edit: fix title.

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People are weak, and that is why religion becomes bad. Corrupt men always gravitate towards pwerful positions in religions throughout the world. They do this because they can manipulate the weak-minded followers.

That is the reason I have this quote at the end of my posts:

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Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum
(To such heights of evil are men driven by religion)

I will probably go see this movie (or at leas wait until I can rent it).

However, I don't like how Bill Maher and a lot of other religious critics tend to generalize and simplify religion. They tend to take the literal scripture of religion and debunk it using science without looking at the profound philosophical and theological tenets of religion that make it so appealing towards so many people

Secondly, he, and other so called "anti-theists", tend to focus on the "three": Christianity, Judaism and Islam, while ignoring Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Confucist teachings and "animism" for a lack of a better word. Although all of those religions have a deep-rooted mytholog, their basic teachings are practical towards examining the self and one's relationship with the world.

As an agnostic with pretty strong atheistic tendencies, I like to understand religion without simply formulating a stereotypic image of it. Unfortunatly, Maher and his anti-theistic collegues continue to reinforce this stereotype without adding much complexity or meaning to most religious studies, and thus perpetuate this religion vs science battle.

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It is much easier to mock the followers and call out the corrupt leaders...like Pat Robertson.

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Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum
(To such heights of evil are men driven by religion)

Oh, and its much more fun as well. And that's why I will probably go see it.

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how else should one combat nonsense but by ridicule? anything less and you risk legitimizing and encouraging false, ridiculous beliefs. most atheists can appreciate religion for its positive aspects -- its universal, secular ones -- but the purely religious parts are usually the only things under attack. i dont recall ever hearing an atheist criticize religion for saying you shouldnt kill people or anything like that.

religion is simple. its religion. anything worth taking from religion is also worthwhile in the secular realm, thus not really religious.

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(me too)

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Tantum religio potuit suadere malorum
(To such heights of evil are men driven by religion)

That's not true, I can name several things in religion that AREN'T simple and anyone that thinks Daoist philosophy or the arguments of Thomas Aquinas or Zen Buddhism is simple is clearly misunderstood in the study of religions.

And its very obvious that "anything worth taking from religion is also worthwhile in the secular realm" is obviously not true as well.

And I am not talking about the morality issues of religion that teach how to just live a pure and simple life, I am refering to the philosophical arguments dealing with the self and how the one is viewed in society and in the spiritual realm.

What atheist usually attack are the literal scriptures and the aspects of morality.

Good examples are that God created earth in 7 days or that he even exists.
and that women must wear a veil in accordance to islam.

However, I have not seen many attacks or discussions on the sociological, psychological and philosophical impacts of having a religion and what it does for the solidarity of a group and how it promotes a style of life that hasn't really been examined by the secular world.

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oh, its absolutely true.

another good clip:

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This is gonna be a good movie. Maher has a tendency to oversimplify things, but I think this is a good thing for those who are on the fence or those who may not have strong faith in a god. It will help them see the light.