Mintball wrote:
And the existence of god cannot be proved.
Just as the existence of fairies cannot be proved.
Or the existence of a chocolate teapot on the far side of the sun.
No, we now have satellites observing the Sun from various angles, so can see around the back. Therefore the fact that to dat no chocolate teapot has been detected, seems reasonable enough proof to me.
However, were I a religious bigot or religiously brainwahsed, none of the observations would make a scrap of difference. Because it might be an invisible teapot. Or the God of Chocolate Teapots may have decided against it being detectable by human-made equipment. Or the US government may be deliberately withholdng the discovery from the population so as not to create widespread panic.
And indeed, I can't prove that any of those things are not true. And so, to what passes for the brain of a Chclate Teapotter, I am out of order stating definitively that there is no chocolate teapot, because I can't say there isn't, and the Chocolate Teapot Bible says there is, so who am I to argue with the word of the chocolate lord?
Mintball wrote:
The problem is that some religious people are not content with that. They want special treatment; they want others to be discriminated against on the basis of their beliefs – and indeed, they wish to be discriminated in favour of on the basis of the same beliefs. They want society run on the basis of their beliefs. They want political decisions made on the basis of their beliefs.
It's also worth pointing out that some of 'the God squad', from across religious divides, would very much like to stop freedom of thought and speech. Some already do exactly that.
This, but more than "worth pointing out" I would urge people to heed the warning. A couple of decades ago, I wouldn't have belieged how far and how quickly a notionally 'advanced' country like the US could slip in terms of luntaic cults, barking sects and religious movements and general superstitious idiocy. It is very worrying just how quickly a brand new idiocy can actually take over seemingly intelligent and rational people. Eg scientology, Mormonism, death cults, to name but three, but there is hardy any shortage.
And anyone who thinks the extremists of ANY religion, if they had power or positions of authority, would not seek to impose their insanity, then they are misguided. All would, if they could, and in many corners of the world, they already do, including the firm conviction that they have the power over life and death, let alone how you live your life.
