So this is my first blog. And I'm sitting here wondering what to write about. It just occurred to me how much time I have during the holidays (hence this blog) - which I have a mere week of left.
I also had time to read. The UCT Atheist and Agnostic FTP site brought my attention to the so-called New Atheist movement. I downloaded (with local cap) and watched practically everything listed. The videos reiterated and gave rational reasons to tendencies I have been feeling towards religion for quite some time now (or should I say 'away from'?). I was inspired to read "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins and "The End of Faith" by Sam Harris, respectively, and I'll continue working through some of the other New Atheist bestsellers. But I also read two Christian books, so as to have an objective view.
The keyword here is "objective". It is something I've always striven for, since my first intense religious conversations with friends in high school. I was brought up in the NG Kerk while the other three in the foursome are/were Catholics. Debates were often heated. Subjectivity proved to be unnecessarily hazardous and frivolous from my view, since alternative ideas offend most people personally, especially ideas pertaining to religion.
There is no point in having a meaningful conversation if personal opinions cannot be suspended temporarily. Conflict is inevitable otherwise. Most people find this hard to understand. Most people are sheep of the same opinion and speak in harmony with one another. Most people say what most people are saying because most people are saying it. This is why any dissonance is so disturbing. With the term, "most people", I am referring to people within certain geographical/racial/religious constraints, not the entire planet.
Then my objective mind kicks in and tells me that these memes are what make people unique. And this is true. Cultures, traditions and even languages are being destroyed by western memes. The issue is, however, that these differences should be too trivial to cause physical conflict. Unfortunately this is not the case. We forget what we all have in common: human life. We wish to murder this fundamental ubiquitous trait that binds us together.
Religion is probably the only subject where people find it difficult to think objectively. This is because religion tells us not to think. Have faith. Contrary to popular belief, faith is not a virtue. It is ignorance. The more I was educated, the more facts about the world seemed incompatible with the religion I was brought up with. Besides this, statements in the Bible seemed incompatible with other statements in the Bible.
I know most people do not know that God exists in the same way that they know that, for example, Mount Everest exists. They don't really believe. They actually believe in belief. But questioning these things is a scary thought with threatening ideas like Hell being thrown in your face all the time. Well, this is bullshit. Religion takes you hostage. You'll die (eternally) if you don't pay the ransom (of your soul). Stop being scared. Question things, the same way that you question everything else in your life (besides religion). Our decision making is mostly rational when it comes to things we know about, and intuitive otherwise. Why is it so easy to doubt God? Intuition and rationality. And no, it is not Satan you fool.
I can go on forever, or write a book or something. But this has already been done. I have nothing to add. This blog is just my vent, and this post is a mere preface. Complete objectivity is impossible, in my subjective opinion, but I try. Some more arguments will follow in future posts. I am far from done. But I'm sleepy now. And gatvol having a one way conversation! Bye for now.
