Atheists' Protocol

[Alex Bragi]

It's fascinating that nobody here thinks a politician's faith should matter. It's nice in a way, although as a more-or-less atheist myself I kind of care if my politicians choose to believe in fairy tales, I feel it perhaps doesn't reflect well on them (I don't mean that to sound TOO harsh, I was once a born-again Christian myself).

....

I'm sorry, caged, but I really do get a little miffed when ever I hear or read the word "fairy tales" in reference to anyone's religion--and I come across it often.

People believe in all kinds of things for all kinds of reasons. If they gain any kind of comfort or strength from their (religious) belief, then I'm all for it. As an agnostic, I admitt I don't have the answers and I'm not sure who does. I do, however, believe that no matter what your belief is, it's important to keep an open mind.

[Thorne]

I'm sorry, caged, but I really do get a little miffed when ever I hear or read the word "fairy tales" in reference to anyone's religion--and I come across it often.

While I agree that the term "fairy tales" may be somewhat harsh, I do have to concur that all religions are ultimately based upon fictions. Or at best upon wishful thinking.

By their own admissions, theologians tell us that we cannot know the true nature of God, but then tell us that they know what he expects from us. Unless you truly believe that these people (who include among them adulterers, pedophiles, drug users and murderers) really have intimate contact with God, you must conclude that they are only making things up as they go along.

[caged]

I'm sorry, caged, but I really do get a little miffed when ever I hear or read the word "fairy tales" in reference to anyone's religion--and I come across it often.

People believe in all kinds of things for all kinds of reasons. If they gain any kind of comfort or strength from their (religious) belief, then I'm all for it. As an agnostic, I admitt I don't have the answers and I'm not sure who does. I do, however, believe that no matter what your belief is, it's important to keep an open mind.

I have a reasonably open mind, which is why I called myself a 'more or less' atheist. I don't have the extraordinary level of self-confidence required to say definitively that god (or gods) does or doesn't exist.

I'm sorry that the term 'fairly tales' miffs you, honestly. I thought twice about using that term, but there you go. It miffs me that beliefs in highly improbable stories lead people to want to persecute homosexuals, limit women's rights, limit my freedom to do things like gamble and so on.

The 'comfort' argument is always an interesting one. I personally care more about whether what I believe is true, or likely to be true, than whether it feels nice to believe it. Still, having once been a born-again Christian I do know how it feels to be a believer.