It’s about to get sacred.
If you are a believer and you want to get me to believe you’re going to ask me to read a book. Given United States demographics, that book most likely will be the Bible (in some version or another). And, I would have you know that I have already read it, however if you’d like for me to go over it again I’m going to have a corresponding book for you to read. This book is Breaking the Spell, by Daniel Dennett. In Breaking the Spell Professor Dennet tackles one subject above all others, the idea that it is not belief but “sacredness” that is the problem. The concept that one set of ideas cannot be questioned or criticized because of some special property inherent in the idea or belief itself.
Unlike the other Atheist “Four Horsemen”, Dennett seems to have a sincere appreciation for some aspects of religious thought. His book is far less condemning than those of Dawkins, Hitchens or Harris. The reason I choose this book as the primer I would have any person who wishes to proselyte to me read is that it best expresses my views on religion in general, and I want them to understand what they’re going to encounter if they come to me with their “truths”.
Unlike some of my fellow strong atheists, I am slow to condemn “religion” as a whole, however unlike some others I am very quick to criticize specific beliefs, it may be easy to construe this as myself condemning religion as a concept, when all I am saying is that, “belief X is obviously laughable”. Lamar is correct in season one, show two when he says, “religion does community extremely well”. I believe that it does, and I feel that it can be replicated in a wholly secular way. The problem is compounded in a “faith in a sacred truth”.
The faith in a supernatural supreme being of some sort or another without question is a huge problem for me, it is my nature to question and any idea that cannot be held to scrutiny is quick to fall from my favor. Combine this with the “sacred” concept, that these questions and criticism should not even be leveled and you’re stepping to the plate with two strikes already. The third of course is usually the tone in which the faithful like to preach to the non believer, it’s either condescending or dripping with pity.
I firmly believe that we should place our faith in each other, in those we can hold accountable when that faith is betrayed and in whom we can set realistic expectations of that faith. I have faith that my wife loves me, a faith built on evidence from past behavior and promises made for the future. I have faith that my garbage company will pick up the trash on a weekly basis, based on an agreed upon contract of payment for services and enforced by governmental agencies should that faith be broken. But none of these faith’s are held sacred, all can be held up for question and scrutiny.