Comments on: Dawkins and Harris Respond to Kristof http://ironwolf.dangerousgames.com/blog/archives/208 It's easy when you show them how. Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:05:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: DarkSilentWaters http://ironwolf.dangerousgames.com/blog/archives/208#comment-4474 DarkSilentWaters Wed, 06 Dec 2006 05:05:27 +0000 http://ironwolf.dangerousgames.com/blog/archives/208#comment-4474 Hum...I was looking at these very responses today. Mr. Dawkins, and Mr. Harris are quite adept at giving strong and solid responses to the inane chatter and white noise produced by the seething masses. I find Dawkins in particular to be quite an inspiration. His final question: How did religion acquire its extraordinary immunity against normal levels of criticism? is a question I myself pondered over much of the day after reading this letter. I began to think about the dynamics surrounding religion in general, its structure, and how deeply ingrained religion is in those that are so mired in it. Religion...(please refer to Wikipedia's first few lines under the heading "Religion"). That offered a bit of insight in itself. It's something defined as being "more socially defined than that of personal convictions". Whoa!!! I always thought personal convictions were the paramount underlying deciding factor in every decision a person makes. Somehow, religion has become something even more definitive in a person's decision making process than personal convictions. (Peer Pressure comes to mind.) Structure...every religion, whatever flavor you choose to taste of, seems to be constructed of a very intricate overwhelming architecture of awe inspiring, and or fear inciting mythologies. But then I guess we all held some super hero of some kind in our hearts and minds as small children, until the reality of life showed us that our heroes were only fantasy created in an effort to express an inspiring or fearful concept. Why is it that this fantasy is so different? I think perhaps the third part of my thought process may lend an answer to that. Deeply ingrained...very, in fact so deeply ingrained that I remember growing up and being taught that to shun God was to be damned to Hell (Fear, a great motivator!) Within those same teachings, I was told that all I had to do, was believe in Jesus Christ as my savior and live my life in accordance with his word, and I was guaranteed a place at his table in the kingdom of God when I died (Inspiration, an ideal and a goal.) I struggled most of my young life against the feeling that something was simply amiss in this "religious" precept. But, more honestly, I feel it was the fear that kept me chained to the lie the longest. Once I saw it for what it was, it no longer had any power over my decisions in the matter. I feel this is probably true for a great many people. Sorry for the long-winded response, but this post really was a bit of a surprise since I had been reading it earlier today, and I was glad of the chance to share a bit of my thoughts on the matter. Hum…I was looking at these very responses today. Mr. Dawkins, and Mr. Harris are quite adept at giving strong and solid responses to the inane chatter and white noise produced by the seething masses. I find Dawkins in particular to be quite an inspiration. His final question: How did religion acquire its extraordinary immunity against normal levels of criticism? is a question I myself pondered over much of the day after reading this letter.

I began to think about the dynamics surrounding religion in general, its structure, and how deeply ingrained religion is in those that are so mired in it. Religion…(please refer to Wikipedia’s first few lines under the heading “Religion”). That offered a bit of insight in itself. It’s something defined as being “more socially defined than that of personal convictions”. Whoa!!! I always thought personal convictions were the paramount underlying deciding factor in every decision a person makes. Somehow, religion has become something even more definitive in a person’s decision making process than personal convictions. (Peer Pressure comes to mind.)

Structure…every religion, whatever flavor you choose to taste of, seems to be constructed of a very intricate overwhelming architecture of awe inspiring, and or fear inciting mythologies. But then I guess we all held some super hero of some kind in our hearts and minds as small children, until the reality of life showed us that our heroes were only fantasy created in an effort to express an inspiring or fearful concept. Why is it that this fantasy is so different? I think perhaps the third part of my thought process may lend an answer to that.

Deeply ingrained…very, in fact so deeply ingrained that I remember growing up and being taught that to shun God was to be damned to Hell (Fear, a great motivator!) Within those same teachings, I was told that all I had to do, was believe in Jesus Christ as my savior and live my life in accordance with his word, and I was guaranteed a place at his table in the kingdom of God when I died (Inspiration, an ideal and a goal.) I struggled most of my young life against the feeling that something was simply amiss in this “religious” precept. But, more honestly, I feel it was the fear that kept me chained to the lie the longest. Once I saw it for what it was, it no longer had any power over my decisions in the matter. I feel this is probably true for a great many people.

Sorry for the long-winded response, but this post really was a bit of a surprise since I had been reading it earlier today, and I was glad of the chance to share a bit of my thoughts on the matter.

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