Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2000 12:34:37 +1000 From: Danny <dannyh@idx.com.au> To: "gh" <grasshacker@linkfast.net>, <questions@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: Re: Atheists Manifesto Message-ID: <00042112361001.00372@freebsd.freebsd.org> References: <003501bfaa42$4e058010$bc69a0d0@gh>
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The person that wrote this below must have some thing wrong with him/her How can this bible revolations etc have anyting to do with FreeBSD On Thu, 20 Apr 2000, gh wrote: > If the author of this document is subscribed to > this list, I would like to speak to you. > > Please contact me at > grasshacker@linkfast.net > > Note: I have been meaning to write something like > this for a while. Thanks for taking the > initiative. > > Dan > > > | > | We live in a world full of Gods. Many > different cultures have many > | different Gods. There are two classes of Gods. > The Gods of the past, which > | usually come in groups, which were generally > used to explain things that the > | people did not understand. From the roaming > patterns of buffalo, to > | lightning and echos, people have made up stories > to explain things they did > | not understand, because ignorance of a subject > leads to fear of it. Lack of > | knowlege can be frightening. Still, the people > of today look back at these > | anchient religions and call them "myths". They > chuckle when they think of > | the ignorance required to believe that the sun > is a God's Chariot. > | > | This brings us to the Gods of the present. > Today's religions are commonly > | Monotheistic, relying on the belief of a single > all powerful God. Today's > | Gods usually provide us with two messages. One > is a social code which lays > | out a model of society for people to abide by. > The other is a explination > | of the fundamental questions which people tend > to ask. "Where did we come > | from ?" "Why are we here ?" and "What happens > when we die ?". None of > | these questions can be answered to anyone's true > satisfaction. Ignorance > | creates insecurity, therefore the people need to > find a way to fill in this > | gap in their knowlege. The most common religion > in the world today is > | Christianity and it's derivitives (Catholicism, > Mormon, Islam, etc). > | Christianity provides the social code, and it > also fills in the gaps in our > | knowlege, explaining the answers to these > questions via the written and > | translated stories of people who lived 2000 > years ago. > | > | What kind of people existed 2000 years ago ? > By our standards today, they > | were ignorant, violent, socially obtuse, and > worse. They treated women as > | objects, and slavery for both sex and labor was > common. The people of this > | era were far less advanced than the Greeks, > who's beliefs we laugh at today. > | And yet, some how, the words, stories, and > beliefs of these people are taken > | as absolute fact by millions of people all over > the world today. > | Christianity speaks of Jesus of Nazerith, the > Christ, the son of God, who > | was born of a virgin, and walked about the > people of the time and performed > | miracles and preached the word of God. Because > of the historical impact of > | the man referred to, one can hardly deny that a > man named Jesus of Nazerith > | exists, however, in order to believe the rest of > his tale, you must take the > | word of ignorant people of the past as fact > with no proof, evidence, or > | other information. This is commonly referred to > as "blind faith". > | > | Millions of people choose to dedicate hours, > days, and years of their life > | worshipping this Christian God. They are so > certain that these people of > | the past, whom they probably aren't even > decended from, are speaking the > | truth, that they are willing to devote their > entire lives to this "story". > | They believe in a God, who in the past performed > many many miracles, but for > | some reason has decided to discontinue his > supernatural behaviors. God no > | longer comes to earth and speaks with men, as he > did in the past. > | > | Why is it people are blind to the fact that > they are emulating the same > | behaviors they criticize the Greeks, American > Indians, and others for ? How > | can anyone honestly take this 2000 year old > story as fact, with no evidence, > | and devote thier entire lives to it ? I would > like to put forth my theory > | on that subject. > | > | As we've estabished, the people of today have > the same types of > | insecurities that need "explaining". The fear > of death has made men invent > | the world of spirituality. The idea that when > one dies, that is the end; > | that one's bones go into the ground and > decompose, is too frightening or > | depressing to people. So instead, they have to > believe that some part of > | them is immortal. That they can always live on > in some form or another. I > | call this an emotional crutch. It's a way of > dealing with one's > | insecurities about our lives. It makes us feel > important, like we're > | something more than a street sweeper, or garbage > collector. We're all > | immortal souls with a much more glorious future > ahead of us. This emotional > | crutch helps many people get through the day > with a little self esteem and > | hope, and I don't begrudge them their crutch. > What I do disagree with is > | the ignorance, but I would not be one to demand > that others give up their > | emotional crutches in the name of enlightenment. > I believe that enforcing > | your beliefs on another person, especially > beliefs based solely on blind > | faith, to be the highest crime one human can do > to another, short of taking > | their life. > | > | So if we, the atheist, are going to allow the > street sweeper to believe, > | and we're going to choose not to believe, then > what is the problem ? What > | is the purpose of this manefesto ? I believe > that atheists are condemned by > | the majority of the population. Those of us who > are secure enough in our > | own existance, and who feel that the 70 plus or > minus 5 years on this earth > | is all we have, are treated like unholy fools. > Those who will be punished > | in the afterlife. Those who are infected with > this mental epidemic tend to > | react to the atheist in one of several ways. > One way is to try to convert > | or convince the atheist that the 2000 year old > story is true, and that the > | atheist needs to change his/her ways, lest they > face eternal hellfire. The > | second way is to simply exclude and disassociate > from the atheist, perhaps > | making comments about the "poor" soul to other > believers. > | > | You'll notice I referred to religion as a > mental epidemic. Many believers > | take this as an insult. I label religion such, > because of certain behaviors > | that today's "evolved" religions have. > | > | (1) Questioning the religion's validity, asking > for proof, expressing > | skepticism, etc, are all considered to be "sins" > or crimes under the > | religion. In other words, independant, logical, > unbiased thought are not > | allowed. Back in the earlier times when the > followers were a little more > | "rabid" people were burned to death for > expressing such ideas. > | > | (2) Religion is taught to children at a VERY > young age. Basically, from > | kindergarden to adulthood, a believing parent is > supposed to enroll the > | child in some kind of religous program like > Sunday School. The reason for > | this is to expose the child to religion at an > early age, before rational > | logical thought develops. This way, the child > grows up with religion, so > | that any thoughts, ideas, concepts of atheism or > disbelief are completely > | alien to them. An analigous example would be > Hitler's Youth. Hitler also > | knew this concept well. If you wish to spread > an idea, and have it safe > | from independant or radical thought, ingrain it > in the children before they > | can reason. Today's religions have it down to a > science, with songs, > | videos, and activities designed to make the > child a believer before they > | truly even understand what God is. If people > waited until age 13-15 before > | introducing religion to their children, so that > the children could > | rationally decide if this was what they wanted > to believe, religion would > | not be such a wide spread epidemic. > | > | (3) Religions instruct their people to attempt > to convert (or in some > | radical cases, kill) any disbelievers. The > kinder, more passive religions > | will simply ask their congregation to bring new > people into the church every > | week. Once a person visits the church once or > twice, the church has them > | added to their mailing and phone lists. They > attempt to get the person to > | regularly attend. Then they attempt to get the > person to participate in a > | ritual, such as baptism or confession. These > are relatively benign > | activities, and usually can only trap the weak > minded. The more "active" > | religions send people out to visit your home. > They want to come in and talk > | to you about god and convince you that the 2000 > year old story is true > | (because they say it is). They run commercials, > and give your free > | literature or free copies of the bible. They'll > do anything to convert you > | to their way. Why ? Because their religion > specifies it. > | > | (4) Religion requires that you disbelieve > anything scientific that might > | possibly contradict the religion. We've all > seen and heard religous people > | sit and argue about how the entire sciences of > Biology, Genetics, and > | Physics are just plain wrong, because the 2000 > year old story contradicts > | it. > | > | (5) Religion covers every base. No matter what > kind of argument or > | evidence you can bring up to attempt to > contradict religion, the believer > | can always simply make up a little story or > "possibility" of how God, using > | his supernatural powers, can simply have "made > it that way". Take for > | instance the Dinosaurs. Either they didn't > exist, and the bones "are really > | from contemporary animals, which are being > fitted together incorrectly to > | look like a creature that never existed", or > "God put those bones down > | there." No one knows why. Or how about how we > are all decended from Adam > | and Eve ? Adam and Eve must not have truely > been human, or mankind would > | have died from inbred genetic diseases > (insufficeient gene pool), after the > | first couple hundred generations. And how did > those people in the bible > | live for hundreds of years ? Were the laws of > physics and the nature of > | human biology that different back then ? > Religion fields these questions > | with ease. "God made it that way". "It's all > part of God's plan". > | > | > | Beyond the grievences I have as an atheist > living in a belief based > | society, I also have grievences as a human > being. I have a personal care > | and interest in the well-being of my species. I > would like to see mankind > | reach out into space, establish colonies on > other planets and systems. > | Become something more than the proverbial 2 day > mold on a piece of bread > | (before it is thrown out), before conditions in > our solar system change and > | erase us from existance. Truthfully, everyone > should care about mankind's > | development. The problem is this. The > religions are "anti-science" in many > | respects. There are many things, like cloning, > which we should not do > | because that is God's territory. "Playing