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Originally Posted by angeleyes
Just one question, EH - how do you explain the people who are loving and peaceful as well as religious? And since the majority of humanity believes in God, as has throughout history, can we really say that religion has had only a negative influence? I thought we were trying to look objectively at both the positive and negative sides of religion as well as atheism.....  |
This is not an uncommon question. You often hear a very analagous question in courtrooms, when the defence attorney, just before sentencing, says "Your Honor, my client may have murdered his wife and children, but he has been a strong donor to his church and community for many years. Should we punish him like a common thug, I ask you?"
His Honor is not frequently moved to say, "I agree with counsel. In light of the many good works in the past, this prisoner is free to go!"
Cancerous parts of the body are often removed, even though they have very useful purposes.
Okay, I was being wicked.
Being more serious, though, I have never said "let's get rid of religion." I have not said we have to do anything. I have been trying to get people to voice their views, and if my view has a focus in one direction, then I presume dissenting views will give their opinions here as well.
Where I suggested I was heading, right from the outset, was not to make an assessment of the good sides and bad sides of both theism and atheism, but how, in the grand scheme of things, humanity might find a way to avoid the worst and get the best of both.
That means that the best and worst must be held up for public view, and honest consideration given to how to enhance the good and disarm the bad. If religion causes people to be charitable to one group, and to demonize another, how can we hold on to the charitable impulse and simultaneously stop the demonization? If religion means funding hospitals at home and terrorists abroad, how do we keep the hospitals and lose the terrorists? If belief means comforting the afflicted, and refusing life-saving medical procedures, how can we have both?
And simply mounting a defence for one side or the other can never, ever be the answer. That implies taking a position, and once positions are struck, can battle be far behind?