This is gold: "To demand that heaven and hell are more relevant than social services says more about your inadequacies for dealing with the challenges and complexities of life than it does about an atheist’s lack of concern about what happens after death."
I'd even change "heaven and hell" for "spirituality". I'm subscribed to some "non-duality" communities, and their sanctimony with "I'm apolitical" (probably the dumbest political statement a human can make) often drives me to exasperation.
Fully agree. In the context of this essay, heaven and hell are important, but widening out from that lens, sanctimony exists across the spectrum of beliefs (and non-beliefs), especially, as you mention, when people can pretend that politics don't affect their lives. It's quite a privileged statement to even be able to make.
Religion is less about the power of unifying story than the power of being in dialogue together - remaining on speaking terms even as opponents in other areas of life. Religion provides a 'back-channel' in the form of canonical beliefs.
I agree with that—for some. Frans de Waal wrote about attending a conference of religious experts, and the conference almost ended at the very first session because the room was split on even defining the term "religion." So for some, what you cite is correct. For a lot of American evangelicals and fundamentalists, however, it's much different.
It seems she never left the Brotherhood. Only changed the prefix.
Funny how fundamentalism works, eh?
Exactly!
This is gold: "To demand that heaven and hell are more relevant than social services says more about your inadequacies for dealing with the challenges and complexities of life than it does about an atheist’s lack of concern about what happens after death."
I'd even change "heaven and hell" for "spirituality". I'm subscribed to some "non-duality" communities, and their sanctimony with "I'm apolitical" (probably the dumbest political statement a human can make) often drives me to exasperation.
Fully agree. In the context of this essay, heaven and hell are important, but widening out from that lens, sanctimony exists across the spectrum of beliefs (and non-beliefs), especially, as you mention, when people can pretend that politics don't affect their lives. It's quite a privileged statement to even be able to make.
Hey, thanks for the reply! Fully agree.
Btw, last year I purchased (and read) _Hero's Dose_ 🙌🏼
Religion is less about the power of unifying story than the power of being in dialogue together - remaining on speaking terms even as opponents in other areas of life. Religion provides a 'back-channel' in the form of canonical beliefs.
I agree with that—for some. Frans de Waal wrote about attending a conference of religious experts, and the conference almost ended at the very first session because the room was split on even defining the term "religion." So for some, what you cite is correct. For a lot of American evangelicals and fundamentalists, however, it's much different.
💯