The attitude of theists toward non-theists is something that frequently blows my mind. I've often commented on the all-too-common prejudices that exist, the misconceptions, and the ignorance. Likely as not, I could write about this every week for a year and not exhaust all the potential points.
One of these points was brought back to my attention in an email conversation recently. And that is the idea that we non-theists are arrogant in rejecting the promises of faith. Well, I think arrogance was the point the guy was trying to make, but it seems to me that it was really about stupidity.
I mean, theists must think we're really stupid to turn down the promises of their respective religions. After all, those promises are appealing.
I would love to know that the villains in the world would one day be punished. I could sleep pretty easy at night, knowing without doubt that justice would someday be served, in a next world if not this one.
I'd be thrilled to know that all the goodness of humanity would be rewarded. It would be heartwarming to know that those who give selflessly of themselves over and over again will one day receive to just as great a degree.
I would be overjoyed to know that one day I'd get to see all my departed loved ones again. I'd love to be able to tell some of them what they meant to me, whether I ever did or not in life. And it would be fantastic to meet some of my earthly heroes… Carl Sagan, John Lennon, and others. These would be wonderful things.
But I put not one little bit of energy into thinking they might be real. I reject these ideas. And it's not arrogance that causes me to do so.
How can theists believe that anyone wouldn't want like crazy to believe in these enticing things? You'd have to be stupid not to want to.
But neither I, nor any of the non-theists I happen to know, can even remotely qualify as stupid.
Theists, on the other hand, seem to be the ones incapable of figuring out something very simple: that those of us who don't believe in their ideas must have a very good reason for rejecting them.
Apparently, this never occurs to them, so they label us "arrogant."
So I ask you… who's the stupid faction here?
