be better if many existing religious organizations and institutions were to change pretty dramatically, and I tend to support various reform movements within religions. But I think the moral and human costs of trying to eliminate religion via authoritarian/totalitarian regimes (a la the USSR) are definitely far worse than the ills I associate with those institutions, so I don't believe it's a good social/political goal to try to eliminate them.
 
There is no ‘opposition to religion’ on USMB.

No one advocates for religion to be ‘eliminated.’
If it is bad as everyone says it is the logical conclusion would be to eliminate it. Right? Am I missing something?
 
No one advocates for religion to be ‘eliminated.’

Not exactly true. I advocate for the religion of statism is to be eliminated every day in some way or another.

The state is the most destructive deity of all deities, hated or loved.
 
Acknowledging the fact that there is no ‘god’ as perceived by theists, and that religion and ‘god’ are creations of man is not to ‘oppose’ religion.

Indeed, those free from religion are among the greatest advocates of religious expression and liberty; those free from religion will always be the first to defend religious liberty against attacks by government or unwarranted restrictions by the state.
 
I don't really think it's possible to eliminate religion, per se. Religion (in a very broad sense) plays some fundamental role in what it means to be human. Specific religions though, and especially specific institutions of religion, inevitably change over time in any case, and some will fade and new ones will form.

I think the world would be better if many existing religious organizations and institutions were to change pretty dramatically, and I tend to support various reform movements within religions. But I think the moral and human costs of trying to eliminate religion via authoritarian/totalitarian regimes (a la the USSR) are definitely far worse than the ills I associate with those institutions, so I don't believe it's a good social/political goal to try to eliminate them.
What reform movements do you support?
 
Acknowledging the fact that there is no ‘god’ as perceived by theists, and that religion and ‘god’ are creations of man is not to ‘oppose’ religion.

Indeed, those free from religion are among the greatest advocates of religious expression and liberty; those free from religion will always be the first to defend religious liberty against attacks by government or unwarranted restrictions by the state.
I think it has moved beyond that.
 
No one advocates for religion to be ‘eliminated.’

Not exactly true. I advocate for the religion of statism is to be eliminated every day in some way or another.

The state is the most destructive deity of all deities, hated or loved.
Thanks. While I agree that political affiliation has taken a religious fervor, that isn't quite what I am talking about. Unless of course you think there is a specific interference from a specific religion that should be singled out and eliminated.
 
What reform movements do you support?

Maybe "support" implies too much. I'm not actively involved in any religious groups any more. I used to be more involved but gradually drifted away. But I mean for example that I used to spend a certain amount of time trying to persuade fellow Christians to adopt less fundamentalistic views on any number of religious topics, from the nature of the inspiration in biblical texts (and hermaneutics in general) to various ideas about salvation and the goals of a Christian life, and how to interpret changes in Christian theology over time and adapt them to the modern world. I'm more familiar with Christianity than other religions, but I guess all I'm basically saying is that I approve of efforts made by religious adherents to adopt versions of their religions that I think are more coherent with modern understandings of science and enlightenment values. Some would summarize that as saying that I support more liberal, and less conservative, versions of religion, but I think there's some possibility of interpreting "liberal" here to mean less serious, or in relation to the way those labels are used in US politics, and that doesn't seem entirely right to me.
 
Unfortunately, there are far too many theists who, as a consequence of their arrogance and hate, seek to codify their religious dogma into secular law in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment and the Framers’ mandate that church and state remain separate.

It is perfectly justified, therefore, to oppose the arrogance, hate, bigotry, and racism many theists work to propagate through force of law.

To oppose that arrogance, hate, bigotry, and racism is not to ‘oppose’ religion; rather, it is to oppose the evil theists seek to advance in the name of their religion.
 
There's quite a bit of opposition to religion here. I am just wondering how many of you people believe religion should be eliminated.

You mean by force? Of course not. A society that would even consider such a thing has far deeper problems than religion.
 
Thanks. While I agree that political affiliation has taken a religious fervor, that isn't quite what I am talking about. Unless of course you think there is a specific interference from a specific religion that should be singled out and eliminated.

Well, all men are created...endowed by their Creator. Our tradional philosophy of governance is religious in nature. As such ours is a nation which is a haven for all religions.

As far as specific interference, no, just the religion of statism.

As you likely know, ding, religion is merely the practice of one's faith.
 
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History is replete with examples of the state attempting to eliminate various creations of human culture – such as language, nationality, and religion; needless to say all such efforts have failed.

In fact, attempts to eliminate a language, nationality, or religion have always resulted in those creations of human culture flourishing.
 
Acknowledging the fact that there is no ‘god’ as perceived by theists, and that religion and ‘god’ are creations of man is not to ‘oppose’ religion.

Indeed, those free from religion are among the greatest advocates of religious expression and liberty; those free from religion will always be the first to defend religious liberty against attacks by government or unwarranted restrictions by the state.

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.
 

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