I have decided to write a series of letters to my local paper, the Springfield News
Loser Leader, a right-leaning publication that has followed me like a blood hound at times over the last several years (they once wrote five condemning articles in a week about
my antics), detailing the arguments against the existence of god.
I thought that for the first one it would be important to explain why we criticize religion and why we should care. I've not submitted it yet, so if you have a critique, please leave it so I can incorporate your advice if I think it makes sense.
Why we must criticize religion
It is often implied that those of us who do not believe in a god think that all religious people are evil. The irony is that it’s just the opposite. Virtually every inhabitant of this planet has good intentions behind their every action, but the problem is that good intentions are not enough. Consider that every few weeks in this country, some parents will pray their children to the grave because they believe that the healing power of prayer is greater than that of secular medicine. Clearly, these parents loved their children very much and wanted them to get well. Sadly, because they did not possess good reasons to believe as they did, their good intentions turned them into murderers.
Before we can determine what is moral to do, we must first determine what is true about the universe around us to ensure that our actions achieve the end we desire. For all of us, at least a portion of that end is to be happy. This is why Christians worry about the souls of the lost. If they are correct about the existence of their god, then proselytizing in order to save us from the fires of hell is absolutely the moral thing to do. Likewise, if allowing gay people to express their love really would lead to the unraveling of our society, then we should oppose homosexuality with all the resources we would employ against actual threats of national destruction. Also, if a god exists who really will reward the faithful eternally and preserve the happiness of our families here on Earth for slaughtering the infidels, then flying a plane into a skyscraper is a moral action. It is important to realize that the 9/11 attackers believed they were doing the best thing possible – their intentions really were golden. But their god does not exist, and because they failed in their responsibility to scrutinize their beliefs to ensure that what they believed about the nature of reality was true, they rushed in to join the ranks of some of the most loathsome men to have ever lived – even as they held the best intentions.
This is why it is important to criticize religion, and why I elect to do so. Beliefs are the gatekeepers of our actions, and if people hold beliefs that conflict with reality then they are failing a responsibility they have not only to themselves, but to every one of us who are neighbors to them here on Earth. The problem is that we’re not talking about what is true, and this makes our moral differences irreconcilable. The conversation is positively killed when religious people employ phrases such as “Well, we all just believe what we believe”, “We’ll have to agree to disagree”, or “I have my beliefs and you have your beliefs.” We need not "agree to disagree" and allow our moral discourse to remain paralyzed – we cannot afford to. It is high time to demand that religious people provide their reasons for believing as they do, and for the rest of us to hold their feet to the fire when they refuse or when those reasons fail. Thankfully, not every believer divorces themselves from reality to such an extent that they believe muttering to a man in the sky will heal an ailing child, but that they divorce themselves from reality at all is unnecessary, irresponsible, embarrassing, and dangerous, and we should stop making excuses for it.
Comments (25)
Also, if a god exists, who really will reward the faithful eternally
and preserve the happiness of our families here on Earth for
slaughtering the infidels, then flying a plane into a skyscraper is a
moral action. It is important to realize that the 9/11 attackers
believed they were doing the best thing possible – their intentions
really were golden.
- Best point you made, imo.
Its a great letter and I think you make your point very clear to anybody who reads it. I agree with you in the sense that everybody should be able to justify their beliefs with reason and logic behind it. And that you do have a right to criticize and question those beliefs if nobody is willing to back them up with anything substantial. However, I'd like to point out that this would not be a problem if these people with their "beliefs" would just stop shoving it down everybody's throat. I have plenty of very religious friends and we all get along because they respect my beliefs (which I have yet to figure out what they are) as I respect theirs. They do not try and pass legislation based on their beliefs and make everybody else have to abide by it. For example, as I am sure you are aware, we here in California had a big falling out over Prop 8 (which passed) and the loads of money being donated to the Yes on 8 campaign by the Mormon Church. The fact that a religious organization dictated the passage in the major law violates church and state and gives atheist and others every reason in the world to question religion.
Speaking of California, you would never be harassed by a local newspaper here. You should consider a move to the Sunshine State lol...word on the street is that Californians have a bit more of an open mind for dissent! =)
@desertrose2890 - The whole point is that, even if beliefs don't produce maladaptive results, we have an obligation to hold good reasons to ensure they don't. Even if your religious friends (thankfully) are not so divorced from reality that they are doing things that make no moral sense, it is still worrisome to condone divorce from reality at all if it can be avoided.
I went to California last Summer and loved it. That trip was when I first met Richard Carrier, actually. Sadly, I think this part of the country needs people who do this type of thing a lot more. Besides...I'd be bored out there with nothing to try and fix. :) Thanks for the invite though.
JT
This is beautiful.
