A Consumer's Guide to Eight Practical Benefits of Atheism

1. Abandoning rigid, religiously dictated dietary codes and fasting regimes, the cuisine of the entire world is now open for you to sample anytime without restriction.
   
   
2. You get to keep all your money. No more tithing; you get to decide what public goods and causes are worth supporting.
   
   
3. No more massive guilt about violating silly, archaic, and pointless religious codes of personal behavior. The insights of common morality and ethics gleaned from centuries of everyday social practice, human experience and empathy are sufficient.
   
   
4. You may decide to sleep in on so called Sabbath days. Religious holy days are just ordinary days like any other. Fill them with joyful living instead of prayerful supplication.
   
   
5. No need to fight wars over holy real estate. Universal adoption of atheism means that people everywhere can settle their apparent disagreements on a rational and fair minded basis in ways that will enlarge the potential for happiness, and in full respect for the human rights of every person.
   
   
6. Whether or not you are a member of a minority group, you can now see that everyone is a member of the human family and worthy of your respect, as you are worthy of theirs. There are no "godly," chosen, righteous, or special people.
   
   
7. All the insights of science and technology are now open to you. Benefits to human life become the principle criteria as to what ideas and practices are adopted for common use. Science is free to discover the realities of our world and ourselves without hindrance
   or the necessity to avoid offending archaic religious sensibilities.
   
   
8. In a secular world, freedom of expression has genuine meaning. No subject is off limits. Humor will grow more subtle and inclusive as people accept themselves fully in every way. Religiously imposed shame will not limit what can be said, drawn, sung, or otherwise expressed. Universal respect for the essential humanity of others opens up new possibilities for finding understanding, humor, aesthetic appreciation, and the joy of life.

   JP.
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[ updated 2-25-08]