Proof
There is within us all a need to understand the truth of a situation or circumstance. Some have such a strong need they will go and find the information required to understand it and possibly grasp the truth. While others will seek out information to confirm what they already believe to be true. This has been on my mind for about a month now and I think I have finally developed a way to relay what it is I see and believe to be the basis for both ends of this spectrum. Pop your Zanax and smile cause this won’t be sugar coated.
People have, since the beginning of conscious thought, realized the need to understand what is going on outside of their direct sphere of influence. In cases of limited information people tend to generate a belief of the situation being considered at that time. That belief over time (a few seconds or a few millennia) becomes accepted as truth and from that point forward becomes a meme to grow or die out based on evidence as it becomes available. Some larger examples of this would be position of the world in space, the shape of the world, racial based abilities, existence of deities, and flight. In all of these cases there was a widely held belief at one time, and in some cases still is, that was accepted as truth for lack of any proof to say otherwise. In brief the world does revolve around the Sun, the Earth is not flat, race has no bearing on ability, and people can fly with assistance (planes, gliders, etc).
Notice I skipped deification? Yeah it’s still widely held that there is a deity. Honestly it’s the only thing I can think of that is prevalently and vehemently believed to be true with a complete absence of proof. So let’s get the definitions out to make sure we are all using the same vocabulary.
Ok now without speaking directly about any particular belief or truth let’s recognize the difference between the two. Truth is what it is, without the need to be justified or accepted, whether it is understood or not it will still be the truth. People have to breathe to live. That is a fundamental truth whether anyone believes it or not. It is a reality that at some point every person will die, also true whether anyone acknowledges it or not. It is a belief that a person will succeed or fail at a particular task prior to the task being completed. It is a belief that there is or isn’t life on other planets, until we find one that proves it, or visit them all and find none.
Now to the real reason for all of this preparation; until it can be proven, present your beliefs as beliefs not as facts. Tolerance is important when dealing with beliefs, without tolerance the truth will never reveal itself. It’s entirely possible that an unproven belief will be acknowledged as a truth but that acknowledgement does not make it true. I don’t care if 1 billion people believe the world is flat, it doesn’t make it true. And just because the truth is the world is a sphere does not mandate someone to change their belief of its flatness, we are all allowed to be wrong. I am allowed to be wrong about whether or not I will ascend to heaven or descend to hell, the same way you are allowed to be wrong about slipping into oblivion. None of these cases requires proof to be believed and we should all learn to be ok about that.
Closing thought; what difference does it make to someone else what I believe, it will not effect their end result. It seems to me that when someone takes offense to someone else’s personal beliefs, it is the offended that has doubts about their beliefs. And that is in no way anyone else’s fault nor problem.
People have, since the beginning of conscious thought, realized the need to understand what is going on outside of their direct sphere of influence. In cases of limited information people tend to generate a belief of the situation being considered at that time. That belief over time (a few seconds or a few millennia) becomes accepted as truth and from that point forward becomes a meme to grow or die out based on evidence as it becomes available. Some larger examples of this would be position of the world in space, the shape of the world, racial based abilities, existence of deities, and flight. In all of these cases there was a widely held belief at one time, and in some cases still is, that was accepted as truth for lack of any proof to say otherwise. In brief the world does revolve around the Sun, the Earth is not flat, race has no bearing on ability, and people can fly with assistance (planes, gliders, etc).
Notice I skipped deification? Yeah it’s still widely held that there is a deity. Honestly it’s the only thing I can think of that is prevalently and vehemently believed to be true with a complete absence of proof. So let’s get the definitions out to make sure we are all using the same vocabulary.
Truth~
The body of real things, events, and
facts
Belief~
A state or habit of mind in which trust or
confidence is placed in some person or thing
Ok now without speaking directly about any particular belief or truth let’s recognize the difference between the two. Truth is what it is, without the need to be justified or accepted, whether it is understood or not it will still be the truth. People have to breathe to live. That is a fundamental truth whether anyone believes it or not. It is a reality that at some point every person will die, also true whether anyone acknowledges it or not. It is a belief that a person will succeed or fail at a particular task prior to the task being completed. It is a belief that there is or isn’t life on other planets, until we find one that proves it, or visit them all and find none.
