[Vision2020] Follow up - Islam the religion of peace!

[Ted Moffett]

Donovan et. al.

I am going back to your original comment that prompted my response.

I understand that many people believe there is good evidence for whatever
form of God they believe in.  If I had a thought control machine that could
make everyone in the world think like I do, I would not push that button.
How boring the world would be if everyone thought like I do.  If I had a
peace button on the machine, however, I might push that one, while allowing
everyone to still follow whatever faith or belief system they choose,
peacefully of course.

You appear to insist in your comment below that being agnostic is
"illogical," that belief in "God" is the most logical approach.  I was
arguing for the agnostic position, in an attempt to make it appear logical,
as a possibility that might be closer to the truth than theism.

Religious absolutism and dogmatism are negative forces in the world.  This
applies also to the secular dogmatics, like Pol Pot or Stalin, who made
Communism into a kind of secular religion, justifying their horrors by
secular ideological absolutism.  Religious and ideological absolutism,
besides being very questionable, given the uncertainty of human knowledge
and belief, is often used to justify the worst of human behavior.

Of course, many of the most faithful argue that without surrendering to an
absolutist ideological belief system, doubt creates a state of mind that
results in anti-social behavior, in a break down of values, disintegration
of meaning, etc.  There may be some truth to this claim.  But there is a
middle ground between nihilism and absolutism that I think can minimize the
extremism of behavior associate with absolutist belief systems, while still
allowing meaning and strong positive values to flourish.  Finding the
balance between rational doubt and unquestioning absolutism is perhaps not
such an easy task.

Ted Moffett

On 5/31/07, Donovan Arnold <donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Carl,
>
> It is illogical to be agnostic. If you die, which you will, and there is
> in fact a God, you best have worshiped him. On the other, if there is no
> God, it won't count against you.
>
> Best,
>
> Donovan
>
>
>
>
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