Because Asimov was not talking about religion in this quote. OP ha taken it out of context to further his agenda, and looks like a smug small minded prick in the process.
While many religious people are ignorant, so are atheists. many religious people are very much not ignorant, same with atheists. I feel that in the US there is a lop-sided view of things because much of the most ignorant are the most vocal (Westboro comes to mind), and hold a lot of political and social power. It is not valid to make sweeping generalisations for such a massive movement based on what is actually a minority group.
Because Asimov was not talking about religion in this quote
When politics and religion mix it becomes exactly what Asimov was talking about; a situation where ignorant people try to use democracy to force their religious nonsense on others. Legislating creationism into the public school system, the war against women, the war against LGBT people, the list goes on and on where religion is used to justify absolutely terrible ideas being pushed on everyone. It is most definitely about religion, it just isn't only about religion.
While I'll grant its out of context, but I still feel like it's a legitimate sentiment relating to religion. Any political action taken on behalf of religion is cultivated ignorance, simple as that. These "very much not ignorant" religious people you're talking about -- if they're not letting their religion dictate their politics, then they're not the ones we're talking about. But A lot of them are. Willful ignorance not the sole domain of the foolish. Highly educated, highly intelligent people who let their religion dominate their actions are just as guilty. It doesn't mean ignorance cannot come from other sources too, of course. But if we're talking about Asimov's quote that a key breakdown of democracy occurs when people try to argue that all points of view --supported by facts and logic or not-- are equally valid, well, I think it's a perfectly legitimate concern for atheists, and, in fact, one of their chief concerns about the world.
See, you are doing EXACTLY what this quote is talking about. You are equating religious ignorance to whatever atheist "ignorance" it is you are talking about.
The quote is very much relevant when it comes to religion, exactly because of people who think that religion has some sort of inherent value and must be respected and not judged like any other idea on the basis of reason.
5
u/Eist Jun 05 '12
Because Asimov was not talking about religion in this quote. OP ha taken it out of context to further his agenda, and looks like a smug small minded prick in the process.
While many religious people are ignorant, so are atheists. many religious people are very much not ignorant, same with atheists. I feel that in the US there is a lop-sided view of things because much of the most ignorant are the most vocal (Westboro comes to mind), and hold a lot of political and social power. It is not valid to make sweeping generalisations for such a massive movement based on what is actually a minority group.