Illegal PDF of Arabic "God Delusion" downloaded 10 million times

[Underseer]

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friend...-reportedly-been-downloaded-10-million-times/

It's very difficult to try and measure deconversion rates in Muslim-majority countries because, well, Muslims have a nasty habit of killing people who leave the religion.

We do however have a variety of circumstantial evidence suggesting that the deconversion process is starting to happen in the Arabic-speaking world. I'm going to assume they're not as far along in this process as America (which in turn is not as far along as Europe), but again, who can say? It's hard to get good and valid numbers.

 

[braces_for_impact]

It's quite encouraging actually. I posted this in the Syed thread. A google search on the topic is actually quite encouraging. Also, I took to Twitter and spread the word. The more copies that find their way into the Arabic speaking world, the better.

 

[bilby]

The rise of the Internet has left totalitarian regimes (political or religious) with a choice: Go the North Korean route of opting out of the global economy altogether, to continue the isolation of your people from ideas that will lead to their abandoning or overthrowing the regime; Or accept that the people no longer hear only your side of things, and reform before they decide to abandon or overthrow your regime.

Most nations try for reform - but dictators are often out of touch and can't reform fast enough to satisfy people who are justifiably angry. Most religions rely on closed mindedness and peer-pressure on the part of their followers, which is more robust and slows down the rate of loss - but it can't stop it completely.

As the Soviet Union discovered, it is almost impossible to keep people from seeking a better deal, once they have the means to see that a better deal is possible.

 

[Ramaraksha]

The rise of the Internet has left totalitarian regimes (political or religious) with a choice: Go the North Korean route of opting out of the global economy altogether, to continue the isolation of your people from ideas that will lead to their abandoning or overthrowing the regime; Or accept that the people no longer hear only your side of things, and reform before they decide to abandon or overthrow your regime.

Most nations try for reform - but dictators are often out of touch and can't reform fast enough to satisfy people who are justifiably angry. Most religions rely on closed mindedness and peer-pressure on the part of their followers, which is more robust and slows down the rate of loss - but it can't stop it completely.

As the Soviet Union discovered, it is almost impossible to keep people from seeking a better deal, once they have the means to see that a better deal is possible.

Your last sentence - how exactly are Atheists offering a "better" deal? Is it not religion with its nice Ponzi-scheme of Heaven - the eternal good life, Sugar Daddy God will keep one in nice comfort - giving people a good deal? All one has to do is join the "right" religion

What do Atheists have to offer in return? Just this real life? Don't get me wrong, i am not against Atheism but there is little an honest broker can do against the likes of Bernie Madoff. I am Hindu and our teaching of Reincarnation - you get to come back to this same life - also doesn't get us much. Basically reincarnation is asking us to face life as it is, to not run after magic lands of plenty in the sky

The only way religion will be defeated is when it is exposed as completely hollow - all their nice-sounding promises are just that - zip, zero evidence for any of their tall tales

 

[J842P]

The rise of the Internet has left totalitarian regimes (political or religious) with a choice: Go the North Korean route of opting out of the global economy altogether, to continue the isolation of your people from ideas that will lead to their abandoning or overthrowing the regime; Or accept that the people no longer hear only your side of things, and reform before they decide to abandon or overthrow your regime.

Most nations try for reform - but dictators are often out of touch and can't reform fast enough to satisfy people who are justifiably angry. Most religions rely on closed mindedness and peer-pressure on the part of their followers, which is more robust and slows down the rate of loss - but it can't stop it completely.

As the Soviet Union discovered, it is almost impossible to keep people from seeking a better deal, once they have the means to see that a better deal is possible.

Your last sentence - how exactly are Atheists offering a "better" deal? Is it not religion with its nice Ponzi-scheme of Heaven - the eternal good life, Sugar Daddy God will keep one in nice comfort - giving people a good deal? All one has to do is join the "right" religion

What do Atheists have to offer in return? Just this real life? Don't get me wrong, i am not against Atheism but there is little an honest broker can do against the likes of Bernie Madoff. I am Hindu and our teaching of Reincarnation - you get to come back to this same life - also doesn't get us much. Basically reincarnation is asking us to face life as it is, to not run after magic lands of plenty in the sky

The only way religion will be defeated is when it is exposed as completely hollow - all their nice-sounding promises are just that - zip, zero evidence for any of their tall tales

Yeah, reincarnation - the complete opposite of an empty promise.

 

[Angry Floof]

The rise of the Internet has left totalitarian regimes (political or religious) with a choice: Go the North Korean route of opting out of the global economy altogether, to continue the isolation of your people from ideas that will lead to their abandoning or overthrowing the regime; Or accept that the people no longer hear only your side of things, and reform before they decide to abandon or overthrow your regime.

Most nations try for reform - but dictators are often out of touch and can't reform fast enough to satisfy people who are justifiably angry. Most religions rely on closed mindedness and peer-pressure on the part of their followers, which is more robust and slows down the rate of loss - but it can't stop it completely.

