Subject: Fact and Fiction
You need to learn the difference between fact and fiction. The difference; What I have is fact, and what you have is fiction! Get the facts before you print your fiction!!
Although not especially substantive, this does serve as a pretty succinct expression of the basic complaint that lies behind so much of the negative mail which I receive. In essence, people are absolutely convinced that my position is wrong ("fiction") while theirs is correct ("fact"). This isn't surprising in and of itself - no one who runs a site dealing with atheism, skepticism, and/or religious philosophy should expect not to get such messages.
What's more distressing about such messages, however, is the absolute terms in which the position is expressed. Absent from the message above and from so many of the emails I receive is any indication that the author is even slightly aware of the possibility of a more nuanced perspective. Everything is categorized in black and white, fact and fiction - the idea that atheistic or skeptical critiques of religion and theism might have something to offer is completely missing.
Thus, while emails which disagree with my critiques and my position are entirely appropriate and not a cause for concern, I am concerned about what I see here in emails like this. I'm not bothered that people disagree with me and that theists who see material here continue being theists - as I indicated above, I shouldn't expect anything else. I am bothered, however, when someone visits and fails to take with them anything that provokes further thought, questioning, doubt, and skepticism.
A person might not stop being a theist, but they should understand that the theistic position is not unassailable and that there are reasonable arguments against it. Even if they don't find those arguments persuasive, they should consider that others might fairly do so and that there are just grounds for disputing the claims of both theism generally and particular religions specifically.
More selections from the Agnosticism / Atheism Mailbag...
I have two thoughts for John.
1) If your god beliefs are fact, then prove it! Hint: Anecdotes and claims printed in an old story book aren’t evidence.
2) Certainty about any subject is the a tell-tale sign of a closed mind.
When you make bold statements, and especially when claiming that they are supported by “facts,” you have the burden of proof. Good luck with that.
It is interesting that just today I read in another atheist blog about how GOP presidential candidate and current Texas governor Rick Perry was quoted as saying to a woman that both evolution and creationism should be taught together and let the kids decide which is true.
The email you received from “John” is the consequence of such a policy of stupidity.
Facts will have independently verifiable observations to support the issue in question and are subject investigation. Religions, by their definitions, are based on NON-facts.
My dad used to call this attitude “Don’t confuse me with facts, my mind’s made up.” A shocking number of people live their entire lives with this mindset, and it usually doesn’t start and end with religion. What scares me about these people is that they vote.
Not only do they vote, they sometimes run countries. You need only look to Canada to see a government which is so allergic to facts that they have destroyed the ability of Stats Can to provide accurate statistics, they fire scientists and civil servants who dare to point out the facts. Ideology trumps all. It is truly shocking and frightening.
I often run into this problem with evangelists as well. They are right, and that’s it. You can’t leave their religion with honorable intentions, or even do so because you think their religion is wrong. They’re convinced that they know AND that you know better, too.
Oh, yes…I know this one. A friend once told me in a matter-of-fact way that the existence of Jesus was a well-know fact and that evolution was “..just a theory…”, which to him meant it was patently untrue. Well, I guess my friend needs to study the Theory of Gravitation, or maybe The Germ Theory of Disease. In any case, it’s getting old and boring trying to explain to believers that they have based their entire lives upon a pile of bullshit. My suggestion is that those of us interested in living in a democracy should start fighting those who would have us living in a theocracy. The Bush administration implemented machinery that privileges the Christian Dominionists who are working day and night to turn the United States of America into a Christian Nation that answers only to ancient Biblical law, and does not answer to the Constitution. This is a very serious matter and it has gone entirely too far. I am going to contact Mike Newdow and some organizations such as Americans for the Separation of Church and State and ask them how I can help.