In a moment of self-flagellation, I googled my own name, as you do. It paid off. It turns out that I was the subject of one of Bryan Appleyard's lengthiest posts on his blog, Thought Experiments, in mid-June of last year. It concerns a comment I made regarding Scientology and conventional religion. I've always grown irritable if someone suggests that Scientology is totally ridiculous. Is it? Why is it any more ridiculous than Christianity? Bryan praises my point and somehow manages to construct his whole argument around my use of the term "bullshit". I'm sorry to say, though, that he's grown wont to jump to the defense of Christianity at every available opportunity; lately, he's been using his column for the Sunday Times as a platform for the promulgation of tier-two theological arguments. He is, however, a fantastic journalist, and a personal mentor. For a masterclass in the art of the interview, read his piece on Monica Bellucci, but before you do, check out what he said about me.
Wednesday 11 February 2009
Grinning
In a moment of self-flagellation, I googled my own name, as you do. It paid off. It turns out that I was the subject of one of Bryan Appleyard's lengthiest posts on his blog, Thought Experiments, in mid-June of last year. It concerns a comment I made regarding Scientology and conventional religion. I've always grown irritable if someone suggests that Scientology is totally ridiculous. Is it? Why is it any more ridiculous than Christianity? Bryan praises my point and somehow manages to construct his whole argument around my use of the term "bullshit". I'm sorry to say, though, that he's grown wont to jump to the defense of Christianity at every available opportunity; lately, he's been using his column for the Sunday Times as a platform for the promulgation of tier-two theological arguments. He is, however, a fantastic journalist, and a personal mentor. For a masterclass in the art of the interview, read his piece on Monica Bellucci, but before you do, check out what he said about me.
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5 comments:
Mate congrats, thats big news, you need to keep writing so more people keep reading.
I am also pleased to announce that my room-mate from Hong Kong has recently become by his own description, a 'secular humanist' and lost his faith in christianity.
He used to pray every morning and night, without fail, 2metres away from me.
I would say this is the second 'extremist' I have had a major part in demonstrating truth to.
Interestingly, his main reason for losing a belief in God was due to moral reasons. He couldn't possibly see how God was good, and could clearly see people functioning with just as good a sense of morality without the need for God.
A simplification of his thoughts I'm sure, but one more step in the right direction.
That sounds good. One of the main reasons Stephen Fry cites in his argument against beief in the audio clip I linked to is the total impossibility of a benevolent god. When a child is born with bone cancer, he says, how can you say that god is all-loving? The hypothesis of the Christian god is founded on presupposed morality but falls short again and again, most obviously in the appropriation of 'Hell'.
My Croatian teammate confronted me a while ago about reincarnation, and, predictably, used second-hand anecdote as evidence, supporting his belief in god. But he's now half way through The God Delusion and watching all of Dawkins' videos on YouTube. I feel a fellow convert coming along.
There's defintely some pleasure to be found in swaying someone across to your own point of view - I can fully understand why the religious force their beliefs onto others, though not to justify it. I feel wary making comparisons between the two, but our ideology is not based on a belief system, so I feel totally justified.
Yeah it is difficult, I do find it difficult to deal with people attacking with 'ha, you're just as bad as religion, trying to convert people to your belief system'. They feel they've played a trump card and put the walls up for logical arguments.
And it is a difficult one to approach. Hence why I said 'demonstrated truth to'.
Pleasure in swaying someone to your view, interesting, but again vulnerable to reproach. Ah its difficult. I can't believe you still have two years out in the states!
I liken all my questioning to that of Socrates. I am only searching for the truth, testing my own beliefs; winning an argument is never the aim, moreover, examining it completely.
I think truth, logic and rationality are at the core of our doctrine, but what makes those the right things to believe in?
That photo of Bryan is from 1972, you know. If not earlier.
It conforms to my ideals.
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