You just don't understand. The parents praying for their kids weren't praying hard enough / to the right god (read: my god). Because I know this guy who's uncle's cousin's neighbor's acne was cured through prayer... he had enough faith to pray for a cure, even after his doctor did nothing but give him medication for this horrible affliction! Sadly, that man is dead today... his faith slipped, which is the only reason he died of cancer. But god cured his unsightly blemishes, for he is truly a merciful and loving god.
@GodlessLiberal - Oh! I knew that guy. He was a Jew. Poor soul.
I think you make a great argument here about how even Believers have to face reality. It's not an attack against EVERY Christian (or religious fellow) just those that are unwilling to face the music. If you're sending this to a rightist newspaper, then I think you've conceded just enough and not quite enough to have them mad and irrational. I hope someone listens, though. Maybe? You are being *awfully* nice for a lousy atheist.
Amazing and awesome.
Great post!
I love the line, "Beliefs are the gatekeepers of our actions, and if people hold beliefs that conflict with reality then they are failing a responsibility they have not only to themselves, but to every one of us who are neighbors to them here on Earth." It's a very good point.
-- J. M. 713
You know what? I decided that I really like reading your blog and I am adding you to my favorites list.
Seriously, first of all, you make lolcats references all over the place and I freaking love lolcats.
Secondly and more importantly, you address very important issues and your posts are always meaningful and well thought out.
I, personally, like the way you view religion, even if we have some differing views, it IS important to question faith. I think it is extremely healthy and not only for ourselves, but for society. It helps our minds expand to be more open. I've always kind of thought of it as comparing someone who never leaves their hometown their entire lives, to someone who travels around and sees the world. I mean, the people who never leave their home town get sucked into local drama, often feel "trapped", and are, in general, not well rounded people. People who get out and travel around and see the world and gain new and unique experiences are confident, tend to be much more satisfied with their lives and know that if they're ever feeling trapped that they can leave.
I know so many people who have never left my hometown and I can't even handle being around them. Their world is so small and all they know life in that single small town... you know?
Am I even making sense?
Anyway... seriously, great blog.
@desertrose2890 - California...ah...
I've been there a couple of times for extended periods and I have to say, that I have some biased beliefs of Californians (and I'm sure it probably had a bit to do with the nature of the people I was with... but still I found it to be quite prominent.) I've always thought that Californians have this very strong urge to always be "perfect" whether being viewed as perfect or actually being perfect it just seemed like a very Californian attitude. Nice houses... (really, there were so few older houses where I was) extremely health conscious. (Like... annoyingly so) seemed like all kids were treated like super geniuses... private schools whether the parents could afford it or not...
I don't know.
However, I think that California is a huge player in advancing this nation, especially with environmental protection and I think that's really great.
I just feel like Californians have a very different attitude than anywhere else in the country that I've experienced. Not really sure it its bad, just different.
@x_Butterflies_and_Hurricanes_x - Oh I see your point. Yes, in that sense, we are very much a state of perfection in that we like things to appear perfect but not necessarily be that way. Like we pay attention to superficial stuff around here, at least that's what I notice or have been told by others. I see your point about the houses...everything is always brand new. But we are a very progressive state when it comes to our viewpoints and such, which is why I like living here. We are a very diverse state with a lot of different cultural stuff happening here. There is so much to learn! But yeah, I guess each state has it's own characteristics...
So true. Love it.
@desertrose2890 - very true. I definitely think Californias trying to do for the environment is so great. I think they're going to be the ones who really get the rest of the nation started on controlling CO2 emissions. Progressive is definitely right and I think its one of the best things for this nation and the environment right now. And I did also see a lot of diversity there too so that's really great too.
I have a cousin that lives in California and since he was 13 he's talked about going to Yale and Harvard- I just can't believe the pressure those kids get at such a young age about their education, but at the same time, how great of a thing it is to really invest in really high education like that.
ok I see your point! nice post btw!
@fugita - Thanks. :D
JT
From an academic viewpoint, this sentence bothers me:
But their god does not exist, and because they failed in their
responsibility to scrutinize their beliefs to ensure that what they
believed about the nature of reality was true, they rushed in to join
the ranks of some of the most loathsome men to have ever lived – even
as they held the best intentions.
You state that "their god does not exist" as a solid, inarguable fact with nothing to back it up. I imagine you've explained your reasoning elsewhere on this site, but it would be the equivalent of me writing "But God exists, so [insert whatever religious hoo-ha you don't particularly want to hear anyway here]."
From a personal viewpoint:
How do you know what you believe about the nature of reality is true? How do you know there is not a god? How can you know?
"The nature of reality" brings to mind the time when the world knew the earth was flat. That was reality. Anyone who believed otherwise was ridiculous.
What makes you so certain there isn't a god? What makes you so sure of your own grasp of reality that you go out of your way to tell other people theirs is wrong?
