From: Lee Daniel Crocker (lcrocker@mercury.colossus.net)
Date: Fri Apr 24 1998 - 13:23:07 MDT
> > It is for this reason that I call myself "atheist" even though
> > Tom's more logical definition might not apply. I want there to
> > be no doubt in anyone's mind that even though I may rationally
> > refuse to assert that there is positively no God, I nonetheless
> > want to make it clear that I think those who assert that there
> > is a God have lost my respect, and decisions of any kind made
> > from theist doctrine are bad decisions, not merely different.
>
> In general I like what you say.
> But just one question? "lost my respect" When is that ?
> at what age. I mean, a lot of us are raised in families
> where religion is part of their daily lives. It took me quite
> some years to get rid of this an find out that there was
> more to life then the principles I was raised with.
> So, because of this, I do respect people with an other
> view on life. But I want it back too. My boss is a "fanatic
> believer" We disagree basically on everything. But we shared
> our visions and just let it be..... He doesn't want to change
> me and I don't "want" to change him. But I keep letting
> him know, that I think he has it all wrong :-)
I certainly don't expect children to know better, but at
whatever point a person becomes responsible for eir own
beliefs, and has free choice, my opinion of em will depend
on those choices. If ey chooses to believe in God, I will
certainly still show em the benevolence due all sentient
beings, and be happy to trade with em (though I may be more
reluctant to extend credit to someone who believes the
world is ending soon:). But "respect" is something given
freely, not "due" anyone, and I would not choose to give
it here.
My own values respect honesty greatly--and science, which
is just methodical honesty--and so I cannot respect one
who willfully chooses to value speculation over evidence.
Such a person is not to be trusted in other matters where
honesty is important.
-- Lee Daniel Crocker <lee@piclab.com> <http://www.piclab.com/lcrocker.html> "All inventions or works of authorship original to me, herein and past, are placed irrevocably in the public domain, and may be used or modified for any purpose, without permission, attribution, or notification."--LDC
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