(no subject)
All around me, it seems that everyone around me has religious views that have become very polarized. Now, I'm just speaking in my own life, not for all of America or the whole world, but Christopher Hitchens recently remarked on it. Now, it's not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing, but it's just the way it is.
I generally keep quiet when such conversations are happening around me, but I've formed a hypothesis that a) nobody is really listening to each other (because nobody listens to each other anymore) and b)each side goes in circles, and eventually argues itself into a corner that is contrary to what they're preaching to begin with. (For example, a Christian unwittingly making an argument that glaringly disproves the existence of god, and an atheist who resorts to bad or twisted logic). This sometimes results in the Christian of blaming the atheist that he just "doesn't have an open mind," (which is ironic, since often the Christian refuses to acknowledge their own close-mindedness when it comes to abandoning their position) and also, the atheist usually assumes that since the person is Christian, he is by default illogical and idiotic to begin with, and until that person is swiftly converted to atheism, he is a potential danger to society. This almost seems like evangelical atheism to me. "We're the only correct way to live your life! If you're not with us, you're dangerous!"
Now, this isn't how all arguments go, and please don't misunderstand- I'm not trying to pigeonhole anyone or to say "all Christians and atheists argue this way." I base these observations only on what I've seen, but other people may have different experiences. Where I work, this subject has touched a nerve, and it's caused a lot of tension among us booksellers. Since I keep quiet on the subject, only intervening to question gross generalizations or leaps of logic, I am often asked what my position is. I reply, "that is an inappropriate question and I'm not comfortable answering it," and I continue with my work. (And we shouldn't be talking about things like that on the floor. It might upset customers.)
Once, a person I worked with who describes himself as a militant atheist told me, "haHA! You're the most dangerous of them all, bcz you're intellectually dishonest bcz you won't take one position or the other! Therefore, you're an atheist!" A Buddhist coworker overheard and nearly shat her pants trying to comprehend the nonsense of that statement.
Actually, I keep quiet because I'm not sure what my beliefs are. I guess I'm something of a Deist. The Universe is god, and I do believe that the Universe itself is intelligent somehow, if in some sort of digital form. I also believe that there is more than one way to live your live, contrary to what some people like my polarized coworkers would say. Each side insists that theirs is the correct way. Each insists the ideas of the other side are potentially dangerous. To that, I reply that ideas aren't dangerous, but people are.
There's more I would like too add to that, but I'm too exhausted right now. Please realize, I really don't want to start a philosophical argument here, since I already get enough of that. Maybe another time, but not now. I'm just trying to organize some thoughts, really.
I generally keep quiet when such conversations are happening around me, but I've formed a hypothesis that a) nobody is really listening to each other (because nobody listens to each other anymore) and b)each side goes in circles, and eventually argues itself into a corner that is contrary to what they're preaching to begin with. (For example, a Christian unwittingly making an argument that glaringly disproves the existence of god, and an atheist who resorts to bad or twisted logic). This sometimes results in the Christian of blaming the atheist that he just "doesn't have an open mind," (which is ironic, since often the Christian refuses to acknowledge their own close-mindedness when it comes to abandoning their position) and also, the atheist usually assumes that since the person is Christian, he is by default illogical and idiotic to begin with, and until that person is swiftly converted to atheism, he is a potential danger to society. This almost seems like evangelical atheism to me. "We're the only correct way to live your life! If you're not with us, you're dangerous!"
Now, this isn't how all arguments go, and please don't misunderstand- I'm not trying to pigeonhole anyone or to say "all Christians and atheists argue this way." I base these observations only on what I've seen, but other people may have different experiences. Where I work, this subject has touched a nerve, and it's caused a lot of tension among us booksellers. Since I keep quiet on the subject, only intervening to question gross generalizations or leaps of logic, I am often asked what my position is. I reply, "that is an inappropriate question and I'm not comfortable answering it," and I continue with my work. (And we shouldn't be talking about things like that on the floor. It might upset customers.)
Once, a person I worked with who describes himself as a militant atheist told me, "haHA! You're the most dangerous of them all, bcz you're intellectually dishonest bcz you won't take one position or the other! Therefore, you're an atheist!" A Buddhist coworker overheard and nearly shat her pants trying to comprehend the nonsense of that statement.
Actually, I keep quiet because I'm not sure what my beliefs are. I guess I'm something of a Deist. The Universe is god, and I do believe that the Universe itself is intelligent somehow, if in some sort of digital form. I also believe that there is more than one way to live your live, contrary to what some people like my polarized coworkers would say. Each side insists that theirs is the correct way. Each insists the ideas of the other side are potentially dangerous. To that, I reply that ideas aren't dangerous, but people are.
There's more I would like too add to that, but I'm too exhausted right now. Please realize, I really don't want to start a philosophical argument here, since I already get enough of that. Maybe another time, but not now. I'm just trying to organize some thoughts, really.