The Problem with Christians

[robvalue]

We have certain members here, whom I won't call out by naming, who put up with daily abuse (they're morons, idiots, etc. -- I'm guilty of indulging in this abuse myself) but who are clearly not idiots. In fact, some of them strike me as rather intelligent. It's their predetermined conclusions -- those things that simply must be true due to the faith they place in their holy book(s) -- that are stupid. Now, I'm not about to argue that it's not stupid to place such faith in these books (in my opinion, it is), but intelligence seems less the issue than emotional commitment and need. People don't put themselves through such strain and mental contortion unless they are trying their damnedest to protect something dear to them -- even at the cost of intellectual integrity.

I agree, I don't think the devout are faking it. At least not most of it. I'm not so naive as to think they could stop believing it all any more than I could start believing it. They are trying to use their intelligence to justify their emotional conclusions to themselves. That's how it comes across. With the exception of the theists who bother to interact with us as people outside of religious discussion, I think they're here so that they feel they've "tested themselves" and are still right. I don't know what else they could get out of it.

I certainly don't automatically think someone is stupid because they hold a particular stupid belief. And they do seem to put an enormous amount of effort into cementing their position, even when it means using childish arguments that they'd probably never use regarding any other subject.

I do however find some of the beliefs absolutely disgusting at a moral level.