Inspired by some of the discussion in this thread. I don't think it's appropriate place for that discussion there, but hey why not have a separate thread for it
If I think religion is not good in general, am I Reddit and cringe and basically Richard Dawkins?
I wouldn't say religious people are stupid (or smelly) but I wouldn't say that I think it's a purely personal belief either. I want to push back against a view that the only kind of non-Reddit atheism is a wholesome "Well shucks, I don't believe in god personally but religious people are all heckin valid." I don't think religion is a good thing. If I did I'd be religious!
Well, when I was going down the path of the New Atheist back in the early 00's, this was both how I felt and the vibe that I got from all the online forums and videos I was watching. There was either a "aww, the poor stupid person might figure it out one day" or "these people are too stupid/evil to live" undertone to almost all discussions about religion/religious/belief in god(s) or when interacting with theists in forums. And I never messed around in the Reddit atheism stuff back then.
Started feeling a bit shitty about things when the IDW crowd started to feel more comfortable and go mask off about the misogyny and racism. I didn't recant my atheism after this, I just realized that its not a personal identity marker and is literally just a word to describe my answer to a question.
I don't think religion is a good thing either, but I also don't think its a bad thing. Its just a thing. It happens, it exists. Nobody can know everything about everything before needing to make a decision about stuff. So, for some people, elevating some human thoughts or behaviors into a religion helps them get through life.
I try to make the distinction between religion in general, and belief in the supernatural affecting the universe. The former, as a collection of philosophies, traditions and cultural practices, is worth preserving. The latter in my opinion is a brain worm that leads to wrong thinking.