Yuyitzu tell me how do you know that God is not a thing, do you have knowledge we Atheists know nothing about, glad he has communicated with you, prove he is not a thing or anything else, unfortunately you will not be able to do that, you may think you can, but believe me you can't.

but it is not alright for them to try clearing their name over these pages?
Yuyutsu,
How can pointing out a fact be smear ? Trying to clear their name ? How can you be so low as to expect sane people to tolerate the hypocrisy that is religion ? I have no problem with people having some form of belief in whatsoever but to shove the hypocrisy of religion down our throats after milennia of proof of its hypocrisy is nothing short of hypocritical.

>>Let's keep the senselessnes & stupidity of religion away from sensible discussion<<

I agree, with the proviso: let's keep the senselessness & stupidity of articles like this about religion away from sensible discussion.

On the other hand the article provides an insight into the author’s troubled soul, since he obviously had a negative experience with something that made him make such sweeping statement about what he understands as being religion.

There is a common attitude of patronising in this author’s articles. He seems to see himself as a guru needing to enlighten the masses. Whilst religion may be rightly described as the opium of the masses so too can be the need to show off one’s intellectual muscles be seen as an opium. It is one thing to have opinions it is another to present them with an arrogance that places you outside of the normal human condition.

What is the point of his telling us that religion is for all intents and purposes ineffectual? If it is then there is no need to waste time and three pages telling us so. Move on to something else. Or is the real aim to impress his audience with his erudition and cleverness of intellect? Why do these writers get a hearing when they have absolutely nothing to offer but to state the obvious? Is OLO so bereft of contributors that it needs to publish what amounts to three pages of personal propaganda?

Dear Ojnab,

Since we both agree that God does not exist, I presume you would agree that He is not a thing. Why then should I waste my limited word-quota on refuting something which we both agree is false anyway?

Dear Individual,

<<How can pointing out a fact be smear?>>

I am a religious person - Are you not then accusing me for a fact of hypocrisy and of shoving anything down your throat, something I've never done, for millennia at that while I haven't yet lived here for even one century?

You are claiming that religion, the centrepiece of my life, is hypocrisy, whatever that should make of me, then deny me the right to defend myself, how wonderful!

Religious people don't shove things down other people's throats. One of the reasons for that is that violence is the primary impediment to religious progress while deception is the second. Another reason is that shoving things down people's throats simply does not bring one any closer to God - neither the shover, nor the throat-owner.

Whatever people shoved things down your throat, if indeed that happened, must have therefore been hypocrite impostors, falsely claiming to be religious.

<<I have no problem with people having some form of belief in whatsoever>>

But I do. I have a problem with people who believe that religion is hypocrisy.

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Sorry my message quota is over now. I will not be able to defend myself further for a while on this topic. I may be able to squeeze a short message or two tomorrow afternoon, though I expect to be very busy. Otherwise I'll answer all accusations on Sunday, if you still have any.

I liked most of the contents of this article, with the exception of the author's obvious affinity with Buddhism.
Buddhism is another religion, because it appears to worship statues of strange rotund men. If that isn't a religion, I would like to know what is!

When I have actual proof of the existence of one or other of the popular Gods of the day, I will believe in religion along with all the others.

When I say proof, I mean actually seeing (hearing?) these beings.
Surely, if they are meant to have 'created' this world, and everything on and around it, he/she/it would allow at least one of us a peek?

Some people seem to believe in the ancient writings of some guys who lived so many thousands of years ago that no one can ever 'prove' that what they wrote was in any way the truth?

"Faith" doesn't do it for me at all.
And here's the thing, for all this atheism, I am told I am not a bad person.
And I have met some truly evil people who profess to 'love' their God.

Amazing really...