Orion Ussner kidder
C. R. Collins 🌳 🐸I'm not against any religion that treats everyone well.
I am against hatred and violence, religious or not.
@crcollins This feels like a loaded statement given what I posted.
It was meant to clarify my feelings on the matter. I am not against religion per se. Just because I don't believe doesn't mean I don't support the right to belief. I mean, who am I to say if that stuff is real or not? It's more what actions they take because of that belief that I might take issue with.
@crcollins This still feels loaded, but I take it that's not your intention.
If you go from "atheist =/= anti-religious" to "as long as it's not violent," then you're implying (intentionally or otherwise) that religion is prone to violence. I would argue that's loaded.
@crcollins Because *lots* of things motivate or are used as an excuse for violence.
Most "religious" wars are actually about territory and/or resources with religion as an excuse. Prejudices against specific religions exist, of course--eg, antisemitism, Islamophobia, banning Indigenous religious practices--but they're mostly traceable, again, to practical goals one group wants to accomplish: ie, rationalizing Europe's self-image as Christendom, the Crusades, and colonialism, respectively.
@crcollins The inverse is also true: many institutions and/or belief systems are key to inspiring, catalyzing, or rationalizing violence. "American exceptionalism" is one. So is capitalism. So is misogyny. Etc.
That's why I raise my eyebrow at "mention of religion" leading to "as long as they're not violent."
It's a lot like, "of course we have a right to protest, but we don't have a right to commit crimes." Like, nobody was talking about crimes, my dude.
I responded in your first post to most of the next two 😀 I will add here that it's hard to uncouple *any* fervent belief system--political, religious, or whatever--from its violent proponents. Your original post seemed to be inviting conversation about atheists' thoughts on religion so I just stated how I view things. I am fine with versions of religion where people mind their own business & don't seek to force it on anyone in any fashion.