Arguing with religion
I’ll briefly touch on a subject that really irritates me: arguing religion (or anything, really) with someone who is religious.
The thing that irritates me is how alien arguments from the non-religious camp are to theistic arguments. The arguments are so far apart in terms of every damned thing that it’s a wonder people even try. Here’s an illustration:
Science: It’s impossible to turn a macaroni into a toad.
Religion: PURPLE!
I had a discussion recently with someone in regards to the “War on Terror” against my better judgment. We talked in a friendly enough manner to begin with, and then we reached an interesting point in the conversation: wasted breath. Now, I don’t have any kind of problem with someone having beliefs. Good for them, I’m happy for ‘em. I do have a problem with them trying to excuse human behavior based on their beliefs.
And there’s just no middle ground! They can say “Because God says so” (or whatever their own personal leaning/argument is) all day long and it won’t change my opinion, nor is it an acceptable answer to any question from someone outside of your particular brand of theism. That’s because your faith is all well and good, and you can firmly believe what you say and really really mean it, but you absolutely cannot change anyone’s mind when you’re not speaking on the same level as them. I say apples are delicious, I could give a flying fuck about the corn on your big toe.
I’d just be a happier person if people weren’t so goddamn SMUG when they use their fairy tales as arguments against something that someone put work into. Your drug-induced or brain damage-fed logic doesn’t work against me! Stop trying! All it does is pluck at my nerves and make you look silly.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
Not all religious people are the same. Them being religious probably has little to do with the way they debate you. I think that’s more of a personality trait. You should know that since you used to aspire to be a youth pastor and obviously had a good reason for that. Saying that people who are religious all act the same way is just like me saying that all atheists have “purple” hair. While that may be true for some, it’s not true for all.
I hate it when people classify you as something just because you’re religious. People are all different religious or not.
I generally don’t swing a generalization hammer, and I don’t mind people with theistic leanings. But that one argument difference is what gets my goat! *cry*
I just hate it when people think all Christians are like some of the people who attend Liberty. Fanatics that don’t want to hear anything you say unless it’s agreeing with them. I wish people would realize that there are “cool” Christians out there along with the PURPLE ones :)
It’s always a few bad apples, right? It’s just depressing that the bad apples seem to take up 90% of the religious population.
I dunno so much about that percentage, but I would say the bad apples sometimes have the loudest voices. :)
Religion is only good for two things:
1) Instilling some sort of moral fiber
2) Bringing the community together in some way
Now with the advance of technology and how easy it is to find people to interact with, it’s really only saving grace, if you will, is the morality clause.
I too have suffered the argument you have demonstrated, and every time it pisses me off.
Not generalizing, by any means, just recollecting past interactions.
Me: I refuse to believe there’s some invisible man in the sky dictating everything we do, creating everything we know.
Religious Nut: Prove that he doesn’t.
Me: Doesn’t it work the other way, more-so when we’re trying to prove or disprove the existence of some mythical being?
RN: No, because everyone knows there’s a god.
Me: I must have missed the memo.
RN: Probably.
Me: I compare religion to mythology and scientology, the only real difference is that we know the people that wrote the books…
RN: The bible isn’t a myth, it tells stories of events that really happened.
Me: How come I can’t walk across water then turn said water into wine? How come I can’t part the sea?
RN: You weren’t chosen by him to do so.
Me: Or because there isn’t a sandbar near the top of the pool, or a low tide exposing one that ‘parts’ it.
RN: Not everything can be explained with science and ‘logic’ (said very sarcastically).
Me: And this is why we can’t have nice things.
“Religion” is a 4-letter word meaning: rite, pomp and circumstance, tradition.
Excusing human behavior is what “the suits” do in order to look in the mirror – that’s where the smugness comes into play.
Faith is like love – undefinable but real; and faith, much like hope, keeps some of us going. Be it faith in God, turkeys, or the sun rising the next day.
No, you can’t change someones mind – but ahh… enlightenment… it never hurts to get your toes wet.
I’ve been in enough churches to have been churched to death. Same cliques as anywhere else in society. Which makes me anti – social regarding my time with God. Now it’s personal and private.
Churches rape.
God; he – she – it , is there because I have to believe in something – hope in something.
Church – religion – can go hang. But me and God, we got somethin’.
It’s my world, let me be happy in it as much as you’re happy in yours. Let’s also enjoy it when our worlds cross paths and touch. THAT’S RELIGION.
“I’d just be a happier person if people weren’t so goddamn SMUG when they use their fairy tales as arguments against something that someone put work into.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself. Yay for people living in ignorance.
PURPLE!!! I think that will be my new favorite response to things. On serious note I don’t know if I could agree more with this.