The bad things about religions

New article at Raw Story is titled, “These are the 12 worst ideas religion has unleashed on the world.” If only religions would divest themselves of these tendencies. But then, if they did so, they wouldn’t be considered religions.

Chosen People

Heretics

Holy War

Blasphemy – Blasphemy is the notion that some ideas are inviolable, off limits to criticism, satire, debate, or even question.

Glorified suffering

Genital mutilation

Blood sacrifice

Hell

Karma

Eternal Life

Male Ownership of Female Fertility

Bibliolatry (aka Book Worship)

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Erich Vieth

Erich Vieth is an attorney focusing on civil rights (including First Amendment), consumer law litigation and appellate practice. At this website often writes about censorship, corporate news media corruption and cognitive science. He is also a working musician, artist and a writer, having founded Dangerous Intersection in 2006. Erich lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his two daughters.

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Avatar of Mike Morris
    Mike Morris

    This list is impressive in a really bad way. What other organization can come close to having this many terrible ideas? I’m reluctant to mention the runners-up in this regard, because it’s not going to be a flattering comparison.

    1. Avatar of Erich Vieth
      Erich Vieth

      Mike: I know that some religions do not embrace all of these ideas, and others downplay some or all, but this list invites a thought experiment: Suppose you and I decided to start an organization today, any kind of organization, and used any of these techniques as the foundational principles. I truly don’t know more than a small handful of people who would join my organization, I know that I would lose the friendship of hundreds of people I admire and care about.

      Yet religions march on, with 80% or so of Americans afraid to cut the cord.

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