What is a good 'symbol' for an atheist to wear?

[Tarquin Farquhar]

Rem Blair was catholic who made his decisions, like bush, with "god on his side" (Dylan 1968). Such a believer, he was happy to be C.O.E. for 8 years. All religion teaches division and hatred. They pretend otherwise.

1964. All correct apart from that

[Moscow Mule]

Wasn't talking about Iraq and Afghanistan. But lets face it religion has been behind many of the wars over time. Religion does no good for anyone.

Except for all of that charity they give out. That does some good. You might argue that it's tainted by evangelism and you'd not get much argument from me, but it's still doing good.

[Paddy]

Sir Mota Singh QC, retired part time Deputy District Judge.
(The equivalent in IT would be 1st line support no longer working.)

[EternalOptimist]

Surely you can have a belief in a God without making a religion of it. It seems to me that the evil lies within the religion, not the belief itself.
Religions are very rarely a force for good, probably because they organisations created and run by men, usually for economic or political ends.
It is religious people who are terrified of hell, the spiritual ones have already been there.

[Jeebo72]

I think that’s stretching the truth. Religion clearly provides benefits for some people; think of the psychological support they gain from their beliefs in tough times. Now I think that’s a false support, but would you really want to say to someone who’s dying of a terminal disease should give up his belief in a god?

I have a good friend with whom I played rugby for many years; he’s 35 and is suffering from inoperable brain cancer. I’ve known him as an athlete and a confident teacher, but he’s also a lay preacher. The one thing that makes his days bearable is his belief in his god; there’s no way I’m going to try and talk him out of his beliefs even though I’m certain it’s a false comfort to think he’s going off to heaven shortly, but it makes life bearable for him and his family. To say religion does nobody any good is just going to far.

I’m not sure that everyone’s suited to atheism; it takes some courage and a considerable degree of intellectual conviction to throw off the beliefs you’ve been brought up with and accept a universe with no guiding ideal and not everyone can do that or should be expected to do that.

If you think deluding yourself is good then that’s fine.
If have many friends, and I too, have gone through great tragedies. Some believe in God, some don’t. I too would never try to talk them out of believing ion god, in these times, but they always try to “convert” me in dire times. All part of the brainwashing methinks.

[VectraMan]

I have a good friend with whom I played rugby for many years; he’s 35 and is suffering from inoperable brain cancer. I’ve known him as an athlete and a confident teacher, but he’s also a lay preacher. The one thing that makes his days bearable is his belief in his god; there’s no way I’m going to try and talk him out of his beliefs even though I’m certain it’s a false comfort to think he’s going off to heaven shortly, but it makes life bearable for him and his family. To say religion does nobody any good is just going to far.

Indeed, but perhaps if you're going to have a delusion, there's better delsions to have. A terminal cancer patient might feel better by convincing themselves the doctors were wrong and that they'd pull through. Would anybody tell them that they're wrong?

[Jeebo72]

Surely you can have a belief in a God without making a religion of it.

Agreed, but they always do. Pack instinct. We are pack animals after all.

[Mich the Tester]

Would anybody tell them that they're wrong?

Yes, the Grim Reaper would.

[Jeebo72]

Except for all of that charity they give out. That does some good. You might argue that it's tainted by evangelism and you'd not get much argument from me, but it's still doing good.

All the money they give out? A small portion of the money they take, after building temples of gold ... don't make me laugh.

[Jeebo72]

1964. All correct apart from that

I was doing it from memory!