One of the reasons we atheists are atheists is because we have taken the time to read. We have read the Bible, read the Koran and read about history. Many of us have read these so-called “holy books” and realize that they were written by barbaric, ignorant individuals; that they are full of outrageous and outlandish fairy tales; that they were written to control people through fear; that they discriminate against women, and that they support slavery and cruelty.
We have read about the Councils of Nicaea, where many of Christianity’s beliefs were laid out; having nothing to do with spirituality but rather politics, profit for religious and political leaders (Kings and Popes) and control of the masses. We have also read about the Crusades and the Inquisitions, and have learned all about the savagery of religion. We observe what Islamic fundamentalists are doing throughout the world today; how they are indoctrinating the faithful, blind followers who voluntarily give up their lives and kill innocent people in the name of Allah. We also do not turn a blind eye to what Catholic priests are doing to innocent children; a practice that goes back to the beginning of the Church. The history of religious hypocrisy, ferocity and cruelty is endless…
However, above all this, the reason we are knowledgeable, not only as it pertains to religion but in general, is because we are not afraid to QUESTION. As I’ve stated before: “Inquisitiveness is the primary catalyst for the acquisition of knowledge, without it, one remains ignorant.” TGO
Refer to story below. Source: Reuters
DALLAS (Reuters) – They may not believe in God or gods but they know a thing or two about them.
Atheists and agnostics topped a survey of religious knowledge among Americans released on Tuesday by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life.
“On average, Americans correctly answer 16 of the 32 religious knowledge questions on the survey. Atheists and agnostics average 20.9 … Jews and Mormons do about as well, averaging 20.5 and 20.3 correct answers,” Pew said.
It found Protestants answered 16 correctly and Catholics on average 14.7.
On questions about the Bible and Christianity, Mormons and white evangelical Protestants scored the highest, while Jews, atheists and agnostics trumped the other faiths on their knowledge of Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism.
“While previous surveys by the Pew Research Center have shown that America is among the most religious of the world’s developed nations, this survey shows that large numbers of Americans are not well informed about the tenets, practices, history and leading figures of major faith traditions — including their own,” said Pew, which is based in Washington.
To see the “U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey” go to: http://pewforum.org/Other-Beliefs-and-Practices/U-S-Religious-Knowledge-Survey.aspx
Highlights of the survey include:
— More than four-in-10 Catholics do not know that their church teaches that the bread and wine used in Communion actually become the body and blood of Christ.
– About half of Protestants cannot correctly identify Martin Luther as the person who sparked the Protestant Reformation.
– Less than half identified Buddhism as the Dalai Lama’s religion, 51 percent knew that Joseph Smith was Mormon and 54 percent correctly said the Koran is the Islamic holy book. More than 80 percent knew that Mother Teresa was Catholic.
– Nine-in-10 Americans know Supreme Court rulings do not allow teachers to lead public school classes in prayer. But two-thirds incorrectly said Supreme Court rulings prevent them from using the Bible as an example of literature.
(Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
