You guys really hate Christians, after all. (Am I actually allowed to be here or am I banned for my religion?)
Do we? Do you hate Hindus, or do you just think they’re wrong?
One thing I slightly dislike about “internet atheists” is the exclusive focus on religion as a source of all that’s wrong in the world, whereas you get very similar forms of irrationality in partisan politics or nationalism. I’m not alone in holding that view—see this for some related ideas. At best, religion can be about focusing human’s natural irrationality in areas that don’t matter (cosmology instead of economics), while facilitating morality and cooperative behavior. I understand that some Americans atheists are more hostile to religion than I am (I’m French, religion isn’t a big issue here, except for Islam), because they have to deal with religious stupidity on a daily basis.
Note that a Mormon wrote a series of posts that was relatively well received, so you may be overestimating LessWrong’s hostility to religion.
Welcome to LessWrong!
Do we? Do you hate Hindus, or do you just think they’re wrong?
One thing I slightly dislike about “internet atheists” is the exclusive focus on religion as a source of all that’s wrong in the world, whereas you get very similar forms of irrationality in partisan politics or nationalism. I’m not alone in holding that view—see this for some related ideas. At best, religion can be about focusing human’s natural irrationality in areas that don’t matter (cosmology instead of economics), while facilitating morality and cooperative behavior. I understand that some Americans atheists are more hostile to religion than I am (I’m French, religion isn’t a big issue here, except for Islam), because they have to deal with religious stupidity on a daily basis.
Note that a Mormon wrote a series of posts that was relatively well received, so you may be overestimating LessWrong’s hostility to religion.