I post mostly messages and commentary about religion and politics, and the scary occasions when they collide.
I am a: Liberal, Green, Christian, Math teacher
Lover of Math, Philosophy, Animals, Civil Rights, and Arguments of all kinds.

13th June 2012

Photo reblogged from Artemis with 222 notes

helldal: “Faith is the surrender of the mind; it’s the surrender of reason, it’s the surrender of the only thing that makes us different from other mammals. It’s our need to believe, and to surrender our skepticism and our reason, our yearning to discard that and put all our trust or faith in someone or something, that is the sinister thing to me. Of all the supposed virtues, faith must be the most overrated.” - Christopher Hitchens  Reason is the only thing that separates us from animals? I should think faith does, too. Kind of hard to tell, but my cats have yet to reveal any great revelations about their beliefs in God. “Put our trust or faith in someone or something”… is sinister? Has anyone who accepts this nonsense ever been in love? Love is terrifying- having to trust another human being with something as personal as your feelings, accepting all the annoying little quirks about them, sharing every tedious day with them. Friendship is bad enough, but loving someone requires a deep, constant sacrifice of freedom and emotionless, rational detachment.  And as awful as it is, it’s worth it. It may not be as simplistic as the sort of faith Hitchens thinks he’s condemning with this quote, but it’s very similar to the sort of faith people have in God. Of course, I’ve lost faith in anything Hitchens has to say about religion since I heard him compare Christianity to totalitarianism. Too bad ‘reason’ doesn’t also involve ‘the ability to accurately define words and ideas’- at least for some atheists.

helldal:

“Faith is the surrender of the mind; it’s the surrender of reason, it’s the surrender of the only thing that makes us different from other mammals. It’s our need to believe, and to surrender our skepticism and our reason, our yearning to discard that and put all our trust or faith in someone or something, that is the sinister thing to me. Of all the supposed virtues, faith must be the most overrated.” - Christopher Hitchens 

Reason is the only thing that separates us from animals? I should think faith does, too. Kind of hard to tell, but my cats have yet to reveal any great revelations about their beliefs in God.

“Put our trust or faith in someone or something”… is sinister? Has anyone who accepts this nonsense ever been in love? Love is terrifying- having to trust another human being with something as personal as your feelings, accepting all the annoying little quirks about them, sharing every tedious day with them. Friendship is bad enough, but loving someone requires a deep, constant sacrifice of freedom and emotionless, rational detachment. 

And as awful as it is, it’s worth it. It may not be as simplistic as the sort of faith Hitchens thinks he’s condemning with this quote, but it’s very similar to the sort of faith people have in God.

Of course, I’ve lost faith in anything Hitchens has to say about religion since I heard him compare Christianity to totalitarianism. Too bad ‘reason’ doesn’t also involve ‘the ability to accurately define words and ideas’- at least for some atheists.

  1. iixjustinx reblogged this from metheliving
  2. metheliving reblogged this from friendlyatheist
  3. pissplosh reblogged this from helldal
  4. fallingforfurries reblogged this from friendlyatheist
  5. flynnworxphotography reblogged this from helldal
  6. activisminspiration reblogged this from luellaloves
  7. iwalkliketommypickles reblogged this from killuminati06
  8. jishhd reblogged this from friendlyatheist
  9. utpian reblogged this from friendlyatheist
  10. justasheems reblogged this from luellaloves and added:
    whether faith in God or faith in others. I’m making a bet. And allowing myself to be dependent on you even though a...
  11. delenakajy reblogged this from luellaloves
  12. vigilforafuddyduddy reblogged this from isommonyouheremylove
  13. isommonyouheremylove reblogged this from luellaloves
  14. chelociraptor reblogged this from luellaloves and added:
    (via imgTumble)
  15. luellaloves reblogged this from friendlyatheist and added:
    Boom
  16. fergaliciousisfictitious reblogged this from helldal
  17. dancingdingledodies reblogged this from friendlyatheist
  18. psybeam456 reblogged this from helldal
  19. psicozzy reblogged this from legalise-drugs-and-murder
  20. hairtoothpaste reblogged this from higgs-broson
  21. drjamie reblogged this from higgs-broson
  22. thatshitaintpunk reblogged this from higgs-broson
  23. bobdavinci reblogged this from divineirony
  24. cazzate reblogged this from friendlyatheist
  25. contemplatingstardust reblogged this from divineirony