Reed:
>>I think it's foolish to deny people their faith on the conceptually
>>suspect grounds that it is possible to live without faith of some kind
>I don't want to deny them their faith either, but if they are willing to
>threaten my choice NOT to have any faith, then they might as well be
>yelling "WAR" at the top of their lungs. Reed, I HAVE NO FAITH IN
>ANYTHING I never have as long as I can remember. To live without "faith"
>is bliss, and is more rewarding than I can describe.
I have said similar things in my life. I used to argue that science and
reason were the cure for all that ails us. I still love science and I'm
still an athiest. But what is real to me is more subtle than such stark
black and white distinctions. I do have faith is some things, and in
some people. My life is pretty rewarding, and I have found it more
rewarding as time has gone by. I don't think I would describe it as
"bliss", but I'm content.
>And although we have seen an increase in religious fundamentalism here,
>the overall church roles are down, and there is a larger percentage of
>Athiests than at any other time. Eventually religion will be a minority
>belief.
Well, Christianity might become a minority belief...but that's just a
vacuum waiting to be occupied.
>As for the "Dennett's" quote, I agree whole heartedly.
Me, too. He has another which goes soemthing like:
"You are welcome to form any religion you like, so long as it doesn't
become a public nuisance."
With which I also agree. I think you (and David) are concentrating on
the emotional connotations of Dennett...his rhetoric...while I'm talking
mainly about the intellectual content of what he is saying. I find this
ironic given our current ideological positions, don't you?
Reed
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Reed Konsler konsler@ascat.harvard.edu
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