[I wrote this a couple days before I wrote The Path of a Critical Thinker (part five). This open letter prompted me to write that entry.]
The problem of religion is found in baseless accusations by believers that non-believers are doomed or damned or defiled because of their lack of belief. Yes, the accusation is baseless. I don't care whether you believe in god. I really don't care whether you find hope or comfort or joy in a particular religion. Believe whatever you want. You don't have to prove it to me. I'm not your keeper, or your judge, or your intellectual or moral authority. But when you accuse me of rebelling or denying or "suppressing the truth," or when you accuse me of immorality or depraved thinking because I don't agree with your religious beliefs, then you damn well better cough up some evidence to back up your claim. See, you can believe whatever you want. If you keep it to yourself and leave me out of it, then fine. Believe in gods, unicorns, mystical space dragons, or whatever. the moment you drag me into it - the moment you start assaulting my character or integrity - then you had better be able to back it up.
You may find comfort in your little beliefs by thinking your ever-so-amazing personal experience is "proof enough" of what you believe (even though millions of people of many different beliefs have had similar experiences throughout history), but your anecdotal evidence, your interpretations of your personal experience, your emotional reactions don't justify or support anything. If you want to convince me, then you need actual reasons. You need to demonstrate that your beliefs are true with logic and reason. If you can't - and from what I've seen, you can't - then you need to stop hurling accusations and keep your faith to yourself.
— Dead-Logic
