Name-calling is bad. MKAY?

Humans like to put things into metaphorical boxes, allowing us to easily access and understand them. Unfortunately, religious (and political) differences aren't generally “easy” to understand. This lack of understanding has led to countless personal arguments. Arguments that, in too many cases, end with name calling. Insults as simple “stupid” or “ignorant” can have a profoundly negative effect on interactions, making it difficult to reconcile differences.

Name calling is recognized as the lowest form of disagreement because it illustrates an inability to produce intelligent or rational response. It immediately makes the name-caller look bad while also tainting the argument. After being called a name, most people, if they don’t return the insult, feel that they must respond to it, which subverts the original intent of the conversation. Once this has happened it makes it difficult to return to the true discussion (sometimes impossible). Name-calling is like a spike-strip for constructive conversation.

Of course there will always be folks who cannot resist an opportunity to verbally attack others, but we can marginalize and minimize them. I have personally seen representatives from different perspectives of the most polarized arguments have positive, constructive debates. I know it is possible, but only once we identify the problem will we be able to overcome it.

Learning from Christian mythology

The Christian Bible, which has experienced several revisions over the centuries, is full of fantastical tales, vivid imagery, and timeless life lessons. Although there are about 2.2 billion Christians in the world, interpretation of the Bible has proven to be one of the most controversial subjects within the faith. As a deist, I find it interesting to explain my perspective of the Bible’s place in modern society.

The Bible allows readers to travel though history, back to a time when humans were more primitive and literacy rates were low. The scribes who wrote the Bible were regarded as the most intelligent, and obviously literate, people of their time. Appreciating the work they did offers the modern reader a chance to understand how far humans have come socially and spiritually. It lets someone from 2013 realize that humans were still humans, even in ancient times.

The Bible also keeps modern humans in touch with darker aspects of our history, including the acceptance of polygamy, slavery, rape, and incest. These realities should serve as a reminder that our culture is a living one that is open to change.

Of course, there are several pieces of now-humorous culture that we can laugh about. The banning of shellfish and required facial hair are two of the most widely known of these. Unfortunately, some adherents of the Bible have failed to recognize the progression of society; they latch on to outdated understandings of the world they live in. Sometimes they even make life harder for those that simply don’t think the same way they do. Though this group is a minority, they have brought much bad press to the Christian faith.

Despite any detriment that the Bible has caused, it has undoubtedly created an immeasurable amount of good in the world. Having a status quo on morality is beneficial. The catch is that there are various, wide-ranging interpretations of the Bible; subsequently, there is no completely standardized understanding. The closest thing the Bible has to a comprehensive message is found in the teachings of Jesus. He preached about honestly, tolerance, and love. He fought corruption, bigotry, and hatred. It can even be said that his teachings contradict most of what was written in the Old Testament. To sum up my perspective on the Bible: I love Jesus. I don’t think he was the messiah, but I do think he represented the most powerful idea in the world: coexistence.

Understanding morality

Many theists tend to be critical of those who have beliefs different from their own. The most common form of this criticism centers around the idea that atheists are inherently immoral. Sects of fundamental Christians claim that because atheists lack moral guidance in the form of a deity, they are destined to be bad human beings. In other cases this criticism is directed at members of a different religion, such as Islam or Buddhism. Now don't get me wrong, I am sure that members of other religions share similarly negative views about Christians and non-theists, but, living in the United States, specifically the Bible Belt, this trend is most observable in Christian theists.

I have heard countless times: "How can Atheists do good if they don't have to worry about going to Hell?" Observation of this sentiment is disturbing. It implies that the only reason the good is done is to avoid punishment. It also implies that doing bad is naturally more desirable.

The simple refutation is that morality precedes religion. The difference between good and bad is tied to survival and how advanced our society is. As primitive creatures, if killing your neighbor meant feeding your family, there probably wasn't much thought put into it. Only once we became smart enough to work together did the rule of law come into play. We had to first understand our environment and create a culture before we were able to judge moral dilemmas.

People do good things because it makes them feel good about themselves. People do bad things when they choose not to care about the world around them. These decisions are made by individuals in any given moment. Linking this decision making to religious guidance is ill-founded and dangerous. The reality is that our actions and thoughts are determined by the scientific compositions of our brains and our life experiences. Understanding the root of morality is essential to living a moral life.

How "God's Debris" bridges the gap between theists and atheists

"God's Debris" is a thought experiment written by Scott Adams in 2001. Using speculative fiction, Adams explores the idea of how a omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent deity would behave. The story is that of dialogue between an elderly man and a delivery guy. The philosophical analysis begins with the question, "if you flip a coin 100 times, how often will it come up heads", to which the young man replies, of course, "about 50 times". The old man then asks "why", which leads into a discussion of the notion of probability as a transcendent force. Hopefully that's a good cliff hanger for those interested in reading the piece.

When I originally read "God's Debris" in spring of 2011, I considered myself an atheist. The examples and metaphors used by Adams to describe his philosophy were well-explained and intelligently-written, making them dear to me. The work basically served as a call to action and prompted me to do more in depth research about the philosophy of religion.

Sure, many theists are going to disagree with the idea that God isn't an active part of their life, but some will recognize the need for more advanced definition of God.

Sure, many atheists are going to cringe at the idea that there is something that cannot be fully understood by humans, but some will realize that the universe's energy must have an origin.

The point is that Adam's ability to recognize and appeal to leading arguments on both sides of the issue, makes "God's Debris" a perfect read for those wishing to understand and relate to their opponents.

What is deism?

Most people identify as theists, specifically monotheists. These are Christians, Muslims, and others who recognize a single god. Monotheistic gods are viewed as a being of-sorts who are active in the business of the universe.

Deism is a worldview that recognizes reason and observation as part of the natural world, asserting that suspension of intellect is not required in order to determine the presence of "god". That being said, deists reject supernatural claims made by religious texts, citing that they were written by uneducated men. While I do enjoy explaining the premise of deism, I feel that quoting the deism website is appropriate.

Deism is the recognition of a universal creative force greater than that demonstrated by mankind, supported by personal observation of laws and designs in nature and the universe, perpetuated and validated by the innate ability of human reason coupled with the rejection of claims made by individuals and organized religions of having received special divine revelation.

 I encourage everyone to go research deism and the role that it has played in human history. The graphic below is interactive and may be a good place to start.