(December 5, 2023 at 6:17 pm)FrustratedFool Wrote: Does the question boil down, for most here, to simply whether you think religion is a force for good or ill in the world?
Not for me. It's about empathy and ethics. I wouldn't want someone to unilaterally change my own beliefs against my will. I don't have the right to forcibly change people's beliefs, because I believe in freedom of conscience, even if I think it's mistaken. No one should have that power and no one should use it.
As an aside, some religions aren't even really theistic; like Jainism, some forms of Buddhism, and Unitarian Universalism.
I would wave a want to, say, give everyone 15% better critical thinking ability. It would be something almost universally desired if offered and would indirectly have the result of reducing irrational beliefs overall, including any I might hold myself.
I'm not anti-Christian. I'm anti-stupid.