[MD] The End of Faith

[Steve Peterson]

Hi Ron,

>> Ron:
>> I still say the enemy is intolerance, Muslim intolerance as a core
>> doctrine Of it's religious beliefs or whatever, it is intolerance.
>
> Steve:
> Can someone explain what "tolerance" means?

Ron:
> I have to say, undogmatic viewpoint sounds close to what it means for
> me.

Steve:
I guess my question is really, what are we supposed to do with other  
people's dogmatic viewpoints. While beliefs of any other type are  
subject to criticism, in the name of "tolerance" it is often said  
that we can't criticize people's religious beliefs.

Now that religious beliefs are resulting in "sacred bombings" along  
with standing in the way of scientific research and education, I  
don't think we can give religious belief a free pass anymore.

Ron:
> Steve you can challenge peoples beliefs all you want but it seldom
> changes their mind. I could beat a creationist with a dinosaur bone
> and they'd never change their view. Reason does not apply to faith.
> For us it does, to them it does not. Lies of the devil they call it.

Steve:
I disagree that reason does not apply to people of faith.  
Fundamentalists especially tend to have a strong knowledge of the  
Bible that they will use to justify their beliefs. I think they tend  
to think that these are good reasons in part because "tolerance" of  
their beliefs means that their beliefs go unquestioned.

Ron:
> When it comes right down to it enforcing a belief system even if its
> A rational one is seldom moral.

Steve:
I would never suggest "enforcing" a belief system. I just think we  
need to question the religious beliefs of others. I would like to see  
Mitt Romney have to respond to questions about Mormonism and  
Huckabee, Obama and others have to respond to questions about  
Christianity for example. They dodge such questions while at the same  
time claiming that their faith makes them worthy of serving in public  
office. Their faith is supposed to be a reason for us to vote for  
them, but we can't question it.

Regards,
Steve