A View With An Edge

“The conviction that it is important to believe this or that, even if a free inquiry would not support the belief, is one which is common to almost all religions … [a] habit of basing convictions upon evidence, and of giving to them only that degree of certainty which the evidence warrants, would, if it became general, cure most of the ills from which the world is suffering.” -- Bertrand Russell --

I don’t like labels. Christian, Atheist. Liberal, Conservative. East Coast Rapper, West Coast Rapper. Even God. Actually, I particularly dislike the label God.

I know that labels are useful as a type of shorthand that makes communication more efficient. But labels also support simplistic, sound-bite analysis and thinking. And if the label is emotionally charged and ill-defined (like the label God), it creates a kind of intellectual smoke screen—a camouflage that allows one to talk about a thing without really talking about it, analyze an issue without really analyzing it, or “prove” a supposition without offering anything that even remotely resembles credible proof.

Our conversation was kick started when you criticized main stream Christians for “getting it wrong.” Your view was that most Christians focus on the sensational tenants associated with Christianity—virgin birth, afterlife, eternal damnation—and miss the true message of Jesus.

I responded that, while you have every right to a different view about Christianity than most Christians, I see no basis for you to describe their views as “wrong,” particularly when your primary criticism is that they are following superstitions. In my opinion, these wrong-minded Christians have just as much reason to believe in a god who does superstitious things as you have to believe in a god who does not.

I offered two reasons. First, the teachings attributed to Jesus are notoriously obscure. Jesus, as reflected in the gospels, is at once a dove and a hawk, compassionate and cruel, forgiving and vengeful, inclusive and parochial. Even people who make their living studying this type of stuff have wide spread opinions about what Jesus really meant.

Second and most important, it is a fundamental contradiction to say on the one hand that it’s OK to accept that a god exists based on faith (an irrational and highly subjective standard), then flip the script and demand that when we discuss the message and meaning of this same god we must not allow our minds to be cluttered by superstitions. The unsubstantiated belief in god is itself a superstition (probably the greatest of all time), and the religionists who go on to attach superstitious characteristics to their gods are at least being consistent. Once faith has been accepted as a substitute for credible evidence, why not believe that your god provides life after death, metes out eternal judgment, has white hair and sits on a throne, or is pink with purple polka dots?

I commend you, my good brother, for not buying into the religious superstitions you recite in your article, but sadly, you only go part of the way. Before we can move the needle on us “loving each other” we must remove the shroud of respectability from ill-defined and emotionally charged labels like god and faith.

I agree wholeheartedly with Bertrand Russell—the world would be better off if we based our convictions on evidence and gave them only that degree of certainty which the evidence warrants. Taking Russell’s admonition further, the world would also be better off if we would speak more honestly—and critically—about Faith, a space where one can hold a conviction in the absence of evidence and actually be admired for doing so. We need to step back a little and address the very fundamental question of whether it is appropriate to use Faith as a basis for believing anything at all. If one confronts this question objectively, I contend that the only real conclusion is that Faith, when used as a substitute for credible evidence, is not a valid cognitive process. Nor is it a virtue. Quite the contrary, it is one of our more insidious vices.

The founding fathers understood this. They kept religion out of government because faith-based organizations are breeding grounds for ignorance, prejudice and tyranny, all of which are cancerous to democracy.

Consider the scientific medical community. Because it holds to the standards of reason, critical analysis and credible proofs, we have made substantial progress in understanding diseases and developing treatments that prolong and improve the quality of life.

Now consider faith-based communities, which I define as any group or individual who accepts faith as a basis for knowing an objective truth. If there is a single aspect of life that has been advanced through the application of faith as a means of acquiring knowledge, I don’t know about it. In the physical sciences, faith was discredited and discarded long ago. In the social sciences, where faith still very much has a seat at the table, what has it contributed, really? Mankind is just as violent, cruel, prejudiced and unloving today as we were 2000 years ago, if not worse. Rather than attacking these social problems, faith has provided fertile soil for them to take root and grow. You see, hating a person because of their sexual orientation, gender or race is not inherently contradictory to Faith. Because Faith allows you to hold a deep and abiding conviction without objective proof, there are no real rules. All is fair in faith and war—anything goes.

