In the name of protecting religion, most governments do not criminalize
these activities, for fear of offending the religious. After all, making a
donation to a magic stone is not much different than making a donation to a
magic religion. Where do you draw the line? Governments are loath to
outlaw most of these provably false activities, so it’s up to ordinary people to
make a difference. That is what Narendra was brave enough to do. To
attempt to intervene and educate people where they were being harmed
economically by their belief in falsehoods.
Praying at home harms no one and costs you nothing, as long as you are not
delaying medical treatment in favor of the “power” of prayer. But most of
these schemes do harm people by taking their hard-earned money and
giving them nothing in return. Are you strong enough to intervene? Can you
step up to a stranger, and try to explain to them why they are wasting their
money? Do you care enough about other people, total strangers, to try to
help in this way? Narendra did, and he died for his convictions. I do not have
it within my self to be as strong as he was, but I hope that I can be more like
him in the future than I am now. Not to fear reprisal just because I speak
the truth. To recognize a greater good than my own self-interest in trying to
protect others from fraud. To value the poor as greatly, or more so, than my
own self-interest, or in the case of Narendra, his own life. To love the truth
above all else. For me, that is what makes an atheist noble—not a disbelief
in gods, but a commitment to the Truth.
Original Article URL:
http://www.atheistrepublic.com/blog/deandrasek/death-great-atheist
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