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<DIV><B>From:</B> <A title=msd001@gmail.com href="mailto:msd001@gmail.com">Mike
Dougherty</A></DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, September 28, 2006 5:27 PM</DIV>
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<DIV>>> "religion" is a dangerous meme? Not a particular religion,
just "religion" in general?</DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial
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size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR>> Why denounce
religion? I can understand your personal decision to not partake of
religion, but how is it productive to actively campaign against
it? </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Why not? Religion - as long is it
contains superstitious nonsense - legitimizes thinking of the
irrational kind, and thereby supports all the "religious extremists"
(whom the moderates like to say they do not support).
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>And as long as the superstitious factor is alive
and kicking in whatever particular religion one may espouse, I
can't understand how one can be a "religious liberal" and look down on the
"religious fundamentalists and jihadists" ... because while the religious
may play for different teams - they inhabit the same island,
and all play for the same parochial Camp Woo Woo Mucka (and
follow many of the same religious rituals like praying, believing in
weird things, etc. - albeit the weird things may differ from team to
team).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Having said that, however, I must admit
I know atheists who believe in weird things, as well (astrology,
alternative medicine, and the like) - so it's not enough simply not to believe
in a god/goddess or gods. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>There's no (rational v. irrational) two ways
about it. One would do well to develop good habits of skeptical
thought and stop being intellectually compromised. One small
step away from [insert god or political ideology of
choice] ... could be one giant leap for humankind.</FONT><FONT
face=Arial size=2> That is to say, dealing with the REAL world would be a
good start.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Olga</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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