Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Doubting Thomases


In reply to people who blindly follow organized religions and who muster the collective impudence to call people who don't, "doubting Thomases":

People who are so afraid of relying upon their own powers of reasoning that they turn to "experts" even when dealing with subjects in which there are no experts, and people who are so afraid of their own ability to handle rejection that they never voice unpopular thoughts to those "experts"—even when those thoughts may be correct, are the real "doubting Thomases."

These real doubting Thomases will be the first to accuse a person who has left an organized religion that he or she has "lost faith." These real doubting Thomases don't realize the decision to leave an organized religion may be the first sign that a person has gained real faith.

Finally—as part of an organization that has for hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades, centuries, or millennia harmed people through perpetration of myths and superstitions—these real doubting Thomases will complain that we complain. We former members of organized religions who were victimized, understand exactly why you complain about our complaining. We know that you fear reason; we understand why you fear reason; we understand that you are victims, too; and we have compassion for you.

It is out of compassion that I voice my complaints. I have no doubt about it.

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1 comments:

Joel said...

Well said, Dan.

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