In Histoire Naturelle, a ­36-volume book Buffon worked on for 50 years, he also put forward the idea that animals were becoming extinct at a time when most natural historians believed that “God would never allow any species to ever disappear or arise over time”, according to Roberts. “The concept of species change and extinction was very controversial.”

The amount of shit that people have got wrong because of god…

Even without this key insight, Buffon postulated that new species must have come into existence and changed over time, while some species must have gone extinct. “That was a very, very radical idea at the time, and Buffon was censured for it by the Sorbonne: he had to write a statement publicly renouncing everything he had written,” said Roberts. Buffon was later formally accused of heresy for implying that Earth was older than the biblical record.

The number of people that have been wrongly persecuted because of god…

Religion is the most horrible invention in human history. It justifies mistreating others. It’s used to control people. It causes people to believe fiction over fact. It’s the one thing holding us back more than any other.

The amount of shit that people have got wrong because of god…

Lol at atheists who don’t believe in gods yet still wants to blame everything on them.

Wtf do you even think you’re saying? That a sincerely held belief that religion is toxic is based on fake internet points? I hated religion long before we got online. Your comment is empty and stupid.

An actual atheist wouldn’t care enough about religion to actively spend any of their energy hating it - so what are you really?

Why not? Give me a reason atheists can’t get frustrated about religion holding back society in the past? Are you the one to define what an atheist is? Judging by your comments I’d argue you should be the last to do that.

Give me a reason atheists can’t get frustrated about religion holding back society in the past?

Your proof of this?

How about you answer my question first. Who are you to decide what it means to be an atheist.

And if you really need examples of that you should read up on human history before you continue any aspect of this discussion.

How about you answer my question first

No, no, no - extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

If you want to blame the west’s invention of white supremacism (for instance) on a Levantine carpenter’s son that lived 2000 years ago you have your work cut out for you.

Yes let the religious nutjob preach about extraordinary claims

Why is it that every time I bring up white supremacy edgelord atheists start shrinking away like ice from a bonfire?

You are “rational” enough not to buy into “race science,” aren’t you?

And why is white supremacy relevant in this discussion?

White supremacy puts the “west” in “western civilization” - do you not see your atheism as an expression of (so-called) “enlightenment” values? Lol!

There can be no discussion of liberal values without discussing liberalism’s fundamental relationship with white supremacism - and guess where your ideas of atheism comes from?

You’re the only one discussing liberal values here. But you go shout some more in your vacuum. I’m bored of you now.

You’re the only one discussing liberal values

Your atheism only exists in liberalism-land, genius - unless you want to claim that your ideology was influenced by feudalism, perhaps?