Non-Believers: What stance should we take towards religion? (beliefs, atheist)

[khopkins]

Indesputable fact: there are hundreds if not thousands of religions in the world. They can't all be right... unless a need for religious belief is built into the human brain. Then they are right in the sense that they satisfy a basic human need. As a matter of fact, neuroscientists have suggested that there is a "god circuit" in the brain. So, it may be completely natural for groups of human beings to invent systems of religious belief because it is an instinctive behavioral pattern built into the brain.

That said, I am with Albert Einstein on this one. Something had to be responsible for the Big Bang that created the universe. Maybe that's God. And since that God had to exist outside of space and time as we know it, we can NEVER know him (or it) or prove its existence. Bottom line... all those religions could be right in their belief in a truly SUPERnatural being or entity and the athiests could be completely wrong. It is very likely that we can never actually know for certain because there is (at least theoretically) no physical means to observe anything outside of our universe. Presently, we can't even observe most of the stuff inside of our universe - dark energy and dark matter.

How about if we all admit that we will never know the answers for certain? How about if we just let each other keep the beliefs that each of us prefer to keep? How about if we just stop fighting each other in battles that none of us can win? What's the point?

[Alceste]

As a non-believer, I feel there is no need to interfere with religion unless religion attempts to interfere with me. If live and let live had been an option, I would have chosen it. I'll continue to challenge religion when it is used as an excuse to wage war, suppress my freedom or that of my neighbours (ie anti-abortion and anti-gay political lobbies), or infiltrate religious beliefs into the public school curriculum. Otherwise, what religious people do with their spare time is not my business.

[Aupmanyav]

I have problems with exclusivist religions, the ones which say that they only know the truth. These cannot be reformed. I can live with the eastern religions or those who do not bristle at the mention of other God/s.

[darkendless]

The answer is simple, ignore it and hopefully it will go away and we can get back to living our normal lives.

[rojse]

In an ideal situation, I would agree with Dawkins - I think that the world would be better off without religion. However, I don't know how this would be achieved in a practical way without me forcing my views and choices on everyone else, so I would have to go with Dennett's reform approach.

[The_Keepers]

How funny it would be if this were the beginnings of the "Great Question" and you all started killing yourselves over this question like in "Go God Go Part XII". Then we could all laugh together and say "guess it wasn't religion causing all the problems!"

[Willamena]

Originally Posted by khopkins

So, it may be completely natural for groups of human beings to invent systems of religious belief because it is an instinctive behavioral pattern built into the brain.

Or maybe they are just based on a similar philosophy?

[crystalonyx]

There's also the HItchen's approach, a little more brash than Dawkins even.