We’ve been having a discussion of religious belief on a chat group that includes a lot of my writer buddies. Most of us are agnostic or atheist, but Steve Gould posted this lovely little quote. It sort of sums up my feelings on the subject. As I’ve said repeatedly, I don’t care what damn crazy thing people believe as long as they don’t push their beliefs on me, or make public policy or laws based on their beliefs. And no, atheism isn’t just another religion. But here is the cool quote.
In his book Letter to a Christian Nation, Sam Harris wrote:
In fact, “atheism” is a term that should not even exist. No one ever needs to identify himself as a “non-astrologer” or a “non-alchemist.” We do not have words for people who doubt that Elvis is still alive or that aliens have traversed the galaxy only to molest ranchers and their cattle. Atheism is nothing more than the noises reasonable people make in the presence of unjustified religious beliefs.
Sam Harris is a former practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism as taught in the Soka Gakkai International. Although I don’t deny he is an atheist, but he also promotes a distortion of Nichiren Buddhism as the head of the Nichiren Buddhist Association of America. Do you think this skews his promotion of science and intellect as God?
I didn’t know that about Harris’s background. I was reacting solely to the quote which I found amusing and apt.
And I don’t think science is another form of god. It’s science. We don’t take the tenants of science on faith. There has to be reproducible and testable results.
I think a lot of people who are drifting away from religion take a tour through Buddhism and other eastern faiths. I know I did. Reincarnation seemed a lot less toxic then hell fire, but eventually it all just seemed silly, and no different than any other religious myths whether, Greek, Roman, etc.