Cultures have flourished IN SPITE of religion, not because of it. Religion has always repressed reason and is reluctant to accept new ideas. ie: Galileo
You logic goes like this:
All dogs have 4 legs All cats have 4 legs All cats are dogs
We've had an example of religion running the show. We call it the Dark Ages. One more of those "blemishes"? Reason broke the chains and brought us to the Renaissance.
>>>You are pointing to individual atheists who are a product of a religious culture.<<<
Think about what you're implying. YOU pointed to major accomplishments in society such as music, architecture and mathematics and linked them to religion and I showed you that some of the greatest minds ever in those fields were essentially non-believers.
Do you really think Einstein and Mozart excelled in their respective fields only because they existed in what you define as religious cultures? Historians prove you wrong by pointing out that Einstein not only was aware of the stigma of his lack of faith but even used the church and the press to keep the masses at bay so he could work and make history in peace. I don't understand how you conclude that these legendary minds who changed the world were somehow dependent on average people of stronger faith than their's.
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