As you can see from the sidebar, I'm an atheist. I have my thoughts on religion and the practice of religious thought, and they may not be what you think. As they say, it's complicated.
A god is, as near as I can tell, a mental construct peculiar to people. An organizing principle. There doesn't appear to be any testable evidence of the physical presence (reality) of any gods. On this point, my rational mind says, "There are no existing gods of any description, nor were there at any time in the past." Now, I fully understand that a very substantial majority of people are quite certain that not only IS/ARE there a god(s), but that the god(s) they believe to exist is/are THE god(s) and that those other people are WRONG.
I don't begrudge the religious their beliefs. Religion brings joy and solace to many. It is an organizing method and a way of communicating and celebrating shared values that are often positive. I do, however see it as an unfortunate reality that so many people allow their beliefs to function as a reason to wreak psychological havoc.
The organizations of religion trouble me the most. The concentration of moral judgement in the hands of a few people who answer to no one is a fundamental flaw, in my view, especially when these people use their moral judgements to "justify" oppression, homicide, and endless war.
This situation will continue well past my demise. I accept it, but I regret what I regard as the colossal loss to humanity.
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