Saturday, August 18, 2007

Letter to the Raleigh News & Observer

My letter to the News & Observer after reading this article by LA Times journalist William Lobdell.

"In his article 'Faith Found, and Lost,' journalist William Lobdell is being overly generous to those faithful who willfully deny reality. Faith is no gift, and for many people, losing faith is no dark night of the soul. If anything, the awakening of reason is more what Carl Sagan termed a candle in the dark. Mr. Lobdell should be thankful he can now see through the darkness of religion, faith, and spirituality, and concentrate on the positive aspects of living a life free of superstition, credulity and delusion. One need not defer to the supernatural for meaning or celebration. The fact that we are alive due to natural processes and not jealous, vengeful, petty deities (whose monstrous spokespeople prey on the innocent and the infirm) is truly the only 'miracle' worth celebrating."

So, if it gets printed, how soon before the burning crosses turn up on my lawn? Or, wait, that's the KKK--what do folks do to atheists? Throw burning copies of Origin of Species through your window?

2 comments:

Lisa Meltzer said...

In a tone that drips with condescension, they announce that they'll be praying for you. Ain't no point setting you on fire if you're just going to burn in Hell anyhow.

Anonymous said...

Okay, I think I'm getting the big pic here - you live in the Bible Belt - you were the outcast kid that was marginalized by the bigoted religious and socially empowered elite. What do they know?? They are missing out!