The Difference Between Theists and Atheists:

Theists are willing to lie to themselves.

They rationalize their faith, and they are more likely to rationalize their immoral actions as well. They abandon reality and reason, and that's what makes them dangerous.

That's why religious people make good terrorists.
That's why religious people can keep slaves, if they save souls.

It's all because of the willingness to abandon reality, and embrace lies. Lies create a comfortable security blanket when they need to fall asleep at night after bombing a bus, or whipping a slave, or voting to restrict the liberties of homosexuals, and un-believers.

Another difference is that Atheists have a keen ability to view other frames of reference that aren't subjective. Like how in an OBJECTIVE world, sin, good, evil, hate, love, lust, friendship, trust, none of that even exists. The universe is an objective one, so therefore, emotions are human inventions. I don't think theists are able to see that because if they could they would have realized that by now.

Religion requires the person to abandon all logic and reason, unquestioning obedience.

kal-el wrote

Religion requires the person to abandon all logic and reason, unquestioning obedience.

it's an important element in brainwashing. cults do the same thing. the similarities between cults and religions are amazing.

[antix]

The difference is, that when an atheist dies, it marks the end of conscsious thought and entails complete non-existance. A theist on the other hand, when they die, they get-- well-- the end of conscious thought and complete non-existance.

Wow.

We're not so different after all :D

If that is what you believe. There would be no purpose for existence. There would be no right or wrong.

More people were killed in the last century, than all the other centuries combined. Because of Maexism, a godless society.

Religion and God are not the same.

Ah, indeed. But can you show that godlessness causes those things? Maybe it's totalitarian regimes run by one person, resulting in that person becoming paranoid and killing lots of people. Funnily enough, this happens to correspond to most totalitarian regimes. Maybe, my theory is right? Naaahhh. It must be because atheists are evil scum. Atheists, like Hitler, and Suddam Hussein.

Also, with no right or wrong, you end up with a "Prisoner's Dilemma". So long as the society co-operates, it will survive. Of course, if only one person lies, cheats, and steals, then that person will be better off. But if the entire society did that, then the society would collapse. Hence, only societies with good morals would be stable.
Since the human mind absorbs what is right and wrong (evolutionarily advantageous), humans that live in moral (and therefore, stable) societies would be moral people. Which is why people feel uncomfortable doing things like murder, or stealing things.

Religion is related to God. Lack of God = not religion.

[GodlessHeathen]

Big Bang wrote

it's an important element in brainwashing. cults do the same thing. the similarities between cults and religions are amazing.

The only difference between a religion and a cult is the number of members.

[Tenspace]

GodlessHeathen wrote

The only difference between a religion and a cult is the number of members.

And the hats. Religions have cooler hats.

[Sternwallow]

kal-el wrote

Religion requires the person to abandon all logic and reason, unquestioning obedience.

Unquestioning obedience is a conceptual black hole since you cannot question whether unquestioning obedience is right once you are in it.
Atheists could, in principle, determine that unquestioning obedience was a good thing and adopt it. Once in it, they could never get out.

[Sternwallow]

GodlessHeathen wrote

The only difference between a religion and a cult is the number of members.

... and being listed by the IRS as an official religion for tax purposes.

[Philboid Studge]

Tenspace wrote

And the hats. Religions have cooler hats.

I Moon in rebuttal!

[Tenspace]

C'mon, Philboid, you wanna challenge this?

[Philboid Studge]

This one (atop Shoko Asahara of Aum Shinri-Kyo) doubles as a pasta strainer, and picks up satellite radio.

[Tenspace]

Okay, guess I'll have to go for the ultimate in religious headgear: