What Is So Bad About Religion?

my comments in green
source: http://www.atheistrev.com/2009/11/whats-so-bad-about-religion.html
What's So Bad About Religion? AtheistRevolution says

• Religion is Inherently Divisive
  
• labeling children as belonging to various faith traditions about which they may know little
• see the 'Please don't label me - let me grow up and choose for myself' campaign organised by the British Humanist Association this week
• segregating schools
• faith schools in UK - ACCORD coalition is a group of Secular & Religious groups who are concerned about faith schools in the UK
• taboos about marrying out of the in-group
• [sometimes] dehumanize members of the out-group
• [sometimes] makes the wholesale slaughter of out-group members permissible
• Some Elements of Religious Doctrine are Directly Harmful
  
• "end times" theology (has this spread to the UK?)
• little motivation to improve one's world if one is convinced that the end is coming during one's lifetime. c.f. Humanists believe that this is the only life we have and that their is no other world after we die
• If a politician is convinced that the end of the world is right around the corner, we cannot expect him or her to pursue policies in the long-term interest of our nation and the future generations which will inhabit it.
• We may even be forced to imagine the same politician attempting to hasten the end through deliberately provoking wars, foreign occupations, and the like. I don't know of any politicians that really think this way - but then I don't live in the USA!
• how many other institutions or belief systems could lead one to bring about mass destruction to hasten an afterlife? 
• How many other institutions or belief systems could so effectively motivate the sort of suicide bombings that have become so common in Iraq?  Indeed, what is the psyche of suicide bombers?
• the stubborn insistence that we cling to such antiquated ethical systems hinders progress in a number of important domains (e.g., human rights, gender equality, reproductive rights, slavery, stem cell research, etc.).
• Summary
  
• What is so bad about religion is that
• it divides people and demonizes the out-group to the point where virtually any fate inflicted on them can be justified as divinely sanctioned. 
• What is so bad about religion is that 
• it fosters a primitive form of morality that hinders progress in virtually any domain beneficial to our modern world. 
• What is so bad about religion is that 
• it facilitates the commission of atrocities by good people who are merely pursuing "the divine."

Read further arguments at Atheist Revolution

petition the Prime Minister to Scrap traditional Religious Education in schools and replace with Anthropological studies

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We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Scrap traditional Religious Education in schools and replace with Anthropological studies. More details

Submitted by C. F. Still – Deadline to sign up by: 23 March 2008 – Signatures: 55

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Anthropology is the cultural and physical/biological study of man and human populations. Teaching this would promote religious and cultural awareness without bias. Lesson plans should/could consider and incorporate demographic (population characteristics). Our society is now hugely multicultural, education should reflect this.

petition the Prime Minister to make religious education in all schools compulsory

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We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to make religious education in all schools compulsory.

Submitted by Helen Bond – Deadline to sign up by: 27 November 2007 – Signatures: 55

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We believe that a lot of religious based violence and bullying could be stopped if children were educated on the morals, customs and ethics of all the world's religions instead of having their education in that direction left at the mercy of unfair stereotypes. People are afraid of what they do not understand, religious education would provide understanding and encourage tolerance

reposted from: PM
my: highlights / emphasis / key points / comments

petition the Prime Minister to Remove the statutory obligation in schools to provide a 'broadly Christian' daily assembly

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We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Remove the statutory obligation in schools to provide a 'broadly Christian' daily assembly.

Submitted by Carol Haynes – Deadline to sign up by: 17 September 2007 – Signatures: 90

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Religious observance in schools is divisive, especially when the obligation is exclusively to the Christian faith.

The link between state education and religious observance should be removed completely allowing atheists and those of other faiths to participate in school life on an equal basis.

Allowing an individual to "opt out" is not sufficient as this categorises and potentially stigmatises children.

Furthermore in rural areas often ONLY faith schools are available locally. This discriminates against non-religious children and teachers (who often can't be employed without religious hypocrisy) and those of other faiths.

reposted from: PM
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petition the Prime Minister to Outlaw in full all aspects of religion, religious education, publications, establishments and groups within the UK

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We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Outlaw in full all aspects of religion, religious education, publications, establishments and groups within the United Kingdom.

Submitted by Jason Higginbotham

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To remove the chorosive influence of religions in society; from the denial of scientific fact to the enforced marriages and genital mutilation that often occur. To create an atheist society based around scientific endeavour and minds free from superstition. As everyone is essentially born atheist, there should be no opportunity for schools, institusions, parents or anyone else from forcing their unproven and unprovable beliefs down anyones throats.

