Thanks for the replies above.
"Free Thought" means explaining to the common man why Christianity is illogical, inaccurate, and insidious. At least that shall be the definition in this thread- I know it means more generally.
"Confirmed Agnostic" is a little tongue-in-cheek but I think it is fair after decades of genuine thought and research leave one with no basis to say confidently whether there is any sort of god or not.
To those who disparage proselytizing, I sympathize. But do a thought experiment - if you knew a certain religion were true, you would want people to know, right? So when you see the majority of Americans assuming Christianity must be true, doesn't it sicken you a bit?
I am not talking about the 24% who are evangelical/fundamentalists (they are a lost cause) or the 28% who are nones (they're fine already). I am talking about the 48% in the middle who have been brainwashed since childhood (and voting accordingly). How do we get the truth to them?
Free Though or free Thiniking means trying to look at issues without looking through an ideology.
Don't know where you derive the term as proselyting to the religious, which is why I asked you to define it.
I don't care what somebody believes, free association and freedom to believe and speak as you pl;ease is the foundation of western liberal democracy.
I would never try to dissuade someone from region. I debate theists here and in the real world when confronted, but they are free to believe as I am free not to believe.
The issue right now that has meaning is political and civil bounds of region. A state court ruling on embryos citing the bible is a serious issue.
It comes down to human nature and our basic instincts. The Russian and Chinese communist states actively suppressed religion and both were generally oppressive and lacking what we call basic civil rights.
Organized atheism can and does become as fanatical as any religion.
As to logic, Id take a look at humanity in general. I do not think you can single out relgion s soe kind of aberration to be dealt with. To me rlegion is one out of many manifestations of human nature. Pro sports,union, politics, pop culture and region all share common social traits.
From a cursory review organized atheism has become a hierarchical power syrtuctire with leaders and devotees. People quote Dawongs and oters as thists quote the bible.
People follow and , quote,, and mimic behavor of pop culture leaders, like Taylor Swift.
There is plenty of irrational and ilpgical behavior outside of religin.
A glaringecample is the liberization of drugs and the serious issues it has led to. Yet the 'rational' liverals and progressives refuse to see any possible connection between policy andthe drug crisis.
Outside of civle issues like the embyo case erlegion is at the bottom of my worry list.
What sickens me is pop culture and where it has led. What sickens me is the brekdon of our culrure into violent confrmtaion and polarization.
Ateist and theists can be flip sides of the same ideolgical coin. As oe who ascrbes to Freethought I reject looking through any polarizingg ideolgies as much as I can.