On atheism and ecumenicalism

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Just wanted to link a really good essay I ran across by an unrepentant militant atheist on the problems with moderate believers, because that stuff drives me crazy.

I like the school of thought that this person belongs to, which says "no, I'm not going to apologize for asking uncomfortable questions about your belief system, since you seem to think

Comments

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Well, to start with, I'd want them to engage with the sort of questions raised in the article in a straightforward, good-faith manner. Either they're going to talk themselves out of their own beliefs, or they're going to demonstrate that their beliefs are well-founded. If they do neither, then they're not going to get much in the way of respect, because it means that they're believing things for arbitrary reasons.

This never happens. In all my years of reading apologetics, they either just dodge the question or run interference by charging into discussing the number of angels that can dance on the head of a pin. If there are good reasons to believe in a god or follow a religion, no one has ever spoken them to an atheist, because we'd have taken note of that.

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I think that an alternative answer to that question is, "I don't respect anyone's beliefs."

Beliefs aren't things that ought to be respected. You could believe any daft thing. What I respect is the demonstration of knowledge. If someone can show me that their beliefs are based in reality and show me something about the world that I didn't know, then I have respect for that.

The thing about faith-based belief is that it's precisely the opposite of knowledge. Knowledge is belief that corresponds to a state of affairs in the world, based on evidence that the state of affairs exists. Faith is belief in the absence of, or in the face of, evidence. Since what I respect isn't belief, but actual knowledge, faith-based belief pretty much disqualifies itself.

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Great link.
Glad I clicked!
I make a point of avoiding the subject of personal beliefs, because I've learned the hard way that people are crazy when it comes to defending their faith. I've made the mistake of engaging otherwise reasonnable people in discussion about why they believe what they believe, and I might as well have tried to wrestle a bone out of an Rotweiler's jaw.
It's scary to see people get so absolutely riled up when you openly refuse to respect their beliefs. There seems to be a strong sense of entitlement to absolute respect for religious beliefs. Why should have to respect someone's religious beliefs anymore than I would respect their taste in music, or their fashion sense?!!
I totally get it now. I've been half feeling bad about my intolerance for ages. (Secret intolerance- I simply will not engage with people about it. It's too much effort, and I'm not willing to take on that fight.) But now that I've thought about it out loud, I've got it straightened out! : D