Are you a Critic of Religion?

Criticism of Religion: Validity, Concepts, and Practice

• Historical records of criticism of religion go back to at least 5th century BCE in ancient Greece, in Athens specifically, with Diagoras "the Atheist" of Melos.

• Every exclusive religion on Earth that promotes exclusive truth-claims necessarily denigrates the truth-claims of other religions.

• Critics of religion view religion as outdated, harmful to the individual/society, an impediment to the progress of science/humanity, a source of immoral acts/customs, and a political tool for social control.

• Religion is a modern Western concept that developed from the 17th century onwards, not before.

• Voltaire, David Hume, and Thomas Paine were all critical of religion in the 18th century.

• The New Atheists became focal polemicists in modern criticism of religion in the early 21st century.

• Religion is viewed as a social construct and thus just another human ideology.

• Religion developed as a source of comfort in the face of adversity, not as an honest grappling with verifiable truth.

• Religion is viewed as escapism and a tool used by the ruling classes to keep the masses from understanding and overcoming the real source of their suffering.

• Richard Dawkins coined the term "viruses of the mind" to explain the persistence of religious ideas in human culture.

• Some criticisms of religion include inadequate medical care, honor killings, and stoning.

• Religion is viewed as an immature stage of societal development by philosopher Auguste Comte.Religion and its Impact on Society: A Comprehensive Overview

• Stoning was a punishment in Iran for committing adultery, but it was fully scrapped from the books in 2008 and has been excluded from the penal code.

• Female genital mutilation (FGM) has no health benefits and is a violation of basic human rights, even though some practitioners believe in religious support for it. The practice is illegal in all Western countries, and it is also illegal to transport a girl to another country to carry out FGM.

• Male circumcision is required in Judaism, optional in Islam, and not required in Christianity. It is done for religious, social, and health promotion reasons.

• Studies show that higher levels of religious involvement are positively associated with indicators of psychological well-being and less depression, suicidal thoughts and behavior, drug/alcohol use/abuse, delinquency and crime, educational attainment, and purpose/meaning in life.

• Religion can damage society by promoting violence, resistance to social change, attacks on science, repression of women, homophobia, and group solidarity leading to dehumanisation of individuals outside their group.

• Religious terrorism is one of the main threats to humanity's evolution from a Type 0 to a Type 1 civilization.

• The conflict thesis, which argues that religion and science are inherently incompatible, is not held by historians of science today. Many scientists globally do not subscribe to the conflict thesis and believe that the relation between science and religion is independence or collaboration.

• Theistic religions devalue human compassion and morality, and the Bible contains many injunctions against following one's conscience over scripture.

• Teaching certain ideas to children at a young age could foster resistance to doubting those ideas later on.

• Homosexuality is unambiguously condemned in Abrahamic religions, and conservative Christian right groups have filed numerous lawsuits against policies that protect homosexuals from discrimination and hate speech.

• Greater religious identification, extrinsic religiosity, and religious fundamentalism were associated with racial prejudices.

• The content of the holy books of Abrahamic religions contain severe restrictions on the rights of women, ranging from dress codes to their role in society. Some religious practices, such as child marriage, have a negative impact on girls.Criticism of Religion: How it Affects Women, Animals, and Politics

• Religion interferes with bodily autonomy regardless of gender, but fosters particularly negative attitudes towards women's bodies.

• Islamic laws have been criticized for exposing women to mistreatment and violence, preventing them from reporting rape, and contributing to the discrimination of women.

• Christianity has been criticized for portraying women as sinful, untrustworthy, deceitful, and desiring to seduce and incite men into sexual sin.

• Kosher slaughter has been criticized for being inhumane and unsanitary, while animal sacrifice according to Islamic law can’t be stunned before they are killed.

• Dominionism is a political movement among fundamentalist Christians that attempts to impose Christianity as the national faith of the United States.

• Critics view dominionism as an attempt to improperly impose Christianity as the national faith of the United States.

• The term “dominionism” is often used to describe a political movement among fundamentalist Christians.

• Some Christians have made efforts toward establishing racial equality, contributing to the civil rights movement.

• The few full adherents to reconstructionism are limited to conservative Christians.

• The term “dominionism” is vague, unfairly links evangelicals to extremism, and is highly exaggerated.

• Feminist Julie Bindel argues that religions encourage the domination of men over women and that Islam promotes the submission of women to their husbands by encouraging practices such as child marriage.

• The United Nations say that Islam is used to justify unnecessary and harmful female genital mutilation.