Religion Makes People Bad
• Religions make people bad.
While consciously pursuing your spiritual development is commendable, joining an established religion such as Christianity, Islam, or Hinduism is one of the worst ways to go about it. In this talk I’ll share some reasons why you must eventually abandon the baggage of organized religion if you wish to pursue conscious living in earnest.
Examples:
On Easter Sunday of 2008, 11-year-old Kara Neumann of Weston, Wisconsin, suffered waves of nausea as she lay motionless on her deathbed, too weak to walk or speak. Kara's parents — both followers of the Unleavened Bread Ministries, an online church that shuns medical intervention — knelt in prayer beside their dying daughter. They did not call a doctor for help. A few hours later, Kara died of diabetes, a relatively common — and treatable — condition.
State of Oregon v. Timothy and Rebecca Wyland Court: Clackamas County Circuit Court
Date: June 7, 2011
Summary: A jury found the Wylands guilty of felony criminal mistreatment for treating their infant daughter with faith healing rather than taking her to a doctor. The child developed an abnormal growth above her eye that threatened her vision. The parents were sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years' probation.
The root of all evil... All violence stems from some irrational thought, or act. Religion is the harbinger of ignorance and bigotry, and faith's greatest enemy is reason. Without reason there could never be peace amongst humans, lest we descend further into an animalistic society.
Religion teaches of class systems amongst humans. It also instills nationalism, racism, sexism, homophobia, and it encourages the intervention and judgment of society on the private individual.
Though there are verses, passages, and teachings in religion that discourage violence, and encourage peace, these are to counter the hundreds of other passages that encourage, condone, bless, and order violence. About 33% of Americans indicate
While consciously pursuing your spiritual development is commendable, joining an established religion such as Christianity, Islam, or Hinduism is one of the worst ways to go about it. In this talk I’ll share some reasons why you must eventually abandon the baggage of organized religion if you wish to pursue conscious living in earnest.
Examples:
On Easter Sunday of 2008, 11-year-old Kara Neumann of Weston, Wisconsin, suffered waves of nausea as she lay motionless on her deathbed, too weak to walk or speak. Kara's parents — both followers of the Unleavened Bread Ministries, an online church that shuns medical intervention — knelt in prayer beside their dying daughter. They did not call a doctor for help. A few hours later, Kara died of diabetes, a relatively common — and treatable — condition.
State of Oregon v. Timothy and Rebecca Wyland Court: Clackamas County Circuit Court
Date: June 7, 2011
Summary: A jury found the Wylands guilty of felony criminal mistreatment for treating their infant daughter with faith healing rather than taking her to a doctor. The child developed an abnormal growth above her eye that threatened her vision. The parents were sentenced to 90 days in jail and three years' probation.
The root of all evil... All violence stems from some irrational thought, or act. Religion is the harbinger of ignorance and bigotry, and faith's greatest enemy is reason. Without reason there could never be peace amongst humans, lest we descend further into an animalistic society.
Religion teaches of class systems amongst humans. It also instills nationalism, racism, sexism, homophobia, and it encourages the intervention and judgment of society on the private individual.
Though there are verses, passages, and teachings in religion that discourage violence, and encourage peace, these are to counter the hundreds of other passages that encourage, condone, bless, and order violence. About 33% of Americans indicate