Top 10 Reasons to Not Be Religious

What are the reasons people choose to step away from organized religion? It's a complex question, and over the years, countless people have shared their views on why they believe leaving religion behind has been the right choice for them.

This list offers a range of these reasons, based on the experiences and perspectives of people who have taken a closer look at religious doctrines, practices, and histories.

The Top Ten

  1. Religious beliefs hold back education and science

    We actually have the knowledge to create life or even clone (using cells to create life). If that science has so many critics, it's because religious institutions think that we are messing with God's creation.

    I am talking about one thing here. Theories about how life started (there are many plausible theories, not only the Big Bang) are also getting criticism from religion. In other words, religion is certainly holding back or at least slowing down progress made by science and therefore the teaching or education about those progressions.

    If science education is cut off in schools, we would advance medically very slowly, and many more people would die of cancer and other diseases than they have to. And who knows? That could be you.

  2. Christianity caused the Dark Ages

    No science, no peace, no critical thinking. And some people want to bring the Dark Ages back!

    Let's not let history repeat itself.

  3. The stories about religions are far-fetched and false

    With all the religions in the world, there can only be one right one if they are all very intricate. The most likely religion to be true is atheism, which isn't a religion at all.

    Nobody has proof. We mustn't argue simply.

  4. Religions have caused genocide

    Neither Mao, Stalin, nor Hitler were atheists. Mao started a religion called Maoism. Hitler died a Catholic. Stalin studied at an Orthodox seminary and is a saint in the Russian and Georgian Orthodox Churches (quite the feat for an atheist, don't you think?).

    However, even if, for the sake of argument, all three were atheists, did they commit their atrocities in the name of atheism, or did they commit their atrocities in the name of Nazism or Communism? We all know that Islam is the same as Nazism (Hitler argues for this in Mein Kampf), and Christianity is the same as Communism (Thomas More's "Utopia" was a blueprint for a Communist society, and that guy is a Catholic saint of politicians, despite burning people alive for daring to own the Bible in English).

  5. Religion requires people to pray

    Maybe you don't have to pray in some religions (Buddhism, Taoism) and in some it's a choice (Christianity), but in Islam, you have to pray five times a day. It seems that this is also the most ridiculous of all religions.

    My friend made me pray and I hated it. She was all like, "You're doing it wrong. If you don't pray to God, Satan will get you. Satan is trying to get to you."

    Who wants to take time in the day to pray to a made-up figure? That's like praying to Shrek every night before bed.

  6. Most Christian groups promote and practice hatred towards homosexuals

    Whatever happened to "Thou shalt not kill"?

  7. Scientific arguments are unlike religious arguments, in that they are based on evidence and peer-reviewed support

    Faith without evidence or proof is blind faith and a very stupid way of life. How could you live reasonlessly with faith?

    I have faith that science is true and that religion is not.

    We don't need proof. All we need is faith.

  8. Most people use religion as an excuse to do whatever they want

    They say that God gives them free will, and whenever they do something wrong with their free will, they say that God will forgive them (fancy ethic to clear their conscience). Religion is the most hypocritical way of living!

  9. Most religious people are not open-minded to other people's beliefs

    Not saying all are, just some people that I know in real life. For example, my teacher is a Hindu and some of the students in the class who were Christians were against that and started complaining.

    Islam will tell you that it is a religion of love and understanding, but behind your back, they despise you. It's the most hypocritical religion in the world.

  10. Nobody knows who "God" actually is

    This is true. No religion can prove if the god they believe in is real, but nobody can prove that their god is fake. Even science can't prove it.

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    There is no proof of religious beliefs

  12. ?

    Religion makes people worry about Satan

    13. The Contenders

  13. Religion has led to most extremist groups

  14. Religion causes abuse

  15. If there is the "right" religion, no other religions would exist

  16. Most religious people have wasted their lives trying to get into Heaven

  17. Religion permanently brainwashes people

  18. Science is disproving religion more and more

  19. Religion hurts people sometimes

  20. People kill in the name of religion

  21. Most religious people have been paranoid that the Devil will take control of their lives

  22. Many people have taken religion to the extreme

  23. The rules of religion are contradictory

  24. Religion can cause disagreements between parents and children

    My parents (especially my mom) are religious and I'm not. I asked a question about it once and my mom thinks that I'm insulting her religion. Seriously?

  25. People commit suicide because they believe they will go to Heaven, which is not real

  26. Religion has been harmful to many individuals

  27. Religion is cowardly

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