Raise your children in a religious environment and some will rebel, raise them in an atheist environment, some will rebel. Best we can do is give them all the facts and hope the facts will show them religion is only for those for whom it is an addictive drug.
I believe freedom is choice but, as we know, people will still make horrible choices. Read your history: Endless tyranny and bloodshed has been unleashed by free peoples exercising free will and speech. Freedom is not an antidote to greed, avarice, willful ignorance nor bigotry. If only ...
Yes yes, I'll take all 3. Perhaps free beer as well?
I can see how those 3 things could be a threat to religion but I think the one main threat to religion is evidence based thinking (as religion is faith based - contrary to any evidence and therefor illogical).
Would evidence not come from the 3 things mentioned? Thinking will come from free will of free men and women and manifested by free speech, no?
@Tiramisu I think it can but not necessarily. Maybe inevitably.
@Allamanda Absolutely.
I believe the absence of free will is more damaging to the majority of religions. If we don't have free will then the concept of an eternal spirit becomes untenable. I think what you are trying to say is freedom to make your own choices, i.e. not forced by fear/manipulation into belief.