I've been studying atheists, agnostics, XTC fans, and various other types of secular folk out there for quite some time. I've also read most of the anti-religious books that have been published ever since Sam Harris kicked things off with The End of Faith.
And I must say, I've got a few criticisms for my God-denying brothers and sisters out there.
Or perhaps, more specifically, some pointers.
For if you really think that a secular worldview is superior to -- or at least more rational than -- a religious one, and if you really think that the world would be a better place if people didn't believe in supernatural deities, nasty demons, or chubby cherubs, I would suggest a little self-examination. A lot of you out there are making some serious mistakes.
Here they are:
1. Insisting that science can, or will, answer everything. When Bill O'Reilly or your Baptist in-laws ask you pointed questions like: "How did the universe get here?" or "What caused the Big Bang?" or "Why is there something instead of nothing?" don't insist that science has the answer. It may not -- ever. It is far better to simply say that we don't know everything, and may in fact never know everything. There will always be some mysteries out there. Just say: "Yeah -- it is quite a profound puzzle. No one knows the answer. But just because we don't know the answers to everything, doesn't mean we then automatically accept some made-up possibility."
2. Condemning all religion, rather then just the bad aspects thereof. Religion is man-made. It is socially constructed. It grows out of human culture. As such, religion inevitably contains, reflects, and reveals all that is within the realm of humanity: the good and the bad. It is like any other facet of human civilization: some of it is noble and inspirational, much of it is nonsensical and even dangerous. But to condemn it all as poisonous is to be in serious denial.
3. Condemning the Bible as a wretched, silly book, rather than seeing it as a work full of good and insightful things as well. The Bible was written by humans. It has no other source. The evidence is clear on that front. And similar to point two above, given that it is a human creation means that it isn't all good or all bad -- but contains both. Its contents can be downright absurd, flagrantly unscientific, embarrassingly racist and sexist -- not to mention painfully boring. But it also contains brilliant insights into the human condition, fun stories to entertain kids, and heady poetry. It even has solemn stretches of unbridled skepticism and existential angst. Check out Ecclesiastes.
4. Failing to understand and appreciate "cultural religion." There are tens of millions of people out there who are part of a religious tradition, but don't actually believe in the theological teachings thereof. They go to church, they get bar-mitzvahed, they identify with a religious tradition, and yet they are basically atheists, agnostics, or skeptics at heart. Why do they stay religious? They like it. They enjoy the traditions, the songs, the rituals, the community. These people should be seen as allies, not enemies. And every time we condemn their religion as idiocy or wickedness, we simply turn them off. Religion is not a black or white thing. Neither is secularity. There is a lot of gray out there. Deal with it. Appreciate it.
5. Critiquing God as nasty, wicked, and immoral. There is no point in critiquing a deity that doesn't exist. There is no need to catalogue the horrors, hypocrisies, or genocidal tendencies of a god that is imaginary. The reason we don't believe in God is simple: lack of evidence. That's it. Stay focused people.
6. Focusing on arguments against the existence of God, rather than working to make the world a better, more just place. People who believe in irrational things will rarely change their minds by listening to rational arguments. And yet atheists expel so much sweat constructing philosophical, scientific, or logical arguments against the existence of God. Think this will change people's minds? Perhaps. But only rarely. What really lowers levels of religiosity, the world-over, is living in a society where life is decent and secure. When people have enough to eat, shelter, healthcare, elder-care, child-care, employment, peacefulness, democracy -- that's when religion really starts to lose its grip.
7. Arguing about morality in the abstract. Don't get sucked into arguments about "Can we be good without God?" Don't try to convince theists that secular morality is actually more rational and, well, more moral. Rather, just insist that morality is ultimately revealed and shown through human action and deed. And we can plainly see that the least religious countries and states are generally the most moral, peaceful, and humane, while the most religious countries and states are the most crime-ridden, corrupt, and socially troubled. End of discussion.
8. Not having more kids. The sociological evidence is clear: religious parents tend to have religious kids and secular parents tend to have secular kids. The demographic data is unambiguous: religious people have far more kids than secular people, with religious fundamentalists having the most kids of all. And the highly religious societies on earth tend to have the highest birthrates, and the most secular nations have among the lowest. So if you really want a godless world, better get busy.
