[MD] The End of Faith - Spirituality

[Arlo Bensinger]

[Platt]
If you want to go back to ancient history, be my guest. Most are more 
interested in the last 100 years.

[Arlo]
Yes, since religion was neutered by secular enlightenment. A wise 
decision if you wish to pander to dogmatic religion.

But your claim was not about the last 100 years. It was about how 
those who advocate "state supremacy" are "atheists". Historically, 
this is far from true. Nor is your "implied" belief that "belief in 
God" keeps man "free from state control", as is proven false by even 
the most cursory of historical reads.

What you are doing, as I've said, is conflating post-secular 
enlightenment with "belief in God". It has never been "religion" that 
has given man "freedom" and "rights". It has never been "religion" 
that has kept "man" valued as anything more than cattle. It has been 
secular enlightenment that has carried that torch, indeed, that had 
lit that torch in the first place.

But its easy to see why apologists for western religion would try to 
back-step and pretend their religion was all about "man's rights", 
and how their freedom was "endowed by God", and try to disassociate 
"atheism" with the very thing secular enlightenment brought us... 
liberty and freedom.