Now to the real reason for all of this preparation; until it can be proven, present your beliefs as beliefs not as facts. Tolerance is important when dealing with beliefs, without tolerance the truth will never reveal itself. It’s entirely possible that an unproven belief will be acknowledged as a truth but that acknowledgement does not make it true. I don’t care if 1 billion people believe the world is flat, it doesn’t make it true. And just because the truth is the world is a sphere does not mandate someone to change their belief of its flatness, we are all allowed to be wrong. I am allowed to be wrong about whether or not I will ascend to heaven or descend to hell, the same way you are allowed to be wrong about slipping into oblivion. None of these cases requires proof to be believed and we should all learn to be ok about that.
Closing thought; what difference does it make to someone else what I believe, it will not effect their end result. It seems to me that when someone takes offense to someone else’s personal beliefs, it is the offended that has doubts about their beliefs. And that is in no way anyone else’s fault nor problem.
posted by Capt. Obvious at 9:10 AM
5 Comments:
I agree completely. The beliefs of one person or a group of people do not affect me and my atheist beliefs.
It is only when it is forced into my life involuntarily or forced into the social or political arena that I cringe. I get outright offended, nay perturbed because it does affect me. It crawls out of its belief system and trys to enforce some sort of global recognition as absolute truth. The biggest example of course is the push for Intelligent Design as "evidence" of some sort of biblical "truth".
Another example is the amount of Evangelism going on and even the occasional "door-to-door salesmen of God." I get annoyed more than offended most of the time.
When I talk to someone that submits to the beliefs of a church, I never have an expectation to deconvert but I often offend for my bluntness and unwillingness to submit to Scripture rattling.
A belief can be very strong and inpenetrable. I know the possibility of a "Religion-Based-God" with human characteristics of anger, jealousy, and deciet is impossible. I know that the Baptists that hate the Catholics and other Christian sects that condemn the other are Hyporcitical , self-righteous , and absolutely missing the point of their own message.
The ammount of Inconsistencies in the way the hundreds of chistian sects conduct thier teachings, and the many split interpretations from the time of it's origin to today is outstanding. It makes me question, if what is being worshiped today, is even close or similar to what was worshiped within it's creation.
There's more on my mind, but I think i've already gone off on a tanget enough for one comment.
wow, feeling a little angst today Pop?
when they knock on my door I try to explain my view and when that fails (it always does) I explain that I have no interest in what they are pushing, and close the door. shrug works for me.
Yeah, I guess i'm just an asshole today, but it is Friday, so I guess it could be alot worse. Rereading what I wrote, I must admit that it's more Religion-Bashing than I intended. I stand behind it though 100%.
I had this one guy tell me the Earth is less than 10,000 years old though. I didn't know how popular that Idea was until I looked it up. WOW! that's all I gotta say.
Anyways, i'm done ranting now.. serious this time ;)
populater - i think that being an athiest is a belief in itself and all beliefs are just our way of seeking out the "truth".
i think everyone is seeking out a satisfactory way to understand and view the world. you can not blame another for seeking it elsewhere to you.
i would never 'preach' my beliefs to someone who didn't want to hear them, and i could never be offended by someone else's religion/beliefs etc.
capt. is right. i you are firm in you own beliefs, you shouldn't feel threatened or offended by other peoples.
10,000 years huh? so oil, and fossils, and the grand canyon are more immacullate conceptions I guess.. shrug.
Thanks fatty, It's nice to know I am not completely off base with my concepts of how to be. :)
Heathen - if you haven't read my first article you will probably appreciate it, it's abotu the word racist (Misnomers). you will see I agree with you completely in your comment here.
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