An Appropriate Quote.

"Why is it that people believe it? [Religion.] I think I can make a guess. I think people are afraid of dying and I also think they can be persuaded that an exception can be made in their own case." -Christopher Hitchens

Why not respect my belief? What's so hard about that?

If I told you I know—for sure—that I'm winning the lottery this week, would you respect my belief that I know—for sure—that I'm winning the lottery?

You'd say, I don't believe you. It's just a belief.

If I spent thousands of dollars from my checking account purchasing things for myself because of my belief of winning the lottery this week and I told all my friends I was doing this—when I did *not* win the lottery, what would people think of me?

They would think I was foolish and acted on wishful thinking, at least. Don't you agree? I'm sure other people might think I was insane or at least, temporarily insane.

Do we respect beliefs?

No.

No? Errr...

Hell no.

That's better.

Why would anyone be so easily taken to believing that things must come from the outside, the supernatural?

Why do so many people in the United States and elsewhere look to the outside for answers? Religion, karma, astrology, for example. We are the highest primates on earth with an incredible brain, intuition, reason and instinct, for most of us.

We simply need to look within for good problem solving capability, for answers, hope, creativity, purpose and fortitude. When people look to the outside, to the supernatural, for anything you don't understand or anything you need, all personal responsibility is taken away which all morals and ethics must depend.

Are you certain that your god is real?

"Given the amount of uncertainty that we have, and given how much more we know about how little we know (the definition of education in our civilization), the only people who have to lose in this argument (God is real, I know God, I talk to God, etc.) are those who say they do know, claiming to know things they cannot conceivably know." -Christopher Hitchens.

We don't reward people for wishful thinking.

"We need to cease to reward people for pretending to know things they do not know. And the only area of discourse where we do this is, is on the subject of God." – Sam Harris.