Thursday, December 27, 2007

Atheists Should Be Quiet

The next time one of the faithful tells you that atheists should quietly allow others to hold their own beliefs without challenging them, point him to this article: http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10311317.

Centuries of prostelization, including forced conversion, continue to this day. Rather than pushing a version of god at sword-point, however, the modern version harnesses the power of mass marketing, pop psychology, and large-scale distribution. Regardless, the purpose is the same: to convince people to adopt a particular religious viewpoint.

In the face of this, it makes sense to trumpet the atheist message as loudly as possible. Indeed, if you believe (as I do) that religion is a harmful influence on our society, you have a duty to present an alternative worldview.

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