So again, I commend you for attacking superstitions. But afterlife and eternal damnation are the guppies of the superstitious world. Next time, consider going after big game, the Whale of all superstitions. Confront the essential question of whether Faith is a reliable method of acquiring knowledge. You may end up taking a small step away from your god but a giant leap toward social and emotional progress.

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To Beheaded:

Read your article with a bemused attitude.

Muslims have been at war with the rest of the world since the religion was founded. They will kill, maim, and destroy in the name of Allah. Until the western world realizes that they have no other mission in life but to convert the rest of us to their way of thinking, we will never be truly committed to "The War on Terror."

You see the lack of outrage in the Arab Newspapers over the killing of innocent hostages. It is a pipe dream to even hope that the Muslim world will ever embrace peace and tolerance. They have too much hate built up over their inability to influence any country that doesn't have oil or sand.

You can preach pacifism, but only the "Western" world would even consider it. The Muslims will keep killing for Allah, they always have.

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Mr. Williams-

I read your article, very interesting. I do feel differently however and since you offer the ability to give some feed back, here I go.

The muslims you hope to hold hands with while singing Kum-By-Ya with are honor bound by their holiest book to murder you and all your non-muslim-adopting family members. A cursory look at their 2 holy books and their leaders will give you more evidence than I can here that death or conversion are our (yours and mine, assuming you aren't currently muslim) only options. I hope you don't have female family members as rape is one of their favorite religious "rights". It's not reported in US papers but the Chechin "rebels/ sepritists" what ever, they were muslim killers of children, also raped some of the little girls in front of their parents before they murdered them all. Any bit of searching the net will verify this claim. The US media hides it pretty well so I recomend you look outside the US papers. It is their right and I guess they enjoy that right at every oppertunity.

So, go be a pacifist if you like, they'll appreciate that. They'll still kill you and rape your family but you'll gain their appreciation, maybe that's important to you in your new position as pacifist. You may ask yourself why there's no hue and cry from "moderate" muslims whenever some worker gets their head hacked off in the name of Allah? Hasn't happened yet and how many have died in that horrific manner? A couple Americans, an Italian, 12 from Nepal and a couple I'm probably missing. So why no outcry? Hmmmm, could it be that these "moderates" don't disagree? Do you have the moral courage to ask yourself if a moderate of this religion is ok with rape and murder, what else do we need to hear?

I suspect everyone (here in America) would be willing to hang out at some candel light vigual and hope for world peace but it just ain't going to happen when there are others more than willing to murder you and anyone else to get what they want, which seems to be control of the whole world. I'm not advocating a war on the muslim religion (yet) but even a pacifist can read, so read what these people are doing; in Indonesia (murdering missionaries and teachers) riots in Jakarta, read about what religious freedom there is in Saudia Arabia (none, they kill you), the freedom in Iran (ha), read their koran and see if while mohammid was leading them they attacked and killed every jewish settlement they came across. Read if they didn't rape the women, that Mo himself didn't approve of it. Their koran is where they learn to hate, all jews, all non-muslims and to kill. It's still all in there if you care to read it. Read Mr. Williams if you can truely be pacifistic in the face of a horror like this then I confess, I believe you to be a coward, or at best, a soul ready to redden some sword for allah. I for one will not be converted to this brand of satanism. I will not go out of my way (yet) to provoke them but if confronted I will not back down either. Quite honestly the only reason I do not respond to their declairation of war on myself and my family is fear of my own government should I attempt to defend myself at this point. How ironic is that, huh? Thanks for your time. Jim from AK.

Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate your point of view.

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MOVING DAY was a very moving story for me, you should considering sharing it with a wider audience by submitting it to a magazine like Essence which has a "Brothers" section.

I must say that you are THE MAN, hanging with all the beautiful people. I'm hating you for spending time in Rio - a place I've always wanted to go to but looking at your pictures did give me a Rio fix. Your doing great work keep it up.

Take care,

--Pat

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