The fact of the matter though is that the majority of the world is not smart enough to live without religion. So it is somewhat a necessary evil. The masses need something simple that they can follow and be used to guide their actions. If religion was to be suddenly expunged from the world, there might be mass confusion afterwards. Religion is basically similar to watching a movie, you know it's not really true, but you have to go with it (ie assume that people are actually dying in the flick) in order to enjoy the movie.

Which bible

You are attempting to divide the inseparable.

In science you are encouraged to suspend belief? I can quite easily take you to task on that and you won't be able to answer at all.

For example, I believe the big bang happened. Am I religious?

I don't allow myself to get too worked up about religion.

From my experience most religious people are only casually religious. They only have a passing knowledge of vague summaries of their religious texts, and on a day to day basis, they make their decisions based on circumstance rather than following what their god instructs. Not very different from a non believer.

I agree.

This question is similar to "What is the scientific explanation for the existence of cars and aeroplanes?"
Science concerns itself with the behavior and structure of matter. So Science attempts to answer, what is the behavior and structure of the universe or life on earth?

In this case religion is a scientific product.

It is the 'my belief is better than yours, see, I can do 1, 2, 3 with it unlike yours.' situation.

For the umpteenth time, there is no god you dimwited religious people. He doesnt exist. I have been mocking him for years and he is yet to punish me. Not sure if he is afraid of me. If say, hypothetically he exists, then he must be the biggest piece of shit ever.

Anyway, am sad for the people of Nepal. Am too exhausted to debate weak minded religious people. Am proud to be an atheist, my world is very vivid. I get to be an independent thinker who can use reason and logic to navigate through life and so far i have had great success at it so you guys can keep waiting for your favors and blessings while the rest of us atheists use our brains to get ahead. I feel bad for religious folks especially one guy who is supposedly a prayer warrior yet if were it not for my constant assistance, he would have starved to death by now. The guy can't even think, everything according to him is god's will or "leave it in god's hands" and yet he can't afford a square meal on most days. Kwani this god guy cannot see his plight and help him? Or maybe it's time for him to ditch this imaginary god and start thinking of ways to pursue a better life. Dude is struggling yet he has suspended all critical thinking in lieu of wishful thinking and hopes of a better life after this. News break, this is the ONLY life, after this, you all are worm food, six feet under. There are no pearly gates and gold plated roads after this. Make this life here on earth your heaven and quit being morons who can't think.

One of my friends is called pasi because he is supposedly really really religious. But just like all the other pasis, he is the biggest scambug i have ever met. At least us atheists have integrity. We do good because it's the right thing to do, not because we want to appease an ill tempered imaginary sadist in the skies in return for a ticket into this mythical heaven. I wouldn't want to go to this heaven even if it existed. I can't be around somebody who just sat back and saw over 5000 people lose their lives in Nepal and did nothing about it, yet apparently he could have stopped it even before it happened with a snap of the fingers. What a crock.

You guys tell your ill tempered god to strike me dead. Why is he slow to act? I have been waiting for his punishment for years but it seems like he is confused. Instead of punishing me, he is "blessing" me more. What's his problem?

So you think religion is valuable because it helps you to explain things like the existence of the universe?

Religion is a set of rituals and way of thinking with the idea that you are trying to appease a being high up in the sky.

I don't trash religion. Actually I think it has some use in the world, the world is not yet smart enough to live without some form of religion. The problem is when religions clash.

All I've said is that religion is not real, it's just like a movie, you know it's acting but when you are watching it you suspend belief so you can follow the story. It's similar to Santa Claus, kids feel good believing in Santa and trying to be good so they can get a present at the end of the year. Telling a five year old that santa isn't real, leads to unnecessary tears.