The More You Know

[jesus_h_biscuit]

It's been interesting to me to have so many people from different walks of life confide in me that they have had questions about their religious upbringing and doubts about whether or not they followed because it is what they were raised to do or because they genuinely believed of their own accord after careful consideration. I try to be careful

Comments

[madknits]

A book you might enjoy, or get something out of is Ethics Without God by Kai Nielson. Brilliant little book.

[jesus_h_biscuit]

I will definitely add it to my list, thanks babe!

[sunfell]

I look forward to your list.

[jesus_h_biscuit]

I hope there's some stuff there for you!

[ferrell]

My personal theory is that a very significant number of religious people, possibly even the majority, don't actually believe what they claim to

[virginia_fell]

You have said a hell of a thing. Several, in fact. I don't really have anything to add except to thank you for posting this comment.

[jesus_h_biscuit]

It rarely occurs to me the kind of communal aspect there that would be placed at risk, but it does make perfect sense. I understand how that might be so big as to be a deal breaker within the minds of some, but then again I don't understand because I couldn't belong to something that serious just for the sake of comfort, which I think is what it must come down to.

Yes - that 'easy way out' thing. It invariably gets used way too often as a tool for legitimizing really bad things.

Thanks for this, Ferrell. We miss you by the way, let us know when you want to get together and do something - or just get together and do nothing. I still owe you dinner!!

[ferrell]

I'm free any day before Sunday!

[onlineoffline]

I really enjoyed reading this first on facebook. You always write well such intelligent and well-considered posts. One of the ebooks I want to read is the Christopher Hitchens one.
Lately I've been reading 'The Unauthorized Version: Truth and Fiction in the Bible' by Robin Lane Fox and also good ole Richard Dawkins 'The Selfish Gene' .. both very interesting, but both a bit text-book-y so I usually only read a chapter at a time. Must finish them.

[jesus_h_biscuit]

Thanks for the compliments sweetheart, that was very kind of you. You can find a LOT of Hitchens related material at: atheistmovies.blogspot.com/search/label/Christopher%20Hitchens

Dawkins does require a bit of patience to get through - some academia is easy to get overstimulated by if you don't pace yourself!

[greyhime]

For me, religion is a deeply personal matter and has no business in the workplace, in the government, in schools, in health care, etc. That is often a combination that works in the best interest of no one at all.

That really sucks that she refused to expand her worldview. I've been made to feel that I'm wrong or stupid for my beliefs by atheists before, so I would've been nervous too, but if it's simply presented as an alternate option, it's interesting to read.

[jesus_h_biscuit]

She doesn't owe me anything, but she does tend to get pissy when she tries to sell me on her religion and I shut her down by quoting scripture that she cannot refute or defend. Then I get to say "Well, sooner or later you'll take some responsibility and stop trying to spar with me on this stuff when I know more about it than you do. Don't blame me because you're lazy and cannot be bothered to read or think critically before trying to sell me a product you've never even really used before."