From: Robert Coyote (coyyote@hotmail.com)
Date: Sun Jul 08 2001 - 23:35:04 MDT
I'm just saying one might be careful to avoid overreaching ideas to further
ones aim of going beyond religiosity
I think its interesting that some ppl say humans "need" religion
If they are correct, I guess I'm not human.
Other possible "excuses" for atrocities (massive organized coercion
campaigns)
Tribalism
Nationalism
Chivalry
Xenophobia
Race
Eugenics
Environmentalism
Ludditeism(sp?)
Any others?
----- Original Message -----
From: "Samantha Atkins" <samantha@objectent.com>
To: <extropians@extropy.org>
Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2001 9:37 PM
Subject: Re: Debunk All Religiosity Equally (D.A.R.E.)
> "J. R. Molloy" wrote:
> >
> > Robert Coyote asks,
> > > Is it possible that all the "atrocities" cause by Religion would just
as
> > > likely have happened for other reasons because religion was the excuse
for
> > > the acts, other excuses could have served the tyrants uses as
substitutes?
> >
> > If so, then why didn't the tyrants use some other excuse? Why did they
choose
> > religiosity? Tyrants can turn anything into religiosity it seems, except
for
> > authentic science. Stalin made communism into a religion, and Mao Zedong
did
> > approximately the same. Call it what you will, it still needs debunking,
and
> > it's still anti-science. And there's no need to put the word atrocities
in
> > quotation marks. They were real atrocities (though I don't think I used
that
> > term, so you're not quoting me).
> >
>
> Excuse me but one of the most horrid massacres in history, that
> done by communist Russia and China against their own people, was
> done in the name of science and rational social order. Oh yeah,
> I forgot, you'll call that religion too just so it will fit your
> itty bitty theory. OK. I'll play. Some would call the claim
> that science and technology explains and has a handle on all
> that is worthwhile and that all it (science) doesn't handle is
> meaningless a religion or at least an arbitrary belief outside
> the court of proof. So heh, I guess you got me. Whatever you
> believe enough to use to excuse such shenigans must be
> "religion".
>
> - samantha
>
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