MemeLab@aol.com wrote:
> Ever try telling people that you are an atheist when they want to talk about
> religion? After several engagements like that, I have found that goodwill
> evaporates very quickly. It is mostly when they can imagine, or fantasize
> that I could share their faith, that the goodwill floweth freely. When the
> disillusion sets in, it amazes me how horribly UGLY things can get.
In my evangelical atheist days I was happy to see the Johovah's Witnesses show up at my door. I would sit out on the front porch (having enough sense not to invite them inside) and match their every memetic tactic with the prescribed atheistic reply. We went at it for hours on several occassions, and the JWs never lost their cool or got pissy. I never saw their good will wane as it became clear that I was as committed to my faith as they were to theirs.
Believe me, I've seen plenty of religious intollerance. I've heard many a nigger joke from Southern Baptist decons. I recognize that the conflicts in the world today with the least potential for peaceful resolution are the ones that originate in religeous/ethnic identification and rivalry. Still, like The Man said;
"Addict", whether of religion or drugs, implies lack of mastery. Both are tools that can be used for good or ill.
Carry on.
-KMO