From: cb366@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Mark B. Bendiksen)
Newsgroups: alt.atheism
Subject: Re: Dangerous Drug (Was: Re: We'll all burn in hell!)
Date: 16 Oct 1992 16:06:20 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


Alan Harder writes:

>Dateline: the world.                          
                                                
>A dangerous drug continues to affect the minds of people all over the
>world.  This drug is known to have caused wars, motivated people to
>sabotage, terrorism, and torture, and is considered extremely
>addictive.  The drug causes people to lose their sense of control over
>their own destiny.                                
>                                           
>Yes, the drug Religion is loose on the streets, and should be
>considered dangerous.  Just say no to this scourge upon humanity.
>                                                               
>Some signs that your loved one may be on Religion:
>
>Talking to an invisible person with head bowed and hands folded.
>Speaking in unintelligible languages.
>Sending money for no reason to someone on television.
>Disappearing for several hours on Sunday mornings.

Okay, here we go again.

I vowed in my two posts ("Hello All!" and "Thanks Atheists") to
attempt to discuss logically any issues which divide athesits
and believers without directly attempting to save anyone's
soul and without ranting or raving. As a result I am conversing
in intelligent dialogues via E-Mail with several of you.

Your post may appear effective on the surface comparing
Religion to drugs, but it is just another blatant, empty attack on
believers of all faiths.

>A dangerous drug continues to affect the minds of people all over the
>world.  This drug is known to have caused wars, motivated people to
>sabotage, terrorism, and torture, and is considered extremely
>addictive.

A good opening paragraph, and one I can agree with to a certain
degree.

>Yes, the drug Religion is loose on the streets, and should be
>considered dangerous.  Just say no to this scourge upon humanity.

This is where you begin to lose credibility. Religion is not in and
of itself dangerous. There are countless believers of many faiths
in our world who quietly and reverently worship their god of choice
and do not start wars or torture people. Their faith gives them a
moral code, and a being to direct their worship to. It sounds to me
like you are saying no to people having the choice to worship whoever
or whatever they want. Shouldn't people be able to do that? I'm sure
you don't want anyone telling you that you must "just say no to
atheism, a scourge upon humanity". Just because you do not see
the need to "talk to an invisible person" does not mean that it's not
helpful for other people

>Some signs that your loved one may be on Religion:
>
>Talking to an invisible person with head bowed and hands folded.
>Speaking in unintelligible languages.
>Sending money for no reason to someone on television.
>Disappearing for several hours on Sunday mornings.

Even being a devout Christian, I must admit that's a clever
closing. However, just because it's somewhat scintillating
does not mean it contains any substance.


Mark B. Bendiksen
cb366@freenet.cwru.edu
-- 
"If we don't get some cool rules ourselves, pronto,
 We'll just be bogus, too."-- Dr. Jeff Spicolli
Newsgroups: alt.atheism