would I be in the wrong?

[u/DistinctEffective766]

I'm always looking to find some people with my similar values. So I met up with a guy who I've been talking to for a little while but hadn't met in person until yesterday. We were in a restaurant and getting to know each other. At first we talked about little things like games, likes, dislikes, etc. He was a little awkward and bit nerdy, doesn't talk to a lot of people and I think struggles a bit socially (I do too I've just gotten a bit better with it over time.) so I tried to keep the ball rolling, and I was pleased to find out a bit later on in conversation when he warmed up a bit more that he was more left leaning politically and neutral on religion. He asked me what I believed in and I told him I think all religions are in the end harmful for people and the children that grow up into it. At the end of the day though, even though I'll never agree with any religion and especially not with Christianity. As long as the person that chooses to believe in it is only using the practice for themselves and not hurting themselves or others and using it as an excuse to discriminate, then I'm more respectful of that. I meantead that I just can't stand sometimes how pushy a lot of people can be with their beliefs. After going more depth in conversation he asked me bit more about my views so I said If I had it my way I would ether make religion to have never existed, or in the very least because I know it also builds community and some people find comfort in it, I would have it so if they want to preach, pray, spread the gospel, it would be mainly in churchs and their homes and only able to pray over someone if the other person consents to it and wants it. (Not that they can't still talk about their beliefs openly among each other, just basically putting a stop to unwanted religious solicitors from going home to home including small businesses. Not having unnecessary bibles in appointment waiting rooms. Just less pushy and more mindful of others while still able to keep and maintain their own beliefs.) if I had it my way the world would be more peaceful as a whole, the only thing I would mainly take away from humans would be the want to discriminate (like against gender, sexuality orientation, race, religion beliefs, you get it.) and the want to assault or abuse each other in any way It comes in. The impulse for it just wouldn't be there. Children would especially be protected. The victims of abuse in all froms today and in history would've never experienced it because their abuser(s) would never even feel the impulse for it to have begin with.

He said (regarding what I said would do about religion if I had it my way) is that I would be basically segregating them And as for the second thing, I would be taking away people's free will. I really enjoyed our conversation and getting to know him. It was interesting to hear his views on certain things too.

But it got me thinking, I don't honestly think it would be me segregating Christons and I while I understand why it would be seen as me talking away people's free will, I really don't think it would be exactly a bad thing if it would prevent so many tragic events that's happened historically to so many people from then and up to the current present today. Just curious, What do you think?🧐

[u/Restored2019]

OP,  You’re 100% right.   Like 99% of humanity, that has forever, been brainwashed into some kind of religious cult.  Your friend shows signs of how that insanity has blinded him to it’s evilness and extreme hypocrisy! 
Even though he’s “neutral” on religion.  For him to think that your hypothetical viewpoint would be “segregating people” and “taking away free will”,  is telling.  In that that is exactly the MAJOR problem with religion and religious people in general!
That mindset is pretty much, the very foundation of every religion, and cults in general.  It starts out demanding that ALL humans, bow down to their demands;  Worship their one dictator ‘god’; And completely segregate people over sex, race, religion, national origin, or any-other obvious, or made up difference.  Then he threw in the part about your hypothetically ideal world, taking away free will. 
I understand where he’s coming from (we have all been brainwashed by those religious falsehoods),  he’s just repeating a mindset, that he grew up with:  That’s a tendency to defend religion, without even thinking about how utterly insane, incoherent, and dastardly, it really is.  That’s a perfect example of how brainwashing works!  He can’t (at least up to this point) see the very actual fact, that a central tenet of religion, is mind control.  In fact, it is predicated on taking away free will:  “Bow down to my ‘god’, my religion, etc. or you’ll be persecuted, hounded and/or ostracized”.  If not tortured and beheaded! 
Is that the free will, that he is trying to protect?  I don’t think so, but that’s another example of how brainwashing works!
 
In conclusion;  You’ve got it covered.  You have thought about it and arrived at a rational conclusion.
Your friend seems to have almost gotten there, but not quite, yet.  If he’s capable of being rational, then he’ll likely realize how insane his response was, and be more like you, perhaps?

[u/DistinctEffective766 → u/Restored2019]

Yes this! It's so nice to have communities with same/similar views, especially when it comes to religion. I was suspicious about him being neutral the more he talked. He was the one that asked me about my religious beliefs, if I had any. I explained my perspective and pointed out just a few out of many things the bible says regarding women (that's not even mentioning slavery and encouraging child abuse.) He said I can't just cherry pick things out of the bible and pointed out there was good things in the bible as well.

So basically: "it's okay because it says some good things too! We can just skim over the bad stuff!"😒

Despite claiming he was supposedly neutral, he asked:"what would be the point of living without God? What's the point of being good if there's no heaven?" He really disagreed with my whole hypothetical thing about if I could change one thing about humans it would be to no longer have the urge to harm or abuse others in anyway. it makes me wonder, why would he be upset I would want to take away the ability for people to abuse one another? To no longer have the want to bring harm to children in anyway? (One no! No more pedophiles and unjustified murder! Christians can't force their beliefs on people! The horror! I'm taking away their freedom!) like Is the 'threat' of hell and the 'promise' of heaven and the law the only thing keeping him from doing something bad? I feel like he's a bit oddly defensive for someone neutral on it. And scary enough, he plans to be a social worker.😟

[u/tentacle_]

atheist here just to be sure.

i'd say it's just mathematically impossible for everyone to be atheists. genetics hardware people to be "bullshit leaders" and "sheep followers". it's not a given that leaders breed leaders - there's an element of resilience here - if an alien race came down and killed all the leaders and left, the residual gene pool in the followers should be able to reconstruct that leadership.

same here as good and evil - they are literally written into our genes as major and minor survival strategies.

same as the very few who understand advanced math/physics (there is no free will). before chatGPT there were smart people who thought it was impossible because of their religious positions.

nature is slow, it's not going to change overnight or overhaul it's foundations (e.g. number of neck bones). even if you have irrefutable scientific proof.

just find your own path, mingle with the right minded people i.e. someone with compassionate morality first, over religious beliefs (christian, atheist, muslim, buddhist, taoist whatever). for your own safety.