RE: Questions For You Non Believers
November 17, 2012 at 3:37 pm
(This post was last modified: November 17, 2012 at 4:23 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
I wouldn't know, someone somewhere has probably said something like it before I ever twisted my way through the maze.
(that's all rhythm up there though...terrible fucking heathen with a hardened heart and all)
Well......let's imagine a particularly virulent ex-fundy that has spent their life arguing for the most horrid pieces of the narrative. If such a person lost their faith..it would be easy to imagine how embarrassing the memory of those arguments might be, how much shame or pain or guilt they might feel for some batshit thing they said. The same could as easily be true in the reverse...the conversion to faith scenario. In either case, a desire to avoid ownership of that guilt, shame, pain, what have you...might prevent someone from "leaving behind" their old views, publicly or even privately. Our own self-image (and the image we project outwardly) appears to be a powerful motivator. Ultimately the only person that would know how powerful that motivator is (and how they plan on making their peace..whatever peace needs be made), is the person in question.
I'd say that an exhaustive exploration of why some particular piece of a religious narrative is important to you (if it were) -without any pretense to it's literal truth- would yield far more insight into ones self, and perhaps..as a consequence, positions that are much easier to justify. Perhaps even positions that you could easily concede as being untenable in this or that situation...... even vapid as explanations or references to reality, but still valuable to one's self (and as a bonus..as per the above...you might even figure out -why- they're valuable - you might be able to explain it to others).
I think this sort of "faith" would be worlds more compelling than the "it's twuuu it's twuuu it's twuuuu" variety. More like "Okay, it may not be - I certainly can't prove to anyone that it is- but I can't exactly control all of the things I believe (or don't), however - the reason that I would like for it to be true is thus, and thus, and thus"
(trying to imagine a "reasonable faith" is, to me, extremely difficult. I can't eve say that It's possible for me to do so..but I can imagine a faith (no reason required) that avoids making unreasonable claims.)
(that's all rhythm up there though...terrible fucking heathen with a hardened heart and all)
Well......let's imagine a particularly virulent ex-fundy that has spent their life arguing for the most horrid pieces of the narrative. If such a person lost their faith..it would be easy to imagine how embarrassing the memory of those arguments might be, how much shame or pain or guilt they might feel for some batshit thing they said. The same could as easily be true in the reverse...the conversion to faith scenario. In either case, a desire to avoid ownership of that guilt, shame, pain, what have you...might prevent someone from "leaving behind" their old views, publicly or even privately. Our own self-image (and the image we project outwardly) appears to be a powerful motivator. Ultimately the only person that would know how powerful that motivator is (and how they plan on making their peace..whatever peace needs be made), is the person in question.
I'd say that an exhaustive exploration of why some particular piece of a religious narrative is important to you (if it were) -without any pretense to it's literal truth- would yield far more insight into ones self, and perhaps..as a consequence, positions that are much easier to justify. Perhaps even positions that you could easily concede as being untenable in this or that situation...... even vapid as explanations or references to reality, but still valuable to one's self (and as a bonus..as per the above...you might even figure out -why- they're valuable - you might be able to explain it to others).
I think this sort of "faith" would be worlds more compelling than the "it's twuuu it's twuuu it's twuuuu" variety. More like "Okay, it may not be - I certainly can't prove to anyone that it is- but I can't exactly control all of the things I believe (or don't), however - the reason that I would like for it to be true is thus, and thus, and thus"
(trying to imagine a "reasonable faith" is, to me, extremely difficult. I can't eve say that It's possible for me to do so..but I can imagine a faith (no reason required) that avoids making unreasonable claims.)
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
