Hi guys.
My major interest in joining this forum is to explore the harm that is created by religion.
So . . . I’ve had a recent epiphany, and I’m wondering how to “sell” my idea.
There has been a lot of work and resources put into “harm reduction” programs meant to curtail the social damage done by drugs. Please see below:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/harm-reduction&ved=2ahUKEwikobz13pmAAxW2UDABHVzsBy0QFnoECBEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw16EhF9BTGSOWZPSK-meLJm
We talk a lot about harm reduction in my nursing program.
So, I have an idea that these principles might apply to organized religion.
Let’s face it: How much success has the atheist community had in actually converting people to atheism? Sure, there’s been some success, yet religion seems like it will always be there . . . screwing things up and holding back human progress like it has for thousands of years.
So, what about a program of harm reduction? Like we use for street drugs.
We need to figure out how to separate the harm done by religion from religion itself, and, maybe, sell this harm reduction as an intermediate step toward an end goal of eliminating (or at least drastically reducing) religion’s influence on society.
What I haven’t figured out is how we go about doing this.
Please . . . what are your thoughts?
…(cringe)… Uh-oh. Now you’ve done it. Cog will be along any minute now to ream your ass for that one… (quickly heading toward nearest storm bunker)…
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…(peeking out from behind barricade)… By the way, love your idea, but there are many folks already working toward that goal. Us included on this site. Just gonna take a long time, but religion will likely never completely disappear… (quickly ducking head back behind shelter)…
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My first thought was “Recovering from Religion.” They may have a list or some information since that is the population they work with.
There are lists online.
fanaticism
Female inferiority
A mental shield against atrocity in the name of their God.
Encourage Suffering: Saying no to the things in life that are pleasurable. 'Be not of this world."
Restricted ability to think. Restrictions of reading, movies, children’s toys, video games, children’s toys and more.
Discrimination: our sect is going to heaven, the Church up the street is following false teachings. Anyone not believing as we believe is damned.
Social dependence. The magical talk outside the Church is met with mixed results.
Magical Thinking, Gods, demons, luck, forces beyond your control, etc…
Lack of Responsibility; no need to make amends when Jesus forgives.
Here is a site with a list.
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…(looking out from behind shelter)… HEY!!! What the HELL?!? Where’s the thunder? Where’s the lightning? Where’s the seething scornful rage of a demon-possessed demon? Where’s the scathing rant of vengeful disappointment? Who are you, and what have you done with Cog? There was suppose to be gnashing of teeth, and blood and gore splattering all about the room! Appliances and dinnerware dashed against walls!.. (kicking the dirt while exiting shelter… mumbling to self)… Some days it just ain’t worth gettin’ outta bed…
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It’s a process. There were some days where I just wanted to ban JWs from off the face of the earth! BUT to be fair, it was my parents’ choice how they “applied” the info - it was my choice later in life (baptized at 14) and a married zealot.
Cults when they explode 
send a reminder (which gets ignored) and the BITE model (cult identifier) moves into politics and businesses as well.
BTW - literal harm reduction is an issue in Alberta. Safe-supply is underfunded and attacked and our newly elected gov’t just implemented forced rehab.
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Religion has had 5,000 years to infiltrate human society in one form or another. Undoing that isn’t going to happen overnight.
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send a reminder (which gets ignored) and the BITE model (cult identifier) moves into politics and businesses as well.