you always were a kick in the teeth
I just read one of the most inane arguments against the Christian faith I�ve ever read in my whole life. I don�t mind discussion of religion, faith or belief systems. I�m fine with that and in fact I enjoy it. I do mind when the those discussions are based off of bad logic, false assumptions and blind hatred.
The single, best argument against being a Christian is to look at the way that people who are Christians act and how they follow the teachings of their religion. However, that can be done to any religion or philosophy and pretty much destroys them all so there must be something more to religion and philosophy than just the people who practice it and by practice I may have meant, �they aren�t getting it right because no one is perfect.�
You can�t judge a religion by extremists who use religion to support their own craziness or even by the excess of their leaders. It�s popular and socially acceptable to do that with Christianity but at the same time if I were to say the same about Islam, Hinduism or Buddhism you would be called racist, pedestrian and obtuse.
The hardest part about understanding and debating religion is that people who believe in religions have faith. Faith isn�t a logical process it�s an emotional one. We base our religious beliefs off of feelings. Emotions are by their very nature illogical and without logic there can be no real discourse.
I agree with one of the points made by the author of the entry in that religion should stay out of politics. I would love for the civic arena to be free of religion it�s impossible for people to divorce themselves from their beliefs. Even if you were an atheist your adherence to that philosophy would be a part of your policy making. We all have a guiding philosophy that dictates or actions. I�d also put the idea forward that some people would say they had a religious belief but another philosophy actually guides them.
As a theologian and as a historian I believe firmly that we�re traveling a dangerous road when politics and religion ride in the same cart. I don�t remember who said that but I�m pretty sure it wasn�t Luther. =
It�s okay to disagree with me; I welcome it. I�m not opposed to discussing issues but I�m not a big fan of name-calling or poor spelling. Arguments are not well supported by calling someone a �retard� or an, �ass hat�. If you�re going to call me illiterate please spell that correctly and refrain from making the English Language a martyr to your cause.
