Inspired by such thinkers as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, and my friend Derek, my thoughts lately have been concerned with rationality as the path to wisdom, and the dreadful consequences of some alternatives.
It's not that I think all, or even most, people of faith will ever resort to barbarism of this ilk. It's that I don't think we'll ever have a common language to negotiate the end of such behavior as long as we cling to faith as a justification for beliefs.
I started to name this blog "infidel", but that name was already taken. Plus, the word has modern usages that aren't exactly what I'm going for. So I searched my wikipedia for a definition of infidel, and the literal translation, "one without faith", struck a chord with me.
- I am not man of faith. I believe science and rationality provide a much more reliable path to wisdom than faith does.
- In addition to the obvious connotation that I am a person without faith, I also like the connotation that, without faith, I am "one" - unified, consistent, at peace. In my youth, the scientific and religious parts of my psyche spent a lot of time arguing. It was only after rejecting my faith that I began to feel like I was capable of living a life I truly believed in.
So, welcome to my blog.
Posts
3 comments:
You have faith in a football player? Just setting yourself up for disappointment, man.
The new blog looks good, and this was a nice opening post. Keep it up this time!
silly boy, you have faith. It's in science and reason. That is where you put your faith. All people have a faith.
You have faith in a football player? Just setting yourself up for disappointment, man.
Sports fandom is, by its nature, good practice in coping with disappointment.
Post a Comment