There are tons of options.
My entire point is I only believe what I can observe and then replicate to prove. Everything else is theory. There is nothing wrong with theory - but everyone else who is willing to accept theory as gospel (no pun intended), and thus accept a lie, contribute to the problem of solving the theory with their faith - because their faith gives them an excuse to not further our understanding that can turn the theory into evidence we can prove.
It's a catch-22. Faith allows people to stop trying. Religion also allows people to stop trying.
I'd prefer to keep trying to understand the Universe, not pretend I have an answer I cannot prove and thus must simply blindly believe without evidence. It's lunacy.
Fair, I'm the same. There is a lot to discuss on this, I made another post in this thread about why I think it's valuable from an atheistic viewpoint. I think atheists in power (good or bad) have incentive to promote religion regardless of their own beliefs and that many if not most religions and faiths have being perverted over time in the same way politics are, since religions are politics from a god rather than man. I find Christianity interesting and valuable even when viewing it from an atheistic viewpoint, I find most Christians get it all wrong but even when failing are better than they would be without it. I'd rather an idiot condemn me for not being Christian enough than not being liberal enough. Hypocrites will exist regardless of religion or faith, they just feel far more obnoxious when they act superior. I think it's more valuable to believe there is a creator and that the creator had a purpose for us, in that model you are looking for purpose and meaning which is a positive motivator. I believe atheism is detrimental because with atheism there is no higher goals and pleasure is the only goal for life. I think these same arguments have happened over and over throughout history, degenerates generally attack the concept of god to justify their degenerate behaviour and moral people wind up having to explain lengthy arguments to prove degenerate behaviour is bad for everyone. I liked Plato's the republic for this, he had to argue against godless hedonists that their degenerate behaviour was harmful without using god as an example. I highly doubt that hedonists would bother going out of their way to learn right and wrong though.
Honestly even if I hated Christians (I do a lot of the time they can drive me nuts, buy mostly because they don't understand their own religion) I'd still rather live in a country with Christianity as the main religion than having no religion.
(post is archived)