Hi Ian - and you are right that much wrong has and is still done in the name of religion.
However it may well be that there actually is more to our lives and what we can see of the universe. If there was more such as a loving being who started everything it would actually explain quite a bit. For example how we are complex enough to be having this conversation - as of last month worlds biggest supercomputers still take 24 hrs to emulate 10sec of brain activity (and we can reproduce ourselves with such little effort!). I'm not an intelligent design fan - but am a qualified vet also interested in physics.
A good listen is:
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/latenightlive/life-after-death/4704348
a fascinating discussion - many hundreds of thousands of cases now known of persons from all cultures report very similar happenings - eg met by a loving being etc etc. The highly qualified emergency specialist explains why it can't just be artefact of brain shutting down / low O2 etc.
Could it be the religious are the brave ones trying to connect with a larger reality in order to share love (which they maintain is the reason for existence)? (I know many religious people share prejudice instead). Cheers Rob

"Freedom from religion" entails freedom from life, freedom from the journey back home to recover one's true divine identity - it would mean being stranded in this world, suffering it for eternity with no relief.

The author has no idea what he's babbling about and asking for. Whatever looks bad, such as authoritarianism and indoctrination, he calls 'religion' while whatever looks good, such as morality and Buddhism, he exempts as 'spirituality'.

He wrongly states that "The basis of most religions is the desire to achieve good outcomes in life" - What a nonsense: that's the basis of ordinary living - the basis of religion is to come closer to and ultimately attain God.

No wonder he is subsequently confused about the meaning of 'good'.
A clear definition of 'good' can be found in Psalm 92:

IT IS GOOD TO GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, TO MAKE MUSIC TO YOUR NAME, O MOST HIGH.

And in the words of Jesus, "No one is good - except God alone".

You don't need to believe in anything or belong to any organisation: so long as there is any goodness in you, there is your religion, there is the spark of God that ultimately brings you back home. However small it may be, no one is without it, no one is completely without religion and without hope.

Writing articles like this will not produce the best karma for you, Ian.

When all the religious people on OLO can tell me who was God's father, Grandfather and so on back, when all things have to have a beginning somewhere regardless of where it is, not sort of start with "I am God" out of nowhere, then I will start to beleive all this complete rubbish about a God that is existent. remember he had to come from somewhere,in conclusion God is only a figament of the imagination created for the benefit of those who do not want to lose their enjoyment they have here, remember before you came you new nothing and likewise after you go.

Dear Ojnab,

<<When all the religious people on OLO can tell me>>

I'll do my best, although I'm not bad enough for the author to recognise me as eligible to answer your questions.

Yes, all things have a beginning. However, God is not a thing.

(for that reason, He cannot also be a figment of imagination: a figment of imagination is still a thing, it even has a beginning!)

Please relax: nobody is asking you to believe that God exists.
Firstly, it's a logical contradiction.
Secondly, believing that God exists is a specific religious technique that suits certain people within the wider context of their religion - if you don't have such a context to begin with, then it would be as useless for you as taking the Eucharist for example or bowing down towards Mecca.

It's a question of memory rather than knowledge: you remember nothing from before you came because you had no brain to store memories in and similarly you will remember nothing of this life after you go because again you will lose this brain you currently have. In fact you don't even remember your experience(s) while you are in deep sleep - What's the big deal about it?

Can I make a suggestion ? Let's keep the senselessnes & stupidity of religion away from sensible discussion ? It is pointless & a no-win situation to argue with religious people.

Dear Individual,

<<It is pointless & a no-win situation to argue with religious people.>>

So it is alright to smear religious people, as the author has just done, but it is not alright for them to try clearing their name over these pages?