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FREEDOM FROM RELIGION

Why is freedom of religion important?


In modern times the first to speak out for prison reform, for humane treatment of the mentally ill,
for abolition of capital punishment, for women's right to vote, for death with dignity for the
terminally ill, and for the right to choose contraception, sterilization and abortion have been
freethinkers, just as they were the first to call for an end to slavery.
There is worldwide belief that being free from religion, or in other words an atheist basically
means that you worship the devil. This is not true, nor is it true that because of the fact that
atheists dont have a moral guide to live their lives they dedicate themselves to bad habits or
even a life of crime.
But it is true that there are people in the world who will do bad things, and they will still
hide behind their religion, they will sin and it will not matter because as long as you ask for
forgiveness youre good to go. And we see this in everyday life, even if we dont consciously
notice it. For example, a man rapes a little boy, the man goes to jail and receives the beating of a
lifetime, then the man joins gods side and learns that what he did was bad, but if he asks for
forgiveness then he will be admitted into heaven, now this man know he can do all kinds of bad
things and he will always be forgiven as long as he asks for it, see where Im going with this?
There is also a study that shows that people who grow up in religious homes grow up to
be more tense, violent, scared and more prone to blow up on little things. Religious people teach
their kids that they are constantly being watched, their thoughts and everything they do is being
judged and if they do not follow a complex set of rules they do not understand, they will surely
suffer for all eternity burning in hell. This is not something seen as normal in the Atheist
community, because people shouldnt be able to strike fear into kids to make them believe in
these wild stories. It is not fair to scar children for life by tricking them into thinking they are
being watched and heard constantly and there is nothing they can do about it.

Atheism: Meaning
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No one asks this question enough. The reason no one asks this question a lot is because most
people have preconceived ideas and notions about what an Atheist is and is not. Where these
preconceived ideas come from varies, but they tend to evolve from theistic influences or other
sources.
Atheism is usually defined incorrectly as a belief system. Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a
denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods. Older dictionaries define atheism as "a belief that
there is no God." Some dictionaries even go so far as to define Atheism as "wickedness,"
"sinfulness," and other derogatory adjectives. Clearly, theistic influence taints dictionaries.
People cannot trust these dictionaries to define atheism. The fact that dictionaries define Atheism
as "there is no God" betrays the (mono) theistic influence. Without the (mono) theistic influence,
the definition would at least read "there are no gods."
Why should atheists allow theists to define who atheists are? Do other minorities allow the
majority to define their character, views, and opinions? No, they do not. So why does everyone
expect atheists to lie down and accept the definition placed upon them by the worlds theists?
Atheists will define themselves.
Atheism is not a belief system nor is it a religion. While there are some religions that are atheistic
(certain sects of Buddhism, for example), that does not mean that atheism is a religion. Two
commonly used retorts to the nonsense that atheism is a religion are: 1) If atheism is a religion
then bald is a hair color, and 2) If atheism is a religion then health is a disease. A new one
introduced in 2012 by Bill Maher is, "If atheism is a religion, then abstinence is a sexual
position."
The only common thread that ties all atheists together is a lack of belief in gods and supernatural
beings. Some of the best debates we have ever had have been with fellow atheists. This is
because atheists do not have a common belief system, sacred scripture or atheist Pope. This

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means atheists often disagree on many issues and ideas. Atheists come in a variety of shapes,
colors, beliefs, convictions, and backgrounds. We are as unique as our fingerprints.

Being an Atheist
"Sometimes things need to be said, and fights need to be fought even if they are unpopular. To
the closeted atheists, you are not alone, and you deserve equality."
So goes the rousing speech from the American Atheists president, David Silverman, in the
opening moments of the first US television broadcaster dedicated to those who do not believe in
God, Atheist TV.
A series of testimonies from prominent atheists then follows.
"It's one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life and I completely advocate people
'coming out'," says Mark Hatcher, from Black Atheists of America.
"Coming out" is how many atheists in the USA describe what a very difficult admission to make
publicly remains, for many.
At one of the biggest gatherings of atheist students in the country, in Columbus, Ohio, Jamila
Bey from the Secular Student Alliance said there were many attendees who were nervous about
being interviewed and had indicated so by what they were wearing around their neck.
"Red lanyards mean 'You may not talk to me'," says Bey. "A number of the students we have
aren't 'out'. Their parents may not know that they are atheist or questioning their religion."
She said many were worried about being ostracized or were even scared of violence if they
revealed they did not believe in God.
Lasan Dancay-Bangura, 22, is happy to talk to us. He is, after all, head of his university's atheist
student group. He lets out a deep, sad sigh as he recalls the moment he told his mother he was an
atheist. "Things were really not good to begin with. She was so angry," he says.
"After a while I think she just accepted it. We still don't talk about it. It looks like she's not going
to kick me out." Dancay-Bangura admits that he still has not told his father.
"I don't want our relationship to be destroyed because of that," he says. "You hear it all the time."
"And you hear about people being kicked out, and sent to bible camps where they're forced to be
religious. I don't want to lose my father to that."

My Opinion
I have chosen to be an atheist because I chose peoples feelings over gods. I know a lot of gay
people, I know a lot of people who have had an abortion, and I know a lot of people who are
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atheists and are being oppressed by the masses simply because they refuse to believe in a book
that was written hundreds of years ago. I chose to be an atheist because I do not believe that we
are so horribly imperfect that our creator should forgive us, nor do I believe we should live our
lives on our knees praying the worlds problems away. I believe in taking a stand and helping
those that need help, regardless of their beliefs, their gender, or their sexuality. I do not
discriminate simply because you do not abide by the rules of a deity, which no one has seen nor
is it scientifically proven to exist. I do not believe in being born a sinner simply because the first
man and woman disobeyed, nor do I believe that that sin is passed down from parents to children
and they have to be forgiven even before committing any real sin of their own.
I believe in freedom, from fear and from prejudice, I believe in lending a hand without looking at
the one that needs it, I believe we are all equal but unique at the same time, I believe children
should be taught to be good without being offered a reward in heaven, and should be taught that
being evil hurts feelings instead of teaching them that being evil wins you a ticket burning for all
eternity. I want to help kids that need help, regardless if they are a different race or if they like
their same gender, but most of all I want kids to know that they are free, I want them to know
they can like whatever they like, they can marry whoever they want and they can abort if they
need to. I am not going to stand by while millions of kids everywhere live victimized because
they dont understand what they are feeling and are being shut down by their families because
what they are feeling is wrong in the eyes of their god, I want to help people understand they
are not sheep, they are not to punish their children for being different, and they are not to hurt
people because they believe in something different. I want to live in a free world, and I am doing
what I can to make this a reality. I have made many stands, participated in many riots and
protests and have signed many petitions, but there is always more to do. If you cant find a good
person, be one. Make a change, do something good for someone, help someone in need. Be the
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person youd like to encounter when you are in trouble. It does not cost much to help but your
reward, seeing a smile in someones face, their gratefulness is something that will make you see
that it does not take much to be kind, and you do not need to expect a reward to make you want
to be good again. It only takes a little bit of effort to change the world, one person at a time.
Kids need love, and understanding, they need a sense of stability and a warm home to hide from
what terrorized them in the outside world, where will they go if they are being terrorized in their
own home too? Children are the future, and we need to teach them exactly what we want to see
then.
References
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-28616115
http://atheists.org/activism/resources/what-is-atheism

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