God" > is not allowed. Add that to > | the fact that many of man's best minds, people > who could be possible > | Einsteins of certain fields, are robbed of their > potential because they are > | infected with this mental disease. If John Doe > grows up believing that > | evolution, biology and genetics are in conflict > with his religion, he > | certainly wouldn't excersize the possibility > that maybe he would have become > | one of the best Geneticists in the history of > the science. Not only that, > | but those who don't believe, and wish to advance > mankind's knowlege are > | restrained by the believers. They are forced to > move at a slow enough pace > | so that the religions can readjust, reevaluate, > and reinterpret the words of > | their religion so that they don't reach a point > in which they cannot explain > | how their religion can be true with science > showing the oppisite. Then > | there are such fanatics who spend every waking > hour worshiping God, to the > | point which they're throwing away the most > valuable thing they own. Life. > | Real life, here on earth. One only has so much > time. If one spends all of > | that time trying to get ahead on the "next" > life, they are throwing this > | life away, and not contributing to the society > and species as a whole. > | Religion is a serious drain on mankind's most > important resources, manpower > | and time. And no matter how much science proves > that the world is 4 billion > | years old and not 15,000 years old, and that the > universe was formed through > | the mixing and spreading of elements, and not by > the wave of a magic wand, > | and no matter how many times scientists try to > show that life on earth was > | formed by the interactions of nucleic acids (and > it still is every day), > | it's absolutely impossible to convince a > believer that the simplest answer > | is the correct answer. The world is as it > seems. There is no second world, > | second life, greater power, or magic that makes > it all possible. And it's > | sad, because we need every one of those > believers with us, here on earth, > | helping out, not praying in some church or > temple in front of some clown in > | a suit or fancy religious outfit. > | > | I am an atheist. I live in a world full of > people, blind to their own > | ignorance, dedicated to a 2000 year old story > written by people who's > | intellect doesn't even compare to an 8th grader. > I have to live with these > | people, respect thier beliefs, and endure their > constant attempts to convert > | me into one of their ilk. I have to watch as > millions of man-years go down > | the drain, wasted away in foolishness. I watch > as other atheists have to > | hide their beliefs, to avoid being condemned by > the believers and ostrasized > | from society. But as I'm watching, I'm waiting. > I see with every > | generation, more and more people are simply > "going through the motions". > | They take part in the process, but they don't > really believe in it. They > | simply do what is expected of them. Soon, they > reach a certain age or time > | in their life in which they no longer attend the > church, but they "still > | believe". They don't pray anymore but they > "still believe". They go about > | living their real lives, pretending to > themselves and others that they > | believe. These are a kind of "Casual > Christians". This behavior shows the > | deterioration of the true believers as a whole. > A pattern author Frank > | Herbert referred to as "rot at the core". As > parents become more and more > | lax about their own religious patterns, they > begin to spare their children > | the foolishness of church and Sunday School. > Slowly the religious base of > | mankind is deteriorating. People are giving > less and less credability to > | the 2000 year old story, as they grow up in a > world of computers, cloning, > | genetic therapy, and microbiology. It's only a > matter of time until, > | hopefully, enough of us break free of this > mental disease and begin to live > | life for the here and now and not to please some > imaginary God in order to > | gain entrance to some fantasy land. I am not > alone. Talking privately with > | many others of my generation, I know I'm not the > only one who thinks > | religious people are foolish. While most will > tell an adult they believe in > | God, it's simply because they don't want to > experience the social punishment > | of being a disbeliever. So we watch and wait. > Wait for the world to wake > | up from this 2000 year old dream. Some day > people will look back on > | Christianity the same way people look back at > Zeus and Apollo. They'll ask > | how a people who've mastered genetics, > computers, atomic physics, etc, can > | possibly believe in such childish nonsense. The > answer is, most of us > | don't, we're just afraid to admit it, because > we've seen what kind of > | violence the rabid religious can bring forth > when their beliefs are > | threatened. So rather than rising against > religion and preaching against > | it, we watch and wait for it to die of apathy. > If we're wrong, we'll be > | condemned to hell for all eternity. If the > religious are wrong, then > | they'll have thrown away the single most > valuable thing they possess. Their > | life. I am an atheist. This is my manifesto. > It is the first step in > | curing the disease. > | > | > | > | > | > | To Unsubscribe: send mail to > majordomo@FreeBSD.org > | with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body > of the message > | > > > > To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org > with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message -- To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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