Codo, on Jan 29 2009, 10:45 AM, said:
In my next life, I hope I can have such an easy understanding of the world as Mikeh: The world has two sides:
One side is with knowledge, bright ideas, openminded, high ethics, truth, evidence and science.
The other are the theists.
To me this sound like George W Bush: Each country must decide, whether they with us or against us.
No grey areas left... You can believe that the world is like this. Why not. It is easy.
So I guess you will never read books that make you uncomfortable, because these should be avoided, so that you can enjoy your ignorance indefinitely.
If you find this insulting Mike, I find it insulting that you call anybody, be it Little Kid, Heavy Dluxe or me as ignorant, desperate, not informed etc who do not share your point of view. You have no clue what these people know and what they have read. That "we" do not share your point of view is enough to talk bad about us. Sorry, this is what fundementalists do. And it is insulting.
I really like your deep insight in bridge and thousands other aspects of live. I respect your thoughts in many areas.
But for discussions about science and religions, I lost this respect.
Hey, I don't find it to be the least bit insulting! Funny, yes. Sad, in a way, also yes.. but insulting... no
I have often acknowledged that I use strong language in my posts. I also acknowledge that the topics under discussion (religion as superstition and myth) are far more complex than can be summarized in this type of forum.
I also acknowledge that there are many, many people of faith who live exemplary lives, and who derive real comfort from their faith.
And I welcome any one who can point to verifiable fact-based arguments that counter ideas that I hold. My own ideas, on a wide range of subjects, have changed a number of times over my life so far, and I would be surprised if they did not change again. Heck, I used to play mini-roman!
Thus, after reading Pinker, I feel I have a better understanding, of the workings of the mind, than I did beforehand. After reading Dawkins and Gould, who both accepted the validity of darwinian evolution but who had major disagreements about the particulars of how that concept played out, I felt that I had a better, and different understanding of this theory. After reading Diamond, I felt that I had gained more insight into the development of the human species... and after reading Leakey, and several others, I had a better grasp of the research into the ancstors from whom homo sapiens is descended.
After reading A People's Tragedy, I had a different understanding of the Russian Revolution than I had from books written by historians lacking access to the Communist Party archives.
I grew up in a Christian environment, reading the Bible and studying the Old testament as well as the new. I have read parts of the Koran.. it simply didn't keep me interested enough to finish it. I have read some Buddhist material, since a couple of friends are buddhists. I have read some Marx. I have read quite a bit about the history of the Reformation.
I read on physics, math (well, I read a book on chaos theory, I don't pretend to be a mathematician), psychology, history of science, evolution, history, anthropology, physiology, religion, bridge, golf, cooking, gardening, wine, and a few other topics that escape me as I sit here
I am fortunate to have a very high reading speed, as I suspect a number of other posters have. I wish my typing was even a tenth of that speed
I try to understand the arguments put out by the authors, where arguments are made.
I try to keep an open mind, while accepting that one owes oneself a duty to form opinions based on what one understands... having an open mind does not mean having no opinion.. it merely means being open to changing that opinion if the understanding of facts warrants such a change.
If you, who can judge me only by my writings, thinks that I am a closed-minded fanatic... well.. either I am, or I have inadvertently misled you by my writings, or maybe you mistake your image in the mirror for me
If the former, then I suspect I am a lost cause.. because I truly feel as if I am not. If the middle, then I apologize. If the latter, then I feel sorry for you. but I am not insulted
'one of the great markers of the advance of human kindness is the howls you will hear from the Men of God' Johann Hari