Petition Rejected

This petition has been rejected because:

• It was similar to and/or overlaps with an existing petition or petitions

Additional information about this rejection:
This petition is very similar to several others http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/abolishreligion/ http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Religions/ http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/endfaithschools/ Please consider signing one of those, rather than setting up your own.

reposted from: PM - petition rejected
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petition the Prime Minister to protect the theory of creation as a viable alternative to the big bang theory in educational establishments

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to protect the theory of creation as a viable alternative to the big bang theory in educational establishments.

Submitted by Helen Gerling

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In opposition to petitions such as those which request the removal of religious study or the teaching of Creationism in schools, we request that the Prime Minister protect, for future generations, the theory of Creation. This theory is as scientifically and philosophically viable as the Big Bang theory or the theory of Evolution and should be treated as such in schools. This would help prevent the uninformed intolerance of alternative scientific viewpoints and encourage the openness that drives scientific discovery forwards. Such an official protection would also encourage people to understand that religion is not necessarily negated by science and that following a religion does not, in itself, mean that an individual is ignorant or irrational.

Petition Rejected

This petition has been rejected because:

• It was similar to and/or overlaps with an existing petition or petitions

Additional information about this rejection:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/beliefs/ While not exactly identical to this petition it is similar, as it is on the same issue and with the same goal. We are trying to avoid duplication as this has been requested by users, both so they can access the petitions more easily and so the signatures are not dilluted among multiple petitions.

reposted from: PM - Rejected Petition
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petition the Prime Minister to Ban all Faith Schools

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Ban all Faith Schools.

Submitted by Alan Twiss of none

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It would appear that children have no human rights when it comes to religion. They are brainwashed into religion at faith schools and have no redress against such. All children should have an education that incorporates generalizations on all religions as well as agnostic arguments against them.It is also important to tell them why people need, or do not need such beliefs thereby giving them a more rounded view of others. Let children make their own minds up as to which religion is for them when they are more informed and old enough to comprehend. Create academic NOT religious schools.

This petition has been rejected because:

• It was similar to and/or overlaps with an existing petition or petitions

Additional information about this rejection:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/faithschools/
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/imarekab/

reposted from: PM - Rejected due to duplicate
my: highlights / emphasis / key points / comments

petition the Prime Minister to remove collective worship in schools

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This petition is now closed, as its deadline has passed.

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to remove collective worship in schools.

Submitted by Phillipa Smith – Deadline to sign up by: 08 April 2007 – Signatures: 277

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The law that requires daily acts of collective worship is outdated, and against the human rights of the child to have an education free from religious indoctrination.

In collective worship there is no equality for all, no adequate provisions for those wishing to opt out of it, and it discriminated against those particularly with no faith. It also breaches equal rights.

Religious practice is not education, it is faith, and should be kept seperate from an educational environment.

reposted from: PM (Petition now closed)
my: highlights / emphasis / key points / comments

petition the Prime Minister to withdraw all funding from religious schools

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We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to withdraw all funding from religious schools.

Submitted by K. R. Hose – Deadline to sign up by: 12 February 2008 – Signatures: 154

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Religion is divisive. Whereas all should have the right to sponsor institutions of whatever type from their own funds, public money should not be used to support them.

reposted from: PM - Sign here
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petition the Prime Minister to Ensure Evolution-based Science is taught in Schools and NOT Creationism.

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We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Ensure Evolution-based Science is taught in Schools and NOT Creationism. More details

Submitted by Richard Painter of none – Deadline to sign up by: 16 January 2008 – Signatures: 265

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It is generally accepted that the Theory of Evolution - with some extensions and qualifications - is the best explanation for the variety, extent and development of life on earth. Nonetheless there are those who, on the basis of religious faith, are intent on exposing school children to ideas such as creationism, so-called "Intelligent Design" and other varieties of religious dogma for which there is no scientific or factual basis. Some schools are teaching such creationism as "fact" or undermining the scientific theories by promoting doubt and highlighting any shortcomings whilst suggesting that creationism be accepted as an article of faith despite the lack of factual or evidentiary support. This petition calls for the latter views to be clearly categorised as "religious beliefs" and that in science classes, the predominance of the scientifically-based, evolutionary hypothesis be advanced as the generally accepted and most likely to be true.

reposted from: PM
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petition the Prime Minister to Protect the teaching of creationism and other religious beliefs in all schools.

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We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Protect the teaching of creationism and other religious beliefs in all schools. More details

Submitted by B Stanley – Deadline to sign up by: 18 December 2007 – Signatures: 592

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All major religions should be taught in schools so that our multi-cultural society can be preserved. Children need to learn about other religions so that they can have an understanding of the society in which they live. This is not indoctrination!