21 July 2007

Or maybe the answer is "no religion"...

You'll recall from my last post (or if you don't recall, scroll down to read it first) that in response to the Vatican's recent machinations I challenged my readers to go out and prove that the antidote to bad religion is good religion, rather than no religion. Note that I didn't endorse that assertion; rather, I asked that others take up the challenge to prove it (admittedly, more by their actions than by argument).

However, the first cogent reply to this challenge was from someone arguing for the opposite antidote. My man KA, philosopher (and oenophile) at-large, has this reply to my prior post. I encourage you to go check it out and see what you think. Is all religion a poison, with rationality and philosophy the only antidotes? Is there no such thing as "good religion"? Read, ponder, and offer feedback.

4 comments:

Keith said...

Not much feedback, eh? I've blogged more on arguments against faith and God since - check it out.

Dan said...

Alas, my readers are chickening out - as are yours, for that matter, at least in terms of feedback...

R. Elena Tabachnick said...

So I don't really count as one of your regular readers as I just stumbled upon your blog today - weeks later than the posts - but I wrote a comment on Keith's relevant post that is a sort of answer from the religiously committed POV.

But I got to admit... like when I taught evolution and refused to engage in religion-opposes-science, trumped up debates (can you get just a teensy glimpse of my personality, smile)... I really prefer to dismiss the all-religion vs no-religion dichotomy. It seems to me a set-up whose real purpose is to provide a forum that bolsters the egos of combatants while sowing confusion on everyone else.

Elena

R. Elena Tabachnick said...

O.K., I just thought I ought to amend my previous comment that an all-religion vs no-religion debate is "a set-up whose real purpose is to... bolster the egos of combatants while sowing confusion on everyone else." I didn't mean to imply that that was happening here.

You and Keith both seem, impressively, to NOT be engaged in any such contest. Instead, I've found your exchange well reasoned, good humored and respectful.

So kudos.

Elena