Tired of tiptoeing around the subject of religion in all my classes in an effort to not offend people. Yes, I genuinely believe no one should be religious. Yes, that includes your religion. Yes, that includes spiritualism and non monotheistic religions. Yes, I genuinely believe the institutional harms of religion entirely outweigh any and all individual benefits. Yes, I think it's odd you believe in something enough to build your life around it with zero evidence that thing exists. Yes, I think it's weird to believe in any sort of god, just like I think it's weird to believe in vampires or ghosts or other made up creatures. No, I don't think religious beliefs should be an acceptable defence for bigotry of any kind, and yes I think it's weird I this is all 'unacceptable' to say in public but anyone can use *insert religion of choice* to justify casual sexism or racism or homophobia without consequences, and yes I think it's weird that I can't point out religion as the driving force behind all of these things without even 'tolerant' or 'accepting' religious people jumping down my throat screaming about how it isn't about religion when it 100% is. Yes, I am aware people are persecuted for their religious beliefs. I'm also aware they are more often than not persecuted by people of other religions, using their religion as an excuse to commit violence against anyone who doesn't share their beliefs. No, I am not naive enough to believe that a world without religion would result in a world without persecution or sexism or racism or homophobia, but I do think a world without religion would get rid of a very convenient excuse for all of those things and that we would be better off without it. Die mad about it.
