Conversational Intolerance

I used to be merely indifferent to organized religion, never quite understanding how anyone could buy into it. I was raised without it, and I’m a “damned” good guy, if I do say so myself. I value the transpersonal or spiritual dimension of experience above all else, I treat others with respect and courtesy, and everyone who knows me considers me a “good person.” I’ve never had need of religion, while having a more or less “live and let live” attitude when it comes to what others believe. But the irrationality and downright insane thinking that characterizes religious fundamentalism of all stripes is on the rise, and has so infected politics and public discourse that maybe it’s time for reasonable people to say “Enough is enough.” The last straw for me was watching Barak Obama pander to the crowd at the Saddleback Mega-Church.

When Obama talked about Jesus dying for his sins and all that, I nearly puked. Now, this is a pretty strong reaction I must admit, but there was something about the whole atmosphere of the forum, with the flock applauding on cue, and Obama parsing his words just so, that pushed my buttons and filled me with dread. First off, I have been rooting for Obama throughout this campaign season, but lately (and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing) I’ve been disillusioned, disappointed, and disenchanted with him and his “meet the new boss, same as the old boss” sucking up to an electorate that proves time and again that ignorance and thoughtlessness are now part and parcel of American society.

The whole question of faith, belief, or lack thereof, is particularly troubling to me. The fact of the matter is, if Obama or any other politician shares MY worldview, he or she would have to lie through their teeth about it in order to be elected to public office. And that’s exactly what I think Obama did by portraying himself as a devout believer, when this does not fit at all with the rest of his vibe. I could be wrong, of course, but that doesn’t change the fact that an America that requires its leaders to take part in organized religion is an America that I am losing faith in. I mean, if you think that a literal reading of the Bible and the theory of evolution represent equally valid perspectives of the development of life on earth, then you are not someone who should be running a large, powerful country in an increasingly complex global society. Such a display of distorted thinking should disqualify a person from being elected to public office, but in the United States — in the year 2008!!! — it’s a prerequisite that you at least pretend such beliefs are worthy of respect, and it’s certainly a prerequisite that you claim to be a believer in God Almighty.

I watched some TV preacher this morning talk about how THE most important thing anyone can do for their children is to teach them to believe in the Bible as the absolutely true Word of God. And here I am feeling just as certain that this is one of THE WORST things anyone could do to their child, that it’s a form of spiritual abuse to indoctrinate someone in this way. And these differences in belief have major consequences, from who is president to whether or not we wage war. So why do so many of us bite our tongues? Well, speaking for myself, it’s because so many of my friends and family members believe things I find very troubling, and I fear that speaking my mind will forever damage these valuable relationships. And so I blog anonymously and hope certain people don’t find me out.

I find myself more and more appreciating the ballsy efforts of the likes of Sam Harris and Bill Maher, and their use of “conversational intolerance,” which is simply a refusal to grant “off limits” status to matters of faith when assessing the validity of relative points of view. And yeah, there’s a certain sense of urgency involved that might ruffle some feathers. Some are more skilled than others, as Sam Harris has had numerous respectful debates with believers, including Saddleback’s Rick Warren, while Richard Dawkins comes across as a total dick most of the time.

True dialogue, true open-ended conversation is so rare, so precious. Do we really expect anyone — ourselves included — will have a change of heart as the so-called “Culture War” rages on? How is it that women ever got the right to vote? How can we bring change in a world that resists it at every turn? Should we fight harder or just lay down our arms? I don’t know. The whole thing is just religulous: