MiloCast

Arguing with a theist is like playing catch with someone who can’t throw straight. No matter how direct you are, even if you walk over and place the ball directly into their hand, it still comes back at an angle.

Some of my recent posts have inspired responses from people I know who are religious. Even friends and close family members who aren’t particularly religious, but are far from atheists, have expressed mild disagreement with what I have written about religion. However, each time I ask for a response to a specific question or clarification of their vague disagreement, I can not get a clear, concise answer.

For those who disagree strongly, and are deeply religious, their replies get more wordy with each round of e-mail. In spite of this fact, they never respond to my direct questions, instead preferring to rephrase my question and give the answer they want to give. For those who politely, mildly disagree, they conspicuously ignore some of my questions in their responses, and answer all the others. One of my brothers, after I asked him to read one of my earlier articles, had this to say:

“I do agree with you about all of it except the religious part. I am not religious myself, but I don’t agree with you.”

I wrote back and asked him what he meant by that, but his next e-mail made no mention. I wrote back again asking specifically about that comment and nothing else, and received no reply at all.

What is it about the topic of religion which inspires so much dodging among both the faithful and the non-faithful? So many times, after asking a difficult question of a theist, they begin by saying “Let me ask you a question.” The question invariably has nothing to do with what I have asked them, and they will not be diverted back to it. Backed into a corner, or being honest, the only real answer they can give is “you just have to have faith.” Well no, you don’t have to have faith. Faith is what allows suicide bombers to kill children with no hesitation. Faith is what allows families to disown gay children. Faith is what has caused Christians to murder doctors in order to prevent abortions. Faith is what caused the events of September 11th, 2001. Faith is what split India and Pakistan into two separate countries.

So no, you don’t have to have faith. And if you choose to have faith, that’s your own free will, and I wouldn’t stop you by force even if I could. But if your faith causes you to do things which harm others, I will attack that faith with passion and persistence.

If you have a belief, ask yourself how you came to believe it. If you can only answer that it was taught to you by others, and not earned through rational thinking on your own, then question that belief. If you can not justify that belief with evidence, if you can not demonstrate it to be true, and if you can find evidence which strongly suggests it is not true, then it’s time to think about that belief some more — not stop thinking about it.