[Tfug] Subject: Re: religious nutcakes

[Jude Nelson]

Malcolm Schmerl:

As pointed out in the previous thread, there is no evidence that the
world around us exists--all we have to go by are the ways in which our
brains interpret our senses.  We could all be living in the Matrix and
no one would know.  In fact, you could be a figment of my imagination,
for all I can tell.  I don't think it is altogether a sign of insanity
to take some aspects of reality on blind faith--we're both doing it
right now by acknowledging each others' email responses :)

My beliefs aside, the fact that humans have on multiple occasions
throughout history developed a sense of higher powers and/or higher
being(s) than themselves as a way to explain the mysteries of the
world around us indicates to me that "blind faith belief in God for
which there is absolutely no evidence" not a mark of insanity at all.
Rather, it is the human mind's attempt to justify and explain the
world around itself, even if it attributes the unexplainable to
superstition.  It seems to be the natural thing to do for the majority
of humans.

I do agree with you, however, that the zealotry and intolerance for
dissent that has accompanied large religions (especially the Abrahamic
religions) for thousands of years *is* insane, from both a rational
and a canonical perspective*.

Regards,
Jude Nelson

*Fortunately, some progress has been made.  For example, as a
Catholic, I can tell you that my belief (as well as the Church's) is
that zealotry and intolerance are respectively ignorance and hatred by
different names, and should be avoided.  I can also tell you that
otherwise religiously sensitive areas like evolution and the "Big
Bang" theory are both fully supported by the Catholic Church--the
current stance is that there is no sense in denying what scientists
discover about the world.  I know it hasn't always been that way, but
it has for as long as I have been alive.

On 7/12/08, John Mc <jmcneill2 at earthlink.net> wrote:
> Moving to Flames. Please make all replies from that list.
>
>
> Subject: Re: [Tfug] religious nutcakes
> Date: Jul 12, 2008 11:57 AM
>
>>Malcolm Schmerl wrote:
> Jude, your tolerance is admirable, but all the religions you mentioned are
> based on a blind faith belief in God for which there is absolutely no
> evidence. Such a belief is irrational. I, for one, feel that a religion
> based on such irrational belief is, in fact, a form of insanity and find it
> not at all surprising that so many bizarre things are done in the name of
> religious belief.
>
>>Jon wrote:
> I'm sure this entire solar system and beyond is the result of _just_ the
> right items coming together without the intervention of "something". No,
> you're right. All the wonders of the world - large, small and sometimes
> disturbing are all because of an accident. Look around you and take a deep
> hard look at everything around you (don't do this downtown though cause
> that'll only make you believe even more that there is no "God") and think to
> yourself, could all of this really started from a mud hole with no higher
> intervention? Really? Seriously? This world is just way too amazing for it
> to not be intentionally crafted that way.  Jon
>
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