Is it ethical to spread atheism?

[dl1371]

i view it as somewhat ethical
if the person is totally devoted to their religion, then if they realized its wrong, it would shatter their life
but if they just go to church on sunday, and nothing more, i view it as my duty to prevent them from wasting days of their life talking to something that doesn't exist  

[MiniSiets]

brainnsoup

Maybe if I gave some examples...
When I see people, smart, thinking people that I respect, talking about their God(s), their entire faces light up.
Or at least for the person I'm thinking of specifically, it's like I get this feeling that their beliefs give their lives meaning.
Who am I to take that away?
I'm not saying that I could, but what if I did?
Is it worth the it in the end?

I think it is, but that's because I personally value truth above just feeling good.

Quote:

Or it's like that episode of Full-metal Alchemist, for any anime fans.
Basically what happens is there is a corrupt false prophet who uses alchemy to take control of a small desert village by saying he has powers from God.
And the heroes come into town and end up exposing him.
But instead of thanking them, the villagers, or at least one villager, hates them saying that they had hope before.
Sure, they have truth now and are no longer being fooled by a power-hungry tyrant, but now they have nothing to live for.

I've watched this show, and you just brought up a perfect example of what I was talking about. Allow me to quote myself again.

MiniSiets

If all your hope and security has been built upon a shaky foundation to begin with, then you're really asking for trouble since eventually someone or something could come along and easily collapse that foundation when it gets put to the test.

And that's exactly what happened to the town of Leor. You're much better off building secular beliefs that are actually based in reality because then your beliefs can't all just be shattered on a whim and you're left feeling empty.

Certainly it is hard for many people to change their beliefs when they had previously become so devoted to them, but that's why I think it's important to point out when you're debating that there is still plenty to live for without superstitious beliefs. The way I see it, in the end you're doing them a good service by making it easier for them to transition to a better belief system before their current one comes back to bite them in the a** when reality sets in.