Reasons for living one's life without religious interference.
Living a Good Life Without God
A freethinker's ruminations.
A Practical and Pragmatic Persons Views on Religions
1. Since religions have little scientific, technological, or practical daily life value, you just don't need to bother with them. For examples: If you needed good medical advice about a proper lifestyle for coping with Type II diabetes, see a competent doctor; and the Bible is useless for this advice. I you needed information on repairing your bicycle chain, don't waste your time reading the Koran. I you want to know how to create and care for an orchard, the Bagjavagita would be useless. If you wanted to learn a foreign language, reading the Book of Mormon would unnecessary. If you needed to improve you mathematical skills, consulting the Pranjaparamitra Sutra would be useless.
Religious works are filled with stories and fictional tales of ancient tribal peoples, just like some fictional literary works. They might be pleasant leisure diversions, but have little or no substantive practical value.
2. Don't waste your time going to religious services at a Church or Temple. You have heard all these theology stories in the past, read about them in childhood, and listened to preachers splitting theological hairs and repeating the same old stories over and over, year after year. Why use your limited time listening again and again to the same old sermons? It is a non-productive use of your limited leisure hours; like seeing the same old situation comedy over again, watching football games for hours on end, or watching the "News" on TV for many hours. Get off you butt, take a walk, or garden, or practice on your piano, or read a science book. Don't be a passive listener, a dolt in a pew, a dullar sponge of a mind. Free yourself from boring indoctrination by preachers and priests telling you what and how to think. Quietly laugh at their threats, and never return. Think of how many thousands of hours saved for worthy practical and enjoyable pursuits by just not attending any church or temple meetings.
3. You don't have enough money to give to religious organizations that have little value in your personal, daily, and social life. Don't pay for religious tax free buildings, and put some more money on your own mortgage. Don't fatten the wallets of wealthy preachers and priests, invest your money, or help a friend or somebody struggling. Don't pay for religious pre-schools that indoctrinate little children with absurd ideas. Don't give money to religious institutions that want to control politics, make everyone follow their own lifestyle, advocate violence and hate towards peaceful people of other religious or ideologies. Financially helping hospitals, food banks, libraries, public schools, rest homes, the homeless, children's music programs and sports teams might be a few good alternatives for you expenditures. What would be more useful to your community, a new up-to-date hospital or another church building? Improve your own family home before giving any money to an old worn corner church with few members that have rather rigid opinions about how everyone should live their version of a "moral" and 'godly' life.
4. Don't bother arguing with religious people. They have been indoctrinated since childhood in the habitual thinking of their parent's religion. Such habits of thought are seldom changed by talking with non-religious persons. Just mentioning to them that you just don't find religion very useful or practical is enough on your part. Don't let them preach to you or try to convert you; tell them that you are just not interested. Save yourself the time and trouble.
5. Be skeptical of anyone who acts like they know it all, possess the one truth, speaks with with an attitude of unquestioned absolute authority, and claims to know an invisible god's thoughts. Beware of preachers and priests with spiritual insights and opinions that cannot be questioned. Don't be fooled by "Mysteries" that surpass human understanding. Don't let dramatic and clever preaching get in the way of clear understanding and reasoning. Find other thinkers to read and listen to that have some humility, some practical ideas, some generous humanity, know about limits, and have some common sense.
6. Religious people can become fanatical, mean, and violent. History provides ample horrible evidence for this claim. Avoid and do not in any way support these people.
7. Religious hypocrites talk on an on about the terrible dangers of secularism, modernism, and consumerism. Yet they live just like everyone else in our modern society. Be suspicious of holier-than-thou hypocrites, and wealthy preachers railing against secularism.
8. Beware of any religious organization that is male dominated, supports macho attitudes, denies women rights, has only male leaders and elders and speakers, keeps women in the back of the church, and encourages male domination over women. Half the population everywhere are women. Don't give your money or time to religious organizations that denigrate and subordinate women. Such behavior is impractical, unfair, unkind, and spiritually limiting. Support equal education for women, women's rights, and support women in leadership roles in our community.
9. Being Non-Religious does not mean being Anti-Religious. There are decent people with religious beliefs that you can share your life with. Tolerance, pluralism, compassion, and friendship are good to share with everyone. Yes, there are some extremist religious fanatics you should avoid, shun, and be cautious around. But don't let the bad apples ruin the apple harvest. It is best for us just to avoid and not participate with religious rituals, organizations, and believers rather than persecute and or harass them. Let the few great writers and orators, like the New Atheists, present the articulate arguments against the negative impacts of religion.
10. Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Keep your spiritual and philosophical opinions to yourself in daily life. In America, religious people might hamper your success in work and business or public service if they know about your non-religious views. Speak in general humanistic ethical ways, and avoid references to religious views in your daily ordinary life. Be neutral. Don't proselytize for non-religious views amongst your ordinary daily contacts with people.
11. Lead by example. Make your lifestyle and thinking a model for others seeking alternatives to religious indoctrination and authoritarianism and magical irrelevance. Consult my "How to Live a Good Life: Advice from Wise and Respected Persons" for ample information on a viable humanistic lifestyle for the 21st Century.
he Little Book of Humanism: Universal Lessons on Finding Purpose, Meaning and Joy. By Andrew Copson and Alice Roberts. Piatkus, 2022, 256 pages. VSCL, Hardbound.
Humanly Possible: Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry and Hope. Penguin Press, 2023, 454 pages. VSCL, Paperback.
Humanists of Greater Portland, Oregon
Good Without God: What a Billion Nonreligious People Do Believe. By Greg M. Epstein, Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University. William Morrow, 2009, 250 pages. FVRL, Hardbound. Outstanding presentation!
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