Recently reading the monstrous amount of nodes on religion and feeling everyone's strong opinions and stubbornness burning out from the screen of my computer, nearly causing me a heart attack at 3 A.M. on an otherwise beautifully cold Sunday morning...
I realized you are all very well off in arguing you're standpoints but Jesus Christ! Come on people! What do you people have against each other? So what if one believes in some sort of god and the other doesn't? Why are you so hot and bothered to disprove the other? Maybe one person needs god to find meaning in their life while the other doesn't.
Anyway, having read many religious texts I've come to the realization that these texts- if used as it should be- leads most people to be, well, good people.
Sure you can say that god is a mythological being or a psychological construct or argue that it is simply illogical, but what is so bad about believing in something that makes life better for you? Sure the use of these texts have led to wars, terrorist bombings, and so on- but these things would of happened anyway just under different reasons. (The simple: "We want freedom from the oppressors, let's take someone's land and start a colony!" The phrase 'God wills it!' isn't even in the picture.) But given any text- in the wrong hands it becomes something ugly.
So what if it is illogical? That doesn't make it wrong. People are the ones that make it wrong or right. If you want to believe in the second coming, far be it from me to tell you otherwise- as long as you don't condemn me to hell for not wanting to follow your religion. I'll respect your right to find meaning in life through religion, if you'll respect my right to find meaning elsewhere (or nowhere.) If you are a good person- religion or no religion, shouldn't matter.
And if you get thrown into another argument about it- take a breather, sit back, listen for once in your life, open your mind, and maybe next time you can stop it before it even starts. Or maybe the subject of religion should be taboo.
Note: I believe in reincarnation, I believe in a soul. However, most people would call me an atheist. I don't follow any religious texts even though I've read a lot of them. (Yes, I've read "The Sermon on the Mount" but I'm no fucking pacifist. Yes, I've read the "Koran" and nowhere does it deem terrorist attacks right- unless you use some screwed up, twisted logic. Yes, I've read "The Book of Mormon" but at best I find it amusing (likewise with everything pertaining to Scientology.) And yes, I've read your "Bible" but it doesn't make me want to believe even if it means I'll burn in eternal hell fire.)