^^:S I dont even know all that, how do you :O
Not believing in anything is still a belief itself. Everyone has a god or religion in one way or another. People would do anything for money as would people for God. You might not worship God but you could worship your desires, do anything to satisfy it. There really is no difference.
Hmm, in some ways yeah, everyone has a God, but wealth isnt worshipped, popstars are not worshipped. Only Religion can create such emotions and fervor. (I Include Juche and communism etc as religions here).
There's some girls out there who have Britney Spears posters on their walls, want to dress like her, sing like her, have the hair, (or shave it off) like her, would like her money, her trailertrash boyfreind etc etc. But they dont "Worship" her.
They dont beleive that Britney can affect their life, that she created anything other than some utterly spewsome records, that she can intercede for them, that she can move a grain of sand with her will. They just see her as a cool pop star and in that they are deluded, because everyone knows that Muse are the kings of emo-rock. They are merely speaking falsehood from ignorance.
A religion has all of the above that Britney or a ferrari or anything worldly lacks.
If Britney commits suicide she is sort of a martyer, but her followers dont beleive she
rises again, (actually some Elvis fans think that he has!), and they simply go on to listening to Christina Aguilara.
I'll take the point that everyone has a God though. I havnt met an atheist that can explain how the universe began. I'll take any explaination they throw up and say "OK, thats God". Not one.
I havnt seen a single theists arguement that cant be passed off as mass hysteria and social conditioning. Not one.
I will say this. It is human nature, (actually male nature), to kick the crud out of something.
It's my position that if the world submitted to Islam or Christianity or Judism then the day after, humans would be killing the Heretical infidel sunni's or shias or catholics or christodelphians or orthodox jews, when the world was down to one sect,(lets say the Strong City Travesser worshippers) then they would be killing over the lack of piety in the least pious member, and the final person on earth would hold Gods "true blessing".
With the abandonment of religion, there can be a chance to say "we are all the same, we are all equal, we can grow and respect each other, we can resolve our differences". Its all a pipe dream, but its a solid pipe dream compared to heaven or hell being fuelled with the souls of the "infidel".
