Mine is a ‘soft atheism.’ I just suspect there is no god. That said, I fully support religion. It’s more often a force for good.
What I thought would be tepidly received, garnered quite a bit of attention. The comment section exploded.
Many of the comments took issue with the idea of religion being a force for good.
I sent that post while seated by myself in a chapel. So, religion was all around me. I was waiting for a memorial service for a friend of mine who recently passed away. It turns out I had the wrong day.
So, this woman, who is affiliated with the chapel, spotted me in an adjacent room. I inquired about the service. She said, “We were just discussing that. I believe it’s next Wednesday.” “Well, I guess I’ll see you next Wednesday,” I replied. She then said, “Would you like me to pray with you?” That is what I am talking about in my “Food for thought” post. I thought her offer was just lovely—and perfectly representative of what I am getting at in my post.
You will not see her on the news. She is not the rightwing, homophobic type of cretin who receives media attention.
I have written at length about religion being blamed for global violence. My third book is entitled It’s Not about Religion and my most recent book, No Politics, No Religion?, discusses in some detail the history of religion and how, if handled correctly, can help highlight our commonality. But blaming it for wars and homophobia and rightwing politics is not approaching the subject constructively. Yes, people have done terrible things in the name of religion. Did I forget? Perhaps before some of the readers of this blog dismiss me as an uneducated imbecile, they should read my work first.
I do not post these things casually. They are the product of decades of study. When I have said on this blog that this is all I do, I mean this is all I do. This of course, does not make me right or correct. But it does make me well familiar with the subject matter. And I’m not asking readers to read books for twenty years like I have, but they might consider looking through these two short titles of mine that discuss this matter with ample citation (endnotes).
I will therefore forgo reviewing the history here. I have analyzed Middle Eastern instability in the context of religion. Along the way, I have looked at Northern Ireland (more so in the new book). And I have shown why humans do religion (spirituality) in the first place, and what the major faiths share in common.
I am quite dedicated to this work. Allow me to illustrate: Upon leaving the chapel, I fell in the parking lot and broke my thumb. Most of the comments I posted in reply to readers were posted from a doctor’s office pre and post x-ray. I was reading comments in a wheelchair on my way to the x-ray. I don’t share this for the pity vote. I have MS, we fall down; it’s what we do. The point is, I do not have an off-switch.
The whole time at the doctor's office, I was thinking about that lady in the chapel. And friends of mine in the Middle East, and the heartbreaking kindness and hospitality I have been shown in the Arab world.
Attacking religion is an insult to all these people—and betrays a lack of historical and political understanding.
I am quite glad folks took interest, commented and shared their views, and did so with civility, but there’s more to that post. A lot more. If readers are curious, they now know where to look.
