[Vision2020] News Article, Mental Illness, Fixation of Belief Discussion

[George Potter]

I agree with Mr. Engerbretson.  We all live by faith.  I leave work on my desk today because I have faith that I will be here tomorrow to finish it.  I have faith that I won't be hit by a drunk driver, choke to death on my dinner, have a massive stroke mowing the lawn, have to take my children to the hospital, inherit a million dollars, or that a variety of other things won't happen to interfere with my return to work tomorrow.  THat is faith.  Hope for things not seen, that cannot be guaranteed.

Trying to determine the logical necessity of every action, decision, belief, as Mr. Fox seems to want us to do would be considered as much a sign of mental illness as maintaining any of the religious beliefs he considers to be a similar sign.  We all live by our own personal guidelines and belief systems.  It is when we take those guidelines to their utter extreme, and by following them interfere with our safety or the safety of others that we enter the realm of irrationality that can be classified as mental illness.

Mr Fox, your belief system of life, the universe and everything is different than that of Mr Jones, Mr. Wilson, myself, and many other people.  It is even different in some aspects than the belief systems of other people who claim to believe in the same basic ideals that you do.  You see, that is part of being human.  We are not hive animals, whose beliefs and drives and actions are determined out of our control by some "queen"  or "master."  Civilization is the ability to live with people of different beliefs in relative peace.

The two of you (Mr. Fox and Mr. Jones), and the rest of us that have been dragged into this argument are not going to convert each other.  At some point (a point at which some of us appear to be close to) beating your head against the wall in these futile arguments is also a sign (in my mind) of mental illness.  Agree to disagree, agree to stop nitpicking, and agree to just be nice to each other, and give it a break already.

George Potter