It is a well-known fact that religion isn’t either necessary for a moral life or, indeed, even a very good source of morals. A further idea of illustrating this point just popped into my head.
Consider the infamous Catholic kid-bothering priests, like Brendan Smyth. Consider the fact that they were the seemingly most religious and sacred persons around in their societies. Then consider what they did.
Which of the two resulting alternatives do you rather take: That these outwardly most holy men were liars and didn’t believe the hellfire and post-mortem justice they preached, or that their godly beliefs were of a form that found raping children acceptable?
Consider that.
The plain truth is that religion doesn’t, on the average, make people any better. Some it helps, some it just hides, some it gives power to do great good or terrible ill, but on the average in doesn’t make people any better. As it isn’t true either, why keep it? Let it pass into the company of hankering for a Habsburg king and spotting ufos — an anachronistic hobby for the slightly eccentric ones.
Masks of Eris 
March 19, 2008 at 11:37
I’ve recently fell out of Christianity, a notion I never thought would ever happen although I’ve always had my personal grievances with institutionalized religion. Chalk it up to the college experience I guess, moving out of a sheltered, predominantly Catholic community back in the Lone Star state to the sunny, diverse streets of Westwood. I gave up religion because I no longer needed it and I often wonder if I ever did. I didn’t want to live by the strictures and moral constraints of an institution I didn’t believe in, I’d rather believe in myself to live according to my own set of ethics. But I find myself missing the comfort of religion, particularly the idea of a benevolent force righting wrongs unbeknownst to me; giving reason for the inexplicable and seemingly random. For a lot of people, it provides them a reason to act better, to go against the natural compulsion of selfishness and indulgence. For others, it provides a medium for endurance and “well wishing” for loved ones (ie praying for your family and friends, etc). And there are the sad lot who use religion to excuse their effed up behavior. Regardless, religion is kind of like everything else, it helps some, it’s used by some. Eradicating the idea of religion may seem very progressive in our age (and I to a certain extent have that leaning), but you can’t argue that it helps SOME people, and that provides enough reason to keep it around in my book. As for the people who use it to further their own selfish, messed up ends, they would’ve ended up doing it without religion anyway, latching on to some other notion, ideology, or personal demon.
Sorry, this post was longer than intended but I just kinda went with it. Cheers.
March 19, 2008 at 13:29
Well said, and thanks for your comment.
(Let those that can suspend their disbelief keep their comfort of a thought of a silent and capricious god; for us, there is enough comfort in friends, love, beauty and regular bowel movements.)