Religion and Freedom?

[Thorne]

I ran across this article (http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/paula_kirby/2011/02/religion_the_ultimate_tyranny.html)today and thought it brought some interesting ideas to the fore.

A couple of quotes which really caught my eye:

"If you value freedom, you should flee from religion as the antelope flees the lion. Religion is the very antithesis of freedom, insisting on our complete subjugation to the unachievable demands of an invisible but supremely powerful overlord."

"There is no aspect of our lives, no matter how intimate, which religion does not unblushingly insist on its right to control."

"True freedom requires us to liberate ourselves from the tyranny of religion as well as from the tyranny of brutal earthly regimes."

I'm sure few here will be surprised that I enjoyed the article, or that I agree with the writer's statements almost without exception. What I found surprising was that the such a blatantly anti-religion article would be found in a major American news outlet, the Washington Post.

Anyone care to discuss this? Pros OR cons?

[anna.kitty]

both my Master and my self are very outspoken atheists... that said i have to agree with the author of that article (from what ive read so far) and i feel that it is a good thing that FINALLY we are getting to the point that we are able to openly discuss the pitfalls of religion and the very real harm that it has caused to the totality of the human community... especially the LGBT community and its auxiliary communities... like the BDsM community.

[Thorne]

i feel that it is a good thing that FINALLY we are getting to the point that we are able to openly discuss the pitfalls of religion and the very real harm that it has caused to the totality of the human community... especially the LGBT community and its auxiliary communities... like the BDsM community.
Very true. In the past, saying such things, and especially writing them down, would have been likely to get the author executed, generally after a long period of torture (and not the good kind, either). But I feel that the worst atrocities of religions, at least the major dogmatic religions, are their virtual enslavement of women. For this crime alone, the enslavement of half of the human race, these religious institutions should be dismantled and destroyed. Add in the unscrupulous act of brainwashing children (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eLeQkuTGSOs) and the abomination of religion is clear.

[anna.kitty]

thats the amusing part... as a female "slave" in the community... i have more freedom here then i would if the biblical traditions were followed word for word.