Religilous

Bill Maher says it well:

"The irony of religion is that because of its power to divert man to destructive courses, the world actually could come to an end. A lot of people throughout the world believe in “end times”, where there will be a great reckoning or a rapture. But if one believes that the world is going to come to an end and perhaps imminently; does it not drain one’s motivation to improve life on earth while we are here? The plain fact is religion must die in order for mankind to live. The hour is getting very late to be able to indulge in having key decisions made by religious people, by irrationalists. Faith means making a virtue out of not thinking. It’s nothing to brag about, and those who preach faith and enable and elevate it, are intellectual slave-holders. Keeping mankind in a bondage to fantasy and nonsense that has spawned and justified so much lunicy and destruction already. Religion is dangerous because it allows human beings who don’t have all the answers to think that they do. Most people would think its wonderful when someone says “I’m willing lord, I’ll do whatever you want me to do.” Except that since there are no gods actually talking to us, that void is filled in by people with their own corruptions, limitations, and agendas. Anyone who says they know what happens after someone dies, is a liar. It is impossible to know. The only appropriate attitude for mankind to have about “the big questions” is not the arrogant certitude that is the hallmark of religion, but doubt. Doubt is humble and that’s what man needs to be considering. That human history is just a linary of getting things wrong. This is why rational people or anti-religionists must end their timidity, come out of the closet and assert themselves. Those who consider themselves only “moderately religious” really need to look in the mirror and realize that the solace and comfort religion may bring actually comes at a terrible price. If theists belonged to a political party or a social club that was tied to as much bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, violence and sheer ignorance as religion is, they would resign and protest. To do otherwise is to be an enabler a “Mafia wife” for the true devils of extremism that draw their legitimacy from the billions of their fellow travelers. If the world does come to an end here, or wherever, or if it limps into the future decimated by the effects of a religion-inspired nuclear terrorism, let’s remember what the real problem was. That we learned how to precipitate mass death before we got passed the neurological disorder of wishing for it."