06-28-2016, 12:04 PM
Religious belief in and of itself is value neutral:
There are good beliefs and bad beliefs. Good beliefs include things like charity, alms for the poor, compassion, and others. Bad beliefs include things like racism, intolerance, shunning non-believers, hellfire for non-believers, binary thinking, and placing blind obedience over rational discourse. What does this mean? It means the statement "these are my religious beliefs" is worthless. It tells us nothing about the value of your position; it only tells us you hold it dearly.
Religious Values/Belief Are Often Mutually Exclusive:
If persons A's religious beliefs conflict with person B's religious beliefs, how do we decide which one trumps the other? We are forced to resort to other, non-religious criteria.
Churches Don't Pay Taxes:
The idea that a religious organization can influence policy without paying taxes is obscene. Can you imagine playing a poker game against someone who doesn't have to pay a buy in? That doesn't seem too fair.
Reason is What Ultimately Guides Morality:
Natural or Supernatural: even if you think your religious views are those of God, there must be a rational reason for it. God doesn't prescribe moral rules that make no sense, and if he does - what kind of Deity is that?
There are good beliefs and bad beliefs. Good beliefs include things like charity, alms for the poor, compassion, and others. Bad beliefs include things like racism, intolerance, shunning non-believers, hellfire for non-believers, binary thinking, and placing blind obedience over rational discourse. What does this mean? It means the statement "these are my religious beliefs" is worthless. It tells us nothing about the value of your position; it only tells us you hold it dearly.
Religious Values/Belief Are Often Mutually Exclusive:
If persons A's religious beliefs conflict with person B's religious beliefs, how do we decide which one trumps the other? We are forced to resort to other, non-religious criteria.
Churches Don't Pay Taxes:
The idea that a religious organization can influence policy without paying taxes is obscene. Can you imagine playing a poker game against someone who doesn't have to pay a buy in? That doesn't seem too fair.
Reason is What Ultimately Guides Morality:
Natural or Supernatural: even if you think your religious views are those of God, there must be a rational reason for it. God doesn't prescribe moral rules that make no sense, and if he does - what kind of Deity is that?