[net.religion] Cults & Religion & Athiests

wbpesch@ihuxp.UUCP (pesch) (02/09/85)

> >If we really follow it we find the world is divided into christians and
> >cultists exclusively and exhaustively...interesting.
> 
> I don't believe that that definition includes atheists or agnostics.  Atheism,
> as often "practiced" is not a religion, in fact is a denial of all religion.
> 
> JCA,

Yes, Atheism is not a "religion".  No, Atheism is not a denial of all
religion.  Atheism is the denial of the existence of a God(s) (that
means your God, his God, her God, and even THEIR God, i.e. think of
all the various permutations and then negate that set, giving the null
set of Gods)

This doesn't mean that Atheists are against religions.  It is a good
"opiate of the masses" (also sheep and ferns).  I am in favor of
religions - they give those who are not able to handle reality by 
themselves a "crutch" (something to lean against.)

In fact, I think that the "masses" need that always-correct leadership
provided by their God and His leadership on Earth to tell them what's
correct.  The "masses" don't want individual thought, they want to be
happy droids following the latest fads from California, what they see
in movies, and what their religious leaders tell them.

And for the cross-posting to net.philosophy, here is an interesting
question to ponder - If religion (i.e. worship to and dictates from a
Supreme Being) did not exist, never did, what impact would that have
on our philosophies, psychologies, being, actions, etc?




Walt Pesch
AT&T Technologies
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