A believer recently told me they "respect" my lack of faith. I was distinctly underwhelmed by this. For one thing it seemed slightly patronising; for another you can't choose to 'not believe', its just the default position for anyone who insists on credible evidence before accepting a proposition as true. It seems to put non-belief and belief on opposite sides of the same coin. Believers would like to think this, but they are in fact on different coins, one critical thought, the other unquestioning acceptance.
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ReplyDeleteI was asked why I don't believe recently (it was during a school visit). I said I just don't - why should I?
ReplyDeleteIn a discussion with a group of religionists a few months ago (mainly Christian), I said that you either believe or you don't. A couple of them said it's not that simple, and that they "struggle" with their beliefs. Seems that want to believe. I can't claim that my disbelief is due to "critical thought". Basically, it's simply because I see no reason why I should.
I meant "they want to believe." Damn. My brain's tired.
ReplyDeleteI read it as 'they' without noticing :) Did you know you can leave all the vowels out of a sentence and it still understandable almost as quickly.
ReplyDeleteI believed for about as long as I believed in Father Christmas.
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