an atheist, by the act of denying that which he can neither prove nor disprove, must have taken a leap of faith similar to that taken by those who embrace religious doctrine. in this sense, atheism is really no more rational than religious fervor. the only difference between the two is what leads up to that final decision. of course there are those who chose the path of non-belief just to be contrary, just as there are those who adopt a religion merely fit in with the majority.
when a man's entire world view is warped by the dogma of the church, all of his decisions will be shaded by that faith. you cannot separate a man's most deep seated beliefs from his every day actions. there will always be an element of religious elitism in politics until our leaders are able to divorce themselves from the fantasy world of religion and embrace a more rational outlook.
isn't that the point of organized religion, to maintain the status quo? the very nature of religion precludes change. the word of god must be unchanging or god will be proved to have been mistaken and gods cannot make mistakes. any change in dogma takes decades because those changes must be cloaked in layer upon layer of misdirection or the faithful may catch on that their sacred texts are nothing more than the words of man.
don't be too concerned. only the powerful could ever even attempt to tear down what has taken centuries to erect and religion is far too useful a tool to be discarded without something equally insidious to take its place.
false hope and the illusion of comfort, these are the greatest tools ever developed to enslave the minds of men. while the masses toil, hoping to attain some otherworldly paradise, the powerful reap the rewards of their labor and laugh heartily at the gullibility of their unwitting slaves. while their children go cold and hungry, the faithful tithe willingly and warm themselves in the camaraderie of poverty and despair. such are the gifts of the god myth and its attendants.
oops, please excuse my ridiculous spelling...
reason is a process and is complicated by the vagaries of the human mind. what some see as logic, others consider blasphemy. unluckily, we live in a world where fantasy holds sway.
one of my many faults is my tendency to correct others' spelling mistakes when i quote them. if i believed in reincarnation i would tend to think i was an english teacher in a past life.