As the Soviet Union discovered, it is almost impossible to keep people from seeking a better deal, once they have the means to see that a better deal is possible.

Your last sentence - how exactly are Atheists offering a "better" deal? Is it not religion with its nice Ponzi-scheme of Heaven - the eternal good life, Sugar Daddy God will keep one in nice comfort - giving people a good deal? All one has to do is join the "right" religion

What do Atheists have to offer in return? Just this real life? Don't get me wrong, i am not against Atheism but there is little an honest broker can do against the likes of Bernie Madoff. I am Hindu and our teaching of Reincarnation - you get to come back to this same life - also doesn't get us much. Basically reincarnation is asking us to face life as it is, to not run after magic lands of plenty in the sky

The only way religion will be defeated is when it is exposed as completely hollow - all their nice-sounding promises are just that - zip, zero evidence for any of their tall tales

Free, secular society is better than totalitarianism. This is a no-brainer. I'm surprised you didn't think of it. The more the people know about what freedoms can be had outside of their totalitarian group, the harder it is for the "authorities" to control them.

You express an attitude that is common among the religious but not the non-religious in implying that religion offers anything at all other than a dangling carrot of lies and that atheism ought to "offer" anything at all other than freedom from religion. Whatever else you want out of life is up to you. There's no religion here to keep tabs on you or shame you for living your life as you please. You're accountable to yourself and your fellow human beings, not to magical fairy tales. That's what atheism offers, for starters.

There's several concepts in that paragraph that might be difficult for a long time religious believer to grasp as they contradict the infantile stories that religious leaders have been getting away with for centuries - promises of reward, threats of punishment, you are worthless filth unless you believe the correct, authorized beliefs, we are all stupid infants who can't think for ourselves, etc. - but I am confident you can do it.

Don't be scared of life without magical crutch beliefs. Any fear in that regard is just the indoctrination talking. You're perfectly capable of exercising your own conscience, intelligence, and sense of empathy without magical spook stories meant to control you. You can control yourself. You can trust yourself. You can live a full and happy life doing all kinds of good in the world without ever needing to be manipulated with fear of devils poking you in the butt with their pitchforks or promise of an eternal party when you die.

 

[bilby]

Which is the better deal when you are hungry:

A cheese sandwich from the plate of sandwiches that's right here in front of you; or

The promise of a vast and sumptuous banquet that you can't have until you are dead, and which probably doesn't exist?

You can't eat a promise. Particularly not the promise made by a proven liar. The sandwich may not be as exciting, but it's still the better deal.

 

[Underseer]

Which is the better deal when you are hungry:

A cheese sandwich from the plate of sandwiches that's right here in front of you; or

The promise of a vast and sumptuous banquet that you can't have until you are dead, and which probably doesn't exist?

You can't eat a promise. Particularly not the promise made by a proven liar. The sandwich may not be as exciting, but it's still the better deal.

Yes, but it's a really good banquet. The best banquet ever.

And if you don't accept the banquet, then you will have to eat raw sewage for all eternity after you die. You don't want to eat raw sewage, do you?

 

[Underseer]

The rise of the Internet has left totalitarian regimes (political or religious) with a choice: Go the North Korean route of opting out of the global economy altogether, to continue the isolation of your people from ideas that will lead to their abandoning or overthrowing the regime; Or accept that the people no longer hear only your side of things, and reform before they decide to abandon or overthrow your regime.

Most nations try for reform - but dictators are often out of touch and can't reform fast enough to satisfy people who are justifiably angry. Most religions rely on closed mindedness and peer-pressure on the part of their followers, which is more robust and slows down the rate of loss - but it can't stop it completely.

As the Soviet Union discovered, it is almost impossible to keep people from seeking a better deal, once they have the means to see that a better deal is possible.

Your last sentence - how exactly are Atheists offering a "better" deal? Is it not religion with its nice Ponzi-scheme of Heaven - the eternal good life, Sugar Daddy God will keep one in nice comfort - giving people a good deal? All one has to do is join the "right" religion

What do Atheists have to offer in return? Just this real life? Don't get me wrong, i am not against Atheism but there is little an honest broker can do against the likes of Bernie Madoff. I am Hindu and our teaching of Reincarnation - you get to come back to this same life - also doesn't get us much. Basically reincarnation is asking us to face life as it is, to not run after magic lands of plenty in the sky

The only way religion will be defeated is when it is exposed as completely hollow - all their nice-sounding promises are just that - zip, zero evidence for any of their tall tales

Hinduism offers you rebirth after you die?

Pffft.

The Norse religion offers the best party ever. Would you rather be reborn into this horrible world, or would you rather get drunk with Thor on the finest mead?

Therefore, I have proved that the Norse religion is true. Do you believe that the Norse religion is true?

No?

Yeah, I thought so.

Every religion makes all kinds of promises and threats about the "next life," but interestingly, you don't get any proof of any of it until after you die. Isn't that convenient?