Why can't we all just accept that we live in a free society, where we might believe that those who disagree with us are wrong, but that they have a right to be "wrong?" Why is it that we need to be hostile towards one another, or try to force one another to see things our way? Is it at all helpful for either of us to try to do this?
@GodlessLiberal - no logical christian would refuse med attention for the power of prayer.
“Virtually every inhabitant of this planet has good intentions” I’m not sure that I agree with that. Depends on your definition of the good, I guess. “Before we can determine what is moral to do, we must first determine what is true about the universe around us to ensure that our actions achieve the end we desire.” I think we’re a long way from knowing what is true about our universe. Is religion slowing us down from finding that? You’ve got a point there. And the aim here, to achieve the end we desire… is that the goal for morality, in your opinion? Just so we can get what we want? I hope I’m not taking anything out of context, and that I don’t offend any of your flock.
I think there are a lot of problems to address that take precedence over eliminating belief in deity. It might be profitable to focus your energies on the fundamentalists, the zealots, against narrow-mindedness in general. The actions of some radical Muslims do not account for the intentions and beliefs of all Muslims, obviously.
I think religious belief is something that will always be with humanity. The percentage of theists has dropped though. My opinion is that it won’t completely go away. I guess you’re trying to make the change that you can, right?
I think you have good intentions JT.
@Zerowing21 - I don't know any sain christian that would turn down medical attention for the power of prayer. I think they use prayer as comfort for themselves. Christians should understand that men do evil things and god does not always perform miracles to save the faithful. If the koran teaches to kill people or fly planes into buildings b/c of our beliefs maybe they are the evil ones. I don't know tht most people really do have good intentions. If people don't beleive in some sort of god why would you do what's right there would be no repercussions. I think faith in something is what keeps us in check or from doing evil deeds.
Hi Zerowing -- I hope you don't my commenting on an old entry. I just followed your front page archives link here, and would like to share my thoughts.
I am a Christian myself, but even so, I agree with your ascertation that we must criticize religion. I believe we must look at everything we belief/disbelieve through a lens of honest criticism, or we never really understand why we conclude what we do.
My stance is while I believe in God, I do not think I can prove God to anyone else. I am also not convinced that I should be out "proving" God exists to others. My personal proof comes from personal experiences; things I've experienced first hand. As such, they are rendered impossible to prove, as it would require you to have shared my experience. So my proof is not your proof, nor can I expect it to be. But I do hold strong to the claim that God's existence has been proven in my own life.
I had this same conversation with an individual much smarter than me some time back, and that left us at a stalemate. As such, I believe in sharing beliefs with each other, but not trying to force or prove the issue. We each must reach our own conclusions, and I think God gave us the gift of deduction and discernment for that very reason.
Good luck in your quest for the truth...that quest is an adventure to say the least.
@The_James_Blog - From another entry of mine:
The thing is, if Christianity is right then all other religions must be
wrong. Not only every believer of ever other current religion must be
wrong, but every believer in every other religion ever conceived must
be wrong. Obviously, we are far more given to delusion about god than
a pull toward the one true faith (tm). But noting that the vast, vast
majority of people to have ever believed in god must be wrong in order
for you to be right should suggest to you that human beings are given
to believing they have felt god and being in error. In fact, it should
establish that, even if you're right, that they are far more likely to
believe they have felt god and to be wrong. Shouldn't that worry you
if your evidence for god's existence is "feeling him?"
Moreover,
god has allowed around 243,000 religions to exist on this planet. Does
he expect us to familiarize ourselves with all of them when the average
human life span is around 22,000 days? Lucky you that you were born in
a nation where most people believe in the one true religion and very, very
few laymen have read that work of fiction the koran, right? Too bad
for all those Muslims who were born in Islamic nations where very, very
few laymen have read that book of religious truth (that talks about
magic gardens and talking snakes in stark seriousness), the bible,
right?
That would be the start of my skepticism with personal experience as your evidence. I would need to know how your personal experience differs from delusion or self-deception.
JT
@Zerowing21 - I wouldn't bother asking -- I'd almost guarantee you you'd conclude delusion or self-deception, and I'd have no way of proving you wrong, other than "well, I trust me". :) Which leads me right back to the start of "we each have to decide for ourselves".
To address your point above (I had just read that blog a second ago too), I actually am not entirely convinced Christianity as a religion is the only way yet. I used to, but I'm starting to ponder other possibilities vs. how Western Christianity traditionally interprets things.
In other words, research pending, I'll have to get back with you on that...and it might be a while.
Very strong letter EXCEPT this sentence which is wrong - "Virtually every inhabitant of this planet has good intentions behind their every action" I don't need to list for you all the examples that prove it so, do I? No. You're a smart guy.