Better World Without Religion?

A reply to a whole series of videos by fakesagan in which he argues that Secular Humanism is a dangerous cult:

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=wvEijsiwABw&feature=channel_page
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs4ZwSHOpUY
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ula6_GFFlQ
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=nfghJB_Agtg&feature=channel_page
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=OcVev_RKW6E&feature=channel_page
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=CIoUMxwLatc
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=0-4QTRoM0z4http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=IbyCjl...
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=qE6myL7wgM0&feature=channel_page
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=uJJhOWaY_cI&feature=channel_page

Tribalism may always afflict the world, but the fewer tribes the better, and at least without religion we'd be far more confident of continuing to have a world.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Fakesagan
• Secular
• Humanism
• Cult
• religion
• utopia
• armageddon
• Christianity
• Islam
• Individualism
• Collectivism

[Doctrinius]

I watched your video because I saw your comment on PhilHellenes video, which I too found to be very powerful, and I just wanted to compliment you on a very nice first video. Calm and thoughtful commentary is always nice to see, and I agree with your outlook.

It's downright scary to see fundamentalists gather and talk about how they just can't wait for the conflict to end all conflicts to unfold and for Jesus to ascend to Israel or whatever insane apocalyptic views they've latched on to.

[LeafInTheStream]

Thanks for the kind words, Doctrinius.

Yes, it is scary. And my fears aren't ameliorated by the many non-religious people (like Fakesagan) who can't seem to see the mushroom clouds on the horizon.

[carlswitzerfan]

BORING! and WTF is that shit on your nose???? your zit is bigger than URANIS!

[LeafInTheStream]

Having just watched your "Obama Mask" video, all I can say is this: "glass houses!"

[philhellenes]

I've not seen many "first vids" as impressive as this.

I hope Fakey takes it as it has been delivered, calmly and thoughtfully. He seems to have taken any and all criticism of his secular humanist series on the chin. I see no reason why he should be any different with you.

If you see this comment Fakey, if you think I'm encouraging Leaf, on THIS occasion you are entirely correct. I'm encouraging him to make more videos, that's all.

[windham666]

bravo mr leaf. bravo. in the nuclear era, we can't tolerate apocalyptic belief systems.

[stratocaster539]

Great points.

[kingthamus]

I will.

Also, it is encouraging to see the protests in Iran. I think change is coming to the Middle East.  I'm not making any prophecies--but I can hope.

[LeafInTheStream]

The claim of Fakesagan's that I was questioning here was that secular humanism is dangerous and a cult.

My philosophical objections to (aspects of) secular humanism seem to me to be too academic to warrant any alarm or hostility on my part.

Plus, it *is* difficult to address *everything* in 10 minutes. I could have made a 25 minute reply to Fakesagan, easily.

[TheIllegit]

Fair enough, however in defending secular humanism, you associate yourself with these doctrines, as secular humanism proclaims to follow most of the principles of naturalism (with some others added). Which is essentially my argument; that secular humanism is internally contradictory.

[LeafInTheStream]

When you ask why life is preferable to death, whose life are you talking about, and preferable to whom? Are you asking, for example, why my brother should prefer me to be alive rather than dead? If you are asking about my life vs my death and my preference, then again I ask, are we assuming here that I don't care about the people who care about me, who would be rather upset if my life ended?

[LeafInTheStream]

I'm most assuredly not a materialist, or even a naturalist. Many atheists are, no doubt, but as I said in my "The Hell You Say" vid, "I see enough strange things in the universe to give me *some* sympathy for people who say there must be some-kind-of-somthing that we *might* call God." What I object to is infinitely multi-tasking best selling authors, not deism.