A Declaration

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• The following is a portion of email correspondence between my brother and I.  It's written sort of ranty, I know, but that's how it came out when I originally wrote the email last September.  Let me preface this by saying that my brother and I have a wonderful relationship despite some fundamental differences on this very subject. He is an intelligent man, an good father, and wonderful husband.   I found myself reading these the other day, and felt compelled to share this one. It was my first vocalization, my first declaration to my brother that I had in fact decided to call a duck a duck (the duck being myself) 
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•    Look, I'm an atheist because actions speak louder then prayer. Because aligning myself morally with groups that preach misogyny, bigotry, homophobia, xenophobia more than reason, logic science and tolerance seems medieval at best.  I'm not saying that all people who adhere to any sort of religious dogmas are "evil" or "ignorant".  I am saying that for those people who are not, I find it amazing that they WOULD! My success is my doing, so are my failures.  People can do wonderful things without religion.  In any other aspect of humanity, if we took things we knew 2,000 years ago and still did them today, we would consider those people fools at best.  If a parent took a child to get bled by leaches to cure a fever instead of giving the child Tylenol, WOW there would be some fuss! But let a President of The United States of America say that he's prayed, and going to war is what god told him to do, we (figuratively as a country) wave flags, sing God Bless America and load the guns...  Strictly as literature the Bible (which ever version you read) is an incredible work.  Same as the Qu'ran, the Torah, the Book of Mormon, the Tipitaka and so on.  Can we really take these things seriously and literally anymore??  I would hope not.  Do a little pokin around on the interwebs.  Everyday,  every single day, religions rules and dogmas are the cause for murder, mutilation, and torture committed against men, women and children. EVERYDAY!  Please don't come back with "serial killers" or atheists who have committed crimes against humanity. The statistics are overwhelming.  These institutions (not the occasional nut jobs) are preaching from a perceived position of authority claiming that homosexuality is abhorrent and unnatural, that women are lesser humans, and should be treated as such and that nonbelievers should be killed.  They protect pedophiles in their midst, and they teach that when the world ends (however it does) it's a good thing because eternal life is waiting for them!  They fight scientific progress with rabble rousing and fear.  How many of these ideals are conducive (in your opinion) to humanities success and survival?  I won't bug you anymore with this.  I love you, and I love your family as well.  Not much could ever change that.  Maybe we should go play 9, drink some beers and not talk about anything important.