Many people ask the question, " why do people attack religion? why can't you have your opinion and I have mine and everyone lives and let lives?" here is why I believe it can never be quite that simple.

The religious are not content to have their opinions just be that, there opinion. They are convinced that they're view of the world, be it Jew or christian or Muslim or Hindu, whatever view of the world they hold, that it be THE view of the world. That laws and legislation should bear the mark of religion. Reason and rationality have no place in their world, they're reason or rational comes from books thousands of years old by people who believed that the forces of nature were unexplained and therefore, supernatural. 

Now, as we enter the 21st century more and more human beings are beginning to ask the question, why? For what reason do we continue to tolerate this superstitious nonsense when there is no verifiable evidence to support it. The religious will say " but that is the point, we don't believe because there is evidence, we have faith and faith does not require evidence." However allowing this line of thought makes it possible for all those who use religion to defraud and pervert the simple belief of so many. Not asking that a belief or a point of view be supported by evidence that can be seen, tested and debated is just asking for trouble. Indeed, the religious rail against anyone who dares to question the validity of their beliefs, some poor souls even tout there lack of evidence proudly. How sad to be proud of a belief that defies all logic and evidence. Yet this, especially in America, is far from the exception.

What then is the alternative? To believe in nothing? I am an atheist but to say I believe in nothing would be an oversimplification of the truth. Why it may be true I have no faith, I do indeed believe in science. The difference between my belief in science and a religious belief is science survives whether I believe or not. I can say the sky is not blue, the planet is not round or that fire will not burn me but my lack of belief will not change the science. Science does not promote truth, only fact. Furthermore, those facts are only the facts of the moment, facts based on a given set of information gathered from many sources at the given point in time. At any moment the information may change and that which was presented as fact may suddenly becomes yesterdays outdated information. This does not phase a scientist, in fact they celebrate it. Each time something science has thought to be true is proven false only makes science stronger. For we only wish to discover fact and explore and expand knowledge, there is no ego no fear of being wrong true science is always trying to disprove itself. It is this drive that makes us humble and reminds us that the more we know, the more we realize how much we have yet to learn.

Science does not permit social injustice and cannot tolerate ignorance that masquerades as reason. Education should be about expanding the mind and giving human beings the tools they need to fulfill their potential not to promote religious ideas or philosophy's. Children should be taught religious points of view in the same breath with Santa clause and the Easter bunny until they are old enough to choose which religion they might wish to align with. 

Our nation stands at a crossroads of decision between two groups, on the one hand is the group who would keep religion at the forefront of social policy, that would protect religious groups as if they deserved to have their ideals and ideas raised among the ideas of others and would force children to be exposed to religious principles as if they were fact not opinion.
The other group, the group to which I belong, would make religion a part of the crowd, having no special classification from any other philosophy. We would build and education system built on science, mathematics, art, history and athletics. To make our centers of learning about educating and not indoctrinating. To make social policy that is based in reason and rationality not fear and superstition. To promote a nation that expresses integrity and character and doesn't need to impose it's values on others. That still believes torture may be effective, but it's also deeply unAmerican. The understands that the United States is a place, but America is an idea. A dream, envisioned by a few in the hopes that one day it might evolve to serve the many. 

Why cant we just all believe what we want to believe? Because truth, is truth and to deny truth for the sake of faith has led us down paths too dark and terrible to imagine before. We cannot allow ourselves to go down those paths again but the choice is ours, and ours alone.

Welcome to my blog. The world is filled with voices, and mine is one more. As the voices around me grow louder and louder, so loud that it seems they would drown out what little sanity remains I will use this little corner as my soap box to share my thoughts, likes, loves and rants with the world. If you should find my insights of value, then please return and read further. Together we will explore the confines of my mind and you can decide if I am a voice of reason or just....one more voice.