If you had a religion-erasing wand...

[Safe-Keeper]

OK, this one is for the anti-theists such as myself. If you received a magic wand that you could wave to instantly erase religion from the world, would you do it? To further define the effect of the wand, I'm talking of every single present and future human being on this planet having his or her belief in supernatural beings and afterlife vanish completely, instantly, and permanently. In short, it removes religion from the world forever.

Personally, I'd not use the wand. While you have the obvious benefit of religious nut jobs from the Pope to Usama vanishing, lots of ordinary moderates rely on the teachings and stories of mythology for comfort and guidance, and taking this away could do a lot of damage. Whether or not this damage would be compensated for by the end of Holy Wars and Religion-inspired terrorism, I do not know.

Elaborate on what you would want, and the reasons behind your choice.

 

[JoeEllison]

I'd go a step further, and remove the religious impulse. That way, you don't have people creating a new cult based on a different set of irrational beliefs, like the Soviets and the Republicans have done.

 

[skeptifem]

maybe i would do it if i could erase specific religions. buddism and wicca are harmless imo and i dont think i would want to get rid of them because it doesnt hurt anyone.

i dont know if could really do that even. its really hard for me to morally accept anyone making choices for everyone else in the world when it comes to personal lifestyle choice. sometimes i think that people just use religion to justify the crappy things they would have done anyway, so it might not make the world a much better place to scrap it completely.

 

[triadboy]

I said I would use it - but that is scary because, apparently Xians need religion to keep from killing others.

 

[tsg]

OK, this one is for the anti-theists such as myself. If you received a magic wand that you could wave to instantly erase religion from the world,

*POOOF*

Oh, you weren't done yet? Sorry.

would you do it? To further define the effect of the wand, I'm talking of every single present and future human being on this planet having his or her belief in supernatural beings and afterlife vanish completely, instantly, and permanently. In short, it removes religion from the world forever.

Personally, I'd not use the wand. While you have the obvious benefit of religious nut jobs from the Pope to Usama vanishing, lots of ordinary moderates rely on the teachings and stories of mythology for comfort and guidance, and taking this away could do a lot of damage. Whether or not this damage would be compensated for by the end of Holy Wars and Religion-inspired terrorism, I do not know.

Elaborate on what you would want, and the reasons behind your choice.

*POOOF* *POOOFITY POOFITY POOF*

*cough* *waves away clouds of smoke*

Now, where do I go to get this thing tuned to handle other woo?

 

[Lord Muck oGentry]

I like the end, but I don't fancy the means. So back into the box it goes.

I'd like to burn the wand too, just to avoid temptation in the future, but that doesn't seem to be an option.

 

[Safe-Keeper]

I'd go a step further, and remove the religious impulse. That way, you don't have people creating a new cult based on a different set of irrational beliefs, like the Soviets and the Republicans have done.

Yes. Well, the real point of this thread is to see how many of us anti-theists would like religion to go away. Bringing up cults of personalities makes a potentially good point for its continued existence, as the moderates are catching those who would otherwise join shady cults for their 'worship fix'.

 

[tsg]

I'd go a step further, and remove the religious impulse. That way, you don't have people creating a new cult based on a different set of irrational beliefs, like the Soviets and the Republicans have done.

Or, you could just wave the wand again.


*POOOF*

 

[Hokulele]

I don't believe in magic wands, so I would use it in an attempt to find out if magic wands exist or not.

 

[Mangafranga]

Yes. Well, the real point of this thread is to see how many of us anti-theists would like religion to go away. Bringing up cults of personalities makes a potentially good point for its continued existence, as the moderates are catching those who would otherwise join shady cults for their 'worship fix'.

But one can want it to go away without wanting to magically force a change in peoples beliefs.

 

[Mashuna]

I used my wand to eradicate the belief in Xahentaalia. That was a nasty religion.

 

[Tanstaafl]

I wouldn't use the wand, only because it would violate the prime directive.

I'm not allowed to alter the development of this alien planet.

But one can want it to go away without wanting to magically force a change in peoples beliefs.

And that too.

 

[ThatSoundAgain]

But one can want it to go away without wanting to magically force a change in peoples beliefs.

Exactly. This is not a decision I'm remotely qualified to make. One thing I like even less than organised religion is (the purely hypothetical of) one person determining what the rest of mankind should believe.

I say talk them out of it.

 

[IMST]

What's this wand doing in my hand and why is it aggressively waving?
Must be magic.

 

[Tsukasa Buddha]

I would so hold the religions for randsome.

Call up a grand ceremony of all religions, and get them dedicated to world peace. Or else...

And then I will start a chain of super secret costumed Wand bearers to keep tabs on religious world peace.

 

[Loss Leader]

Why use it? Just so I can hear people be asinine about new, as yet undiscovered topics? I'll take the devil I know.

 

[Foster Zygote]

I couldn't bring myself to do it. It's use would seem too parallel to many of what I consider to be the worst elements of religion.

ETA: Although I do find Tsukasa's idea rather tempting.

 

[Elind]

Unfortunately it would make everyone who was a woo of some sort become a Scientologist.

 

[gnome]

I would love religion to become obsolete, but to erase it directly from the minds of people who currently incorporate it into their personality would do no good. Such a change must come about naturally or not at all.

Besides, if there really are magic wands, I might need another look at religion.

 

[Fnord]

Here we go again...

If you received a magic wand that you could wave to instantly erase religion from the world, would you do it

Ooo ... tempting! I'd love to do away with religion, but I've yet to see a clear-cut definition of "Religion" that everyone could agree on.

For instance, the behavior some folks exhibit during playoff season is as obsessively fanatical as any Hallelujah revival. Should we go by their behavior and call sports fanaticism religion?

Or what about the fact that religion and faith are two different things?

- Faith is the belief in things unprovable.
- Religion is the socio-political expression (politics) of that faith.

Delete the expression of unprovable belief, and most sales/marketing people would be out of jobs; not to mention lawyers, lobbyists, and the people who print cards for Valentine's Day.

Deleting religion would do no more than prevent the open expression of someone's faith; it would not prevent them from believing in things they could not prove.