Hard To Believe, Little To Worry About
I just realized that it is nearly March of 2007 and I have not yet posted on this blog. The only real personal news to tell is that my hair is going to be growing out for a while now, on a daily trial basis.
My prompting for this particular post was the news that one of my friends is currently a self described atheist. This is very interesting to me given the particular sub-culture that we are both a part of. I must admit that I am initially attracted to this type of view for a few reasons. 1) Moral and ethical obligations go flying out the window. 2) People from my particular sub-culture get really pissed off and uber-defensive about said position. 3) The general intrigue surrounding ones thoughts when one is able to categorically deny the existence of a divine being intrigues me. Now I have not spoken to this friend about said views because I do not want to come off as one of those people who are trying to win this person back to the faith. I know how much that would piss me off. Also, although I disagree with this friend, I'm fairly sure I would not be able to convince them that atheism is not the most consistent position, not to mention that this friend is probably ten times smarter than myself, and about 100 times smarter in this particular area of study. Perhaps the biggest reason is that I do not sense that this is a big deal. Not to say that I think that it is a temporary position, but rather I feel that it is indeed a stop on a much longer journey of thought and intellectual development in the spiritual sphere.
As I implied, I am not particularly enamored with atheism and its various tenets, but I am more than willing to accept people who disagree for well argued and thought through reasons. Furthermore, I am pretty much convinced that the sub-culture we are both a part of will spend the better part of the next few months trying to win my friend "back into the fold," which is probably a terrible idea.
Perhaps the biggest reason that I will not discuss this with my friend is that although friends, we are not particularly close, and who wants to argue with an acquaintance about religious theism and side issues? Once again, I am well aware how much that type of thing would piss me off.
Was it a shock? Yes. Am I still shocked? No. Am I worried? Also no, more like slightly concerned in the sense that I want to hear the thought process that lead my friend to said position, nothing more.
Such is life.
My prompting for this particular post was the news that one of my friends is currently a self described atheist. This is very interesting to me given the particular sub-culture that we are both a part of. I must admit that I am initially attracted to this type of view for a few reasons. 1) Moral and ethical obligations go flying out the window. 2) People from my particular sub-culture get really pissed off and uber-defensive about said position. 3) The general intrigue surrounding ones thoughts when one is able to categorically deny the existence of a divine being intrigues me. Now I have not spoken to this friend about said views because I do not want to come off as one of those people who are trying to win this person back to the faith. I know how much that would piss me off. Also, although I disagree with this friend, I'm fairly sure I would not be able to convince them that atheism is not the most consistent position, not to mention that this friend is probably ten times smarter than myself, and about 100 times smarter in this particular area of study. Perhaps the biggest reason is that I do not sense that this is a big deal. Not to say that I think that it is a temporary position, but rather I feel that it is indeed a stop on a much longer journey of thought and intellectual development in the spiritual sphere.
As I implied, I am not particularly enamored with atheism and its various tenets, but I am more than willing to accept people who disagree for well argued and thought through reasons. Furthermore, I am pretty much convinced that the sub-culture we are both a part of will spend the better part of the next few months trying to win my friend "back into the fold," which is probably a terrible idea.
Perhaps the biggest reason that I will not discuss this with my friend is that although friends, we are not particularly close, and who wants to argue with an acquaintance about religious theism and side issues? Once again, I am well aware how much that type of thing would piss me off.
Was it a shock? Yes. Am I still shocked? No. Am I worried? Also no, more like slightly concerned in the sense that I want to hear the thought process that lead my friend to said position, nothing more.
Such is life.
posted by Nick Ulrich at 4:27 AM
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