this post was submitted on 31 Jan 2024
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[–] Aielman15@lemmy.world 99 points 9 months ago (61 children)

Religion is ignorance and refusal to face reality.

As long as people behave, treat others, and vote according to the sacred scriptures written by a crackhead thousands of years ago, and their influence shapes the world around me and puts a limit to my freedom, then there will be no distinction between religion and extremism. The lesser of two evils is still evil.

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[–] toastus@feddit.de 55 points 9 months ago (2 children)

We should be fighting religion.

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[–] communist_1914@lemmy.ml 41 points 9 months ago (8 children)

Religion is not a useful tool and it's not good in general

[–] SPRUNT@lemmy.world 23 points 9 months ago

Are you kidding me? Religion is supremely useful in controlling and exploiting people. It promises all of the wonderment and fantasticnous you can imagine while also promising the absolute worst nightmares you can imagine, and all you have to do is pay and pray, and the prayers are optional.

"Work in service to your masters and you will be rewarded after you're dead. Defy your masters and you will be punished for eternity" is the perfect tool of control for the uneducated/unintelligent.

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[–] meyotch@slrpnk.net 36 points 9 months ago (17 children)

A distinction without a difference. Religion produces demonstrable harm to many people. To be religious is to be an extremist. The entire idea that a being from your imagination should influence my behavior is whack.

[–] CileTheSane@lemmy.ca 15 points 9 months ago (1 children)

To be religious is to be an extremist.

Over 80% of people in the US believe in one religion or another. The country is not 80% extremists.

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[–] WallEx@feddit.de 31 points 9 months ago (16 children)

Institutionalized religion is bad, religion for yourself isn't imho. I can understand the need for answers, although I don't necessarily need them. I think that is part of tolerance, to accept the believes of others.

[–] 7heo@lemmy.ml 14 points 9 months ago (3 children)

"Religion for yourself" in the age of internet of called "personal belief". So, the term "religion" now only means, like it or not, "institutionalized religion".

This is 100% caused by the fact that people "identify" as Y (not using X as a variable, as it is now a fucking confusing buzzword), and are subsequently grouped together in "echo rooms" by various platforms algorithms. This happened so overwhelmingly that in less than a decade, it redefined the default behavior of people, online, and you will now see people automatically seeking those echo rooms. Even on Lemmy, where people are literally seeking instances that will validate their own beliefs, and block those they do not share.

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[–] Tartas1995@discuss.tchncs.de 28 points 9 months ago (9 children)

I think the argument for moderation is the worst in the religious context.

Pascal was right about his Wager in one way. If god exists, it should change everything for you. Especially the christian one. Eternity in pain or pleasure outweighs everything.

If that is your reality, how is failing god moderation?

Seriously if you don't want people to die from cancer at all, how is that not extermist?

Are reference point defines "moderation"? Look at us vs eu politics.

Even if you want to define moderation as the average or median position in a society, then Nazism can be moderation if you get enough Nazi together.

Wake up, my fellow extremist.

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[–] MacNCheezus@lemmy.today 26 points 9 months ago (2 children)
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[–] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 22 points 9 months ago (4 children)

Tbf extremism itself isn't wrong. Any perspective can be considered extreme if it is too different from the status quo. Different isn't necessarily bad.

Granted religious extremism is typically far right reactionary ideology which is bad so I'm not really defending it. However, I find that a lot of people, especially Americans, call anything that radically challenges the current system extreme and therefore bad.

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[–] ForrestGrump@discuss.tchncs.de 22 points 9 months ago (4 children)

No, we should be fighting religion.

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[–] Thcdenton@lemmy.world 21 points 9 months ago

You can't fight either directly. Fight stupdity and both go away.

[–] flying_sheep@lemmy.ml 21 points 9 months ago (2 children)

“extremism” is what neoliberals invented to liken egalitarians with Nazis to make themselves look good.

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[–] Gabu@lemmy.ml 16 points 9 months ago (1 children)

We should be fighting both

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[–] jose1324@lemmy.world 16 points 9 months ago

Both. Both. Definitely both.

[–] mildlyusedbrain@lemmy.world 15 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Tell me you are a Christian who is sad that people keep calling out how Christians have vitriolic hatred for their fellow man with telling me you are a Christian.

Also anyone get a strong feeling that by extremist, OP means Muslims not Christofacist in the US

[–] fastandcurious@lemmy.world 16 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (11 children)
  1. I am not a christian lol
  2. I mean extremism by any person who uses religion as an excuse, not any particular one
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[–] Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml 14 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Every time someone uses extremist as a pejorative

I'm joining the war on extremism... on the side of extremists

[–] obinice@lemmy.world 14 points 9 months ago

Sounds like a pretty extremist view there buddy puts on my fighting skirt

[–] cosmicrookie@lemmy.world 14 points 9 months ago (9 children)

If extremist = trying to convince others, who are not interested, to join you relligion, then I agree

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[–] banneryear1868@lemmy.world 12 points 9 months ago

Neither, fight the conditions underlying both.

[–] Vespair@lemm.ee 11 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (4 children)

I'm sorry, no hate or incivility intended towards you as a person, but this idea is pandering centrist bullshit.

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