Scrutiny & Tolerance
I recently watched a discussion between Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz centering around a book they collaborated in writing about Islam and the Future of Tolerance.
It was pointed out that Islam has no real leader, pope or higher archy that promotes a common set of beliefs for a majority of it’s followers. It is broken down to a set of interpretations by a self proclaimed individual who uses the Quran to justify his beliefs as the law with no questioning of it’s merits or deficits.
Maajid has a secular view that Sam Harris, the famous Atheist, has found a keyhole in the vast wall of medieval beliefs to understand that there is some hope for a designation between a fundamentalist view of Islam and a more benign version that is practised by a majority of the Muslim population around the world.
There is predjudice in a most ignorant way, even among intelligent Christians, that in my opinion, compares with the condecedending views of Christians towards Atheists.
We Atheist’s, have no leader or common views that are followed by any individual except maybe by notable authors, such as the Four Horseman or New Atheists, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, Richard Dawkins and the late but totally awesome, Christopher Hittchens.
Between these four and of many more, are vastly different opinions towards any religion or tradition of faith.
I am promoting that there is a better way to proceed living a secular life amongst 80% of Americans steeped in medieval ritual and dogma.
There are already several factions that have certain beliefs or attitudes towards the religious. To name a few, there are is; Humanism
Materialism
Darwinism
Nihilism
Naturalism
Deism
Neo Atheism
And the ever wavering Agnosticism
There are common ideas amongst this cacophony of non believers that do align, however, some of their approach and attitudes to the believers cover a range that ignores the tantamont truth said by Maajid Nawaz, “that no idea is above scrutiny and no person below dignity”.
This is why I’m starting my own faction called, “Live and Let Livism”
It is more centered around the idea stated by Dr. Bart Ehrman in the beginning of some of his debates and lectures. He tells an audience that he is an Agnostic Atheist, meaning that if you ask if there is a god, then his reply is, “I don’t know” but if you ask if he believes in god, then “he says hell no”
“Hell” is my added adjective but it exemplifies my point.
He goes on to say that he’s not trying to change anyone’s mind, but only to present the facts. They are mostly of his expertises in the translation of thousands of manuscripts that compose today’s bibles.
He’s a Historian, unlike the Four Horseman that range from a Biologist, Neurophysicist, Philosopher and a cultural, political and literature journalist.
I also admire the scientific approach of Carl Sagan who so elliquently described that scrutiny of everything is necessary to build on the foundation of human understanding and knowledge.
To say that the bible is the word of God and the Quran is final, leaves no room for conversations to be had amongst the open minded.
The same should go for my fellow Atheists. We need to have productive interactions with everyone that attracts thoughtfulness rather than promotes division.
As Scotty d. Sees It