Difference between revisions of "Antitheism"
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===The Inquisition was Catholic=== | ===The Inquisition was Catholic=== | ||
| − | "The Inquisition was Catholic", while true, is not a belief of antitheism per se, but rather refers to a particular line of argument commonly used by antitheists. The opposite of the "Stalin was an atheist" argument used by religious fundamentalists, "the Inquisition was Catholic" argument attempts to hold the opponent responsible for the fact that many many years ago, someone they never met killed a lot people. | + | "The Inquisition was [[Catholic]]", while true, is not a belief of antitheism per se, but rather refers to a particular line of argument commonly used by antitheists. The opposite of the "Stalin was an atheist" argument used by religious fundamentalists, "the Inquisition was Catholic" argument attempts to hold the opponent responsible for the fact that many many years ago, someone they never met killed a lot people. |
It never occurs to either side that both arguments are the equivalent of arguing that Germans born ''after'' World War II are still somehow responsible for the [[Holocaust]]. It would, of course be perfectly reasonable to hold the Nazis responsible for the holocaust. | It never occurs to either side that both arguments are the equivalent of arguing that Germans born ''after'' World War II are still somehow responsible for the [[Holocaust]]. It would, of course be perfectly reasonable to hold the Nazis responsible for the holocaust. | ||
Revision as of 10:26, 26 September 2008
Antitheism is a subset of atheism which holds that religion is harmful to society.
Associated beliefs
While not part necessarily part of a strict definition of antitheism, there are several beliefs closely associated with antitheism, which are unavoidable in most interactions with antitheists:
- Strong atheism—"I can prove God does not exist".
- Belief in God(s) belies intellectual inferiority on the part of the believer.
- Religion is an attempt by the "priesthood class" to control society.
- Religion must be eliminated in order for humanity to achieve its full potential.
The Inquisition was Catholic
"The Inquisition was Catholic", while true, is not a belief of antitheism per se, but rather refers to a particular line of argument commonly used by antitheists. The opposite of the "Stalin was an atheist" argument used by religious fundamentalists, "the Inquisition was Catholic" argument attempts to hold the opponent responsible for the fact that many many years ago, someone they never met killed a lot people.
It never occurs to either side that both arguments are the equivalent of arguing that Germans born after World War II are still somehow responsible for the Holocaust. It would, of course be perfectly reasonable to hold the Nazis responsible for the holocaust.
Problems with antitheism
In order for anthitheism to be correct, it requires that religion never be beneficial—ever. Otherwise, if religion were somehow beneficial in any circumstances, it would simply become a matter of determining under which circumstances. To wax metaphorical, antitheism is the belief that the entire tree needs to be uprooted, instead of just needing all the ugly parts pruned off.
Similarities with conspiracy theories
Those antitheists who subscribe to the latter three of the associated beliefs listed above share unfortunate similarities with conspiracy theorists. To expound:
| Antitheism | Conspiracy theory |
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Just sayin', is all.