9. Always making top ten lists. It is so "Old Testament." Let's start going with top nine lists instead. Nine is divisible by 3. And 3, they say, is a magic number.
Atheism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
American Atheists | Welcome Free Thinkers
Atheists head for high schools with new clubs for Godless teens
All of the points made in this article appeal to rational, thoughtful people who understand that mans' nature is not a reflection of them individually. This is the hardest of all concepts for the irrational to accept...that the universe is not defined by them.
It woudl seem that nature will have to make a great leap in the evolution of man before the species can be considered rational even in the majority.
2)We should therefore accept murderers and child molesters into our society because not everything they do is bad? Religion teaches people to be content rather than strive to be better, to allow an book or a single man to think for them, and to put faith in something that isn't real rather than strive to accomplish things on their own.
3)The Bible IS a terrible book full of atrocities and horrors, incongruities and contradictions, and plagiarisms.
4)Cultural religion has been responsible for most of the world shutting itself off from others, deaths and genocide, and general hate and unrest.
5)When a politician does something bad, no matter how great his policies are, he instantly loses most of his support. God may not exist, but his influence is certainly felt in the world.
6)I once was a pastor. It was mostly the rational arguments that got me out. There are some people teetering on the line who need to see the logical arguments in order to make the best choice.
7)So, what you're saying is that I should allow people to say that I'm of the Devil and I can't be a good person unless I become a Christian?
10. Don't assume all atheists are the same. Like all movements there will be firebrands and diplomats and our movement needs them both.
The assumption that religious believers are inherently stupid is a slander that discredits atheism and unnecessarily antagonizes people. I think we all know religious folk who are blazingly smart and deeply well-informed about their faith. To characterize them as a bunch of ignorant hillbillies only serves to make atheists look like closed-minded snobs. Not the best way to convince people of the rightness of their cause....
I make a living doing science and I can tell you that the average secularist/atheist knows about as much about science as the average churchgoer knows about theology.
At the risk of quoting the Bible, I think we need to be careful not to throw the first stone.
But as you state, extending that to all believers would certainly be wrong.
1. Don't blow things and people up.
2. Stop trying to convince others.
3. Stop talking about drinking blood and eating flesh..
Such a list is an awful mischaracterization of religious folks, just like your list mischaracterizes us atheists.
"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent .
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?"
-- Epicurus (Greek philosopher, BC 341-270)
If Zuckerman's list were printed on toilet paper, it would actually serve a function.
2)atheists know more about religion then the religious -recent poll.
3)we see it as a book, thats it -just a book.
4)see #2
5)Sodom and Gomorrah, the great flood -god loved to kill people
6)religious people are the ones spending all of their time trying to convert people not atheists!
7)agreed,
8)if atheists aren't having more kids then why is it the fastest growing religious group?
I'd like to focus on #7 and make a suggestion to my fellow Atheists;
Let the religionist community claim "morality" and let the community of reason RECLAIM "ethics".
Is it ethical to terrify a child with adherence to one way of life?
I concur.
2. Modern Era dont need any Religions. When human beings was living as small communities / tribes , religion was a necessity. Nowadays - Religion is Bullshit !
3.Bible and all such Books are so.. Because , it is written for the people lived during ancient times, and with the limited knowldege they have at that time.
Tell them to update those socalled holly books to the modern times.. then we can consider..
4. Can appreciate culture.. why not.. But Can't do the same with Religion.
5. No comments, as invisible and nonexistent look alike.
6. It is so because, the common man is being cheating time and again in the name of god. the religions keep cheating the common / poor man by threatening him- showing the god's power... bla bla bla..
7. It is the Religious people who raise the case of morality. they are insisting that without Religion, there wont be morality in this world !
8.Less kids statergey is good for the entire world.
Not all religious people feel that there's no morality without religion.
The atheist are lost and find solace as a group, much like Churchianits themselves.
Thanks for speakig of the "red letters" or word of Christ. Atheist have no clue of what he said. It takes about 40 minutes to real through only the "red letters" about the 3 or 4th time. And these pretending intellectuals cling to your 10 issues from a Survey Course they took in college. Imagine studying the American forefathers and not reading Jefferson, Adam, and Madison. Just believing in their name and the supposed jist of what they said.