I am a strong atheist. My understanding of reality is all internally consistent as long as there is no god. I see no evidence for the existence of any god.

I don't understand how you can be rational and belong to organized religion. I don't understand how you can be rational and be into unorganized religion. I don't understand how you can be rational and be spiritual. I do understand how religion can be a self-sustaining power structure - a deadly meme.

I am not agnostic. I make my decision on the evidence at hand. I do not postpone my decision making on the possibility of amazing future evidence. Of course, if new evidence does pop up, I may have to reevaluate my scepticism. This would probably require something like a 50 foot tall, flaming Jesus.

I have a non-superstitious moral-ethical code based on respect for others. Everyone has only one life, and nothing afterwards, so one has no right to impinge on the rights of others. Basically do unto others as they would do unto you, the Golden Rule. I find it obscene to equate morality with religion. I think it is possible to be good without being religious.

I respect the rights of others to follow any religion they see fit, and I expect them to respect my right to not follow any. As strong as religious people feel I am wrong, I feel that religious people are wrong. However, I have no right to change the way you feel, except by example.

I am disturbed by public religion by the United States Government following September 11th. Isn't religion the cause of the current crisis? National Day of Prayer? How about a National Day of Rational Thinking?

Sometimes, I wonder if the freedom of the lack of religion is protected as much as the freedom of religion. On further thought, I know it isn't, as the Boy Scouts of America and the Freemasons are allowed to discriminate against those who do not believe in some sort of god.

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