[ExI] extropy-chat Digest, Vol 198, Issue 4

[William Flynn Wallace]

I just don't think that governments of whatever nature are comparable to
small radical groups, like Hezbollah.  If there are these out there that
are fundamentally atheist I would like to know about them.  bill w

On Fri, Mar 6, 2020 at 10:34 AM Giulio Prisco via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

> Right, the actions of atheist governments are political in nature. AND the
> actions of religious governments are also political in nature. In both case
> the problems are power and cruelty. Nothing to do with religious or
> philosophical convictions. I am not saying that one is good and the other
> is bad. I am saying that both are bad, but I insist on the symmetry.
>
> On Fri, Mar 6, 2020 at 2:36 PM William Flynn Wallace via extropy-chat <
> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>
>> I repeat - the actions of atheist governments have nothing to do with
>> their lack of belief in a god.  The actions are political in nature.
>> Plenty of religious people get left alone in China, in Russia.  In China
>> they are trying to beat the rebellions out of them, not their religion.  In
>> Russia they even let the people change the name from Leningrad back to St.
>> Petersburg.
>>
>> bill w
>>
>> On Fri, Mar 6, 2020 at 2:20 AM Giulio Prisco via extropy-chat <
>> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>>
>>> "Atheism has none of that. Religions give people reasons for being
>>> horrible to others. Atheism doesn't."
>>>
>>> Bullshit. In atheist regimes, people have been beaten, sent to gulags,
>>> and murdered, for peaceful behaviors like attending an underground
>>> church or wearing a cross. This is a FACT.
>>>
>>> Let's agree to disagree.
>>>
>>> On Thu, Mar 5, 2020 at 10:52 PM Ben Zaiboc via extropy-chat
>>> <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>>> >
>>> > On Wed, Mar 4, 2020 at 4:08 AM Giulio Prisco via extropy-chat <
>>> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
>>> >
>>> > I'm equating people who are violent, coercive, etc., and happen to be
>>> > atheists, with with people who are violent, coercive, etc., and happen
>>> > to be believers.
>>> >
>>> > If you insist on adding "because of their religion" to the second
>>> > part, then I will insist on adding "because of their atheism" to the
>>> > first part, because I really don't see any difference between these
>>> > two totally symmetric cases.
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > Then you are refusing to see it. The difference is blindingly obvlous.
>>> Religions have rules of behaviour, whole tomes explaining what kind of
>>> behaviour, dress, food, sexual practices, rituals, etc., are required or
>>> allowed (and which ones are 'sinful' and to be discouraged, in oneself and
>>> in others), and often horrifically graphic descriptions of what punishments
>>> await those who break the rules.
>>> >
>>> > Atheism has none of that. Religions give people reasons for being
>>> horrible to others. Atheism doesn't.
>>> > Nobody is violent, coercive, etc., because they are atheists, because
>>> there is a complete absence of those rules of behaviour, no prescriptions,
>>> no concept of 'sin' etc.
>>> >
>>> > How can you possibly regard them as symmetric cases? They're as
>>> asymmetric as you can get!
>>> >
>>> > Who will regard gay people as misguided, sinful and in need of
>>> correction, if not outright punishment?
>>> > Who will have reasons to do that? Where do those reasons come from?
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> > Ben Zaiboc
>>> >
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