XPost: alt.atheism, alt.agnosticism   
   From: barker_pb@erinot.com   
      
   George Plimpton  wrote:   
   > Usually, yes.   
   >   
   > Fuckwit Harrison is talking about "future farm animals" that don't exist   
   > - at least, they don't exist to any rational thinker.  Fuckwit thinks   
   > they exist "in some sense" and have moral standing and deserve moral   
   > consideration.  He's an idiot for thinking that.  You're an idiot for   
   > thinking he might mean something else.   
   >   
      
   Religion represents a huge financial and work burden on mankind. It's   
   not just a matter of religious believers wasting their money on church   
   buildings; think of all the time and effort spent building churches,   
   praying, and so on. Imagine how that effort could be better spent.   
      
   Many theists believe in miracle healing. There have been plenty of   
   instances of ill people being "healed" by a priest, ceasing to take the   
   medicines prescribed to them by doctors, and dying as a result. Some   
   theists have died because they have refused blood transfusions on   
   religious grounds.   
      
   It is arguable that the Catholic Church's opposition to birth   
   control--and condoms in particular--is increasing the problem of   
   overpopulation in many third-world countries and contributing to the   
   spread of AIDS worldwide.   
      
   Religious believers have been known to murder their children rather than   
   allow their children to become atheists or marry someone of a different   
   religion. Religious leaders have been known to justify murder on the   
   grounds of blasphemy.   
      
   There have been many religious wars. Even if we accept the argument that   
   religion was not the true cause of those wars, it was still used as an   
   effective justification for them.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)