I can’t tell you how many times I have heard this old canard about how those who criticize others should not do so. We, after all, are permitted to believe what we want and it is not the place of people like me to criticize them for their ideas, they’ll say. My immediate response is to ask them whether their criticism of my criticism is hypocrisy or not.
But beyond this is the notion that we are supposed to tolerate the views of others in general. Is this really true? Are we simply supposed to accept whatever others believe, no matter what, without challenge? I think this is problematic for two reasons.
The first is that some people’s views are simply incorrect, and can be easily shown to be so. The views of creationists who want to teach about Intelligent Design (or whatever the Discovery Institute is calling it now) in science class are simply untenable, and many have rightly stood up against such views. Similarly, the idea that a god exists is untenable(in my humble opinion).
But the more interesting reason is due to what happens when someones opinion is that one should criticize other people’s beliefs? What happens when our naysayer accosts me for my criticizing others’ views and I follow up with my view that one should criticize others’ views. For them to disagree would be to criticize and thus be a hypocrite, and to agree wold be to disagree with their own view. Quite a quandary, eh?
The bottom line; if one claims that people should not criticize, they are either allowing the possibility of rampant stupid ideas to go unchallenged or are a hypocrite. Or is this one of those both/and situations….
Thus, I criticize theistic claims. I don't think it is obnoxious, I think it is part of the cultural dialogue. It is part of my quest for what is true. I don't see challenging deeply held beliefs as being out of bound because if those beliefs are true, then scrutiny of them should expose that. I'm open to someone else being right, so when I see people becoming defensive, how can I see anything but insecurity in this? If your religion is true, then expose it to the light of day.
The problem is that people do not do this. Religion is not a topic of polite discussion. It gets a free pass in our culture, and I don't know why. Ah, but I do! It is because it is tied to emotions, not rationally defensible, and therefore people tend to find, upon inspection, that they are not secure in their beliefs. and if tehy were secure in their beliefs they would have no problem talking about it.
Comments
"so when I see people becoming defensive, how can I see anything but insecurity in this?"
Yes, how can you? Of course the irony that the entire tone of this article is defensive hasn't been lost on you, has it?
I agree with the idea behind this article. Beliefs should be questioned and religion should be talked about rationally. My only statement is to request that you create a draft of your works and let them sit for a day before publishing them. I believe this would eliminate most of the typographical errors as well as give you an opportunity to clean up some of your more difficult sentences.
I know picking on grammar and spelling is rather cliche, but to a person you're trying to convince, it weakens your argument. It's like a character assassination of a trial witness; it really has nothing to do with the content of what that person said, but it's a powerful tool in limiting the effectiveness of what that person did say.
Shaun, I'm very secure in my religious beliefs and have no problem talking about it. You say you find the idea of God untenable? I find the idea of no God logically untenable.
What kind of universe do you find yourself in? A large lump of silly putty with no form or function, no design? No. You're in a universe built from a sublimely-designed set of particles, forces and laws that puts any other erector set to shame. Now the others were intelligently designed, weren't they? So how would the infinitely superior one not be designed? Is that logical? Maybe to an blind atheist, but not to any logical mind. The logical mind looks at the universe (and life) consistently with the way it looks at the rest of reality, i.e. design indicates a designer, it doesn't indicate no designer. Logical, yes? Of course. When you look at your car, do you see no designer behind it? Or a designer? The latter, I suspect. So why don't you train your mind in logic and then you will see the Designer named Jesus.
Shaun, read John chapter 1 in the Bible (that's the 4th book of the New Testament) to learn about God's son Jesus Christ who designed and created the universe and life. After that, read the rest of John to get a more complete picture of Jesus and how He came to Earth to save us from our sins and from the penalty (death and hell) of our sins. If you don't think that's worth your time then you aren't very curious about this life, in which case you shouldn't be writing a blog. It has been well said that no one is educated who has not read the Bible. So my suggestion to you is start reading John, then the rest of the New Testament, then the Old Testament. Then you will be educated and have something useful to say to others. Otherwise, you are just communicating ignorance to others, which doesn't do anyone any good. Ask Jesus to help you, He won't mind at all and He will see to it that you will understand what you are reading. And you will have a relationship with God who made everything.
Dale,
If things that are complex need a designer, such as the universe, then why does God not need a designer? To make this exception is special pleading. I do not see the need for an intelligent designer to explain the universe. I think that you need to stop projecting and do some reading on your own about the processes of nature and how the universe was formed.
I have read the Bible. I've read it twice and studied it. Please don't assume that because I'm an atheist I have not done so. I've been studying the Bible and Christian history for many years now.
It seems this will always be a dance of denial .
We ( Atheists ) are not supposed to fend off negative comments about ourselves from the religious ,yet they preach thou shalt not judge ? Is it me or are they really good at double speak ?
Dale ,How do you go to ask Jesus anything ,When you have to pretend that he is There ???????????
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