Connecticut Valley Atheists: Imagine No Religion

Hello,

The Connecticut Valley Atheists have posted a sign that has a picture of the twin towers standing with the statement: Imagine No Religion. This is a bigoted sign and should be treated with discontempt. It is just as bigoted to look at all the wrong done by Joseph Stalin and post a picture of it and say: Imagine No Religion. Joseph Stalin was an atheist but clearly not all atheists are bad like Joseph Stalin. The people who ran airplanes into the World Trade Center were religious but clearly not all religious people are prone to these acts of violence.

A religion caused 9/11. That is very different from saying all religions cause extreme acts of violence. Sure, the world would be a better place if there weren't any Islamic fanatics running airplanes into buildings. That doesn't mean that the world would be better if there were no religion at all. That statement takes a lot more evidence. (Note, I am not saying anything about Muslims in general, just the fanatical ones who caused 9/11.)

A post I made earlier echoes similar comments and gives a more thorough treatment of the atheists who wish to blame religion for the wrongdoing of the religious. It also criticizes theists who wish to blame atheism for the wrongdoing of atheists.

Here is a post by Alonzo Fyfe who is an atheist against the sign posted by the Connecticut Valley Atheists.

Please remember it is not religion or atheism that causes these things, it is people's blindness to the truth. It is their exceedingly strong desire to believe a certain act is good that makes them ignore all the evidence to the contrary.

From a comment made by Alonzo on his blog, he writes:

"Think of a sign that says, "Imagine: No Arabs." We can defend such a sign the same way people are trying to defend the "Imagine: No Religion"sign. Yes, it is possible that some non-Arab might have some day attacked the towers. However, if we had a world without arabs, chances are, the towers would still be standing.

Does this justify the sentiment, "Imagine: No Arabs?"

No . . . because it blames a whole group of people who did nothing wrong.

Similarly, "Imagine: No Religion" blames a whole group of people who did nothing wrong.

Both versions are morally repulsive and for the same reasons."

See this post for more defense by Alonzo.