On Discussing Religion

The topic of religion is often a difficult one to breech.  Even when approached calmly and rationally, it is full of difficult topics that require much more time to grasp than we typically are admitted in a normal conversation, or more space to explain than can be reasonably occupied by an article.  Even with what we already know of religion, simply compositing the ideas into coherent strings so that we can share that knowledge with others can be a daunting task.  I have both piles of papers and folders full of text files that I could present as evidence to my own efforts to overcome the challenge of discussing religion.

In some circles, it is simply impolite to discuss religion.  Yet in avoiding discussion of religion, we hide away things essential to ourselves, and we widen rifts we should be bridging.  Moreover, there are many around us who misuse religion, invoking it improperly in an attempt to justify attacks on others, whether physical or otherwise.  If we are to overcome the differences between people, whether or not they are elevated to violence, we must therein be prepared to approach the subject.  However, in order to discuss religion, I believe we all need to sit down and have a discussion on discussing religion.

The first thing to remember when discussing anything, but religion especially, is people are people, not perfectly rational robots, and as such we cannot refuse to examine the reasoning behind our own points, and all the more so we cannot expect others to immediately acquiesce to even the best reasoned arguments.  Especially in the matter of religion, where so much cannot be objectively proven, we must keep in mind that debate is about changing minds, not being right.  If we attack, we will put others on the defensive, and they will reinforce their position regardless of what that position actually is.

Too often I see opposing sides make a mockery of what they disagree with — theists of atheists and atheists of theists.  They would drive wedges between groups with straw man arguments and tactless jokes.  I am rarely an opponent of humor, believing anyone who believes a topic too serious for humor does not take humor seriously enough.  Yet if you mock the opposition while never mocking yourself, it becomes clear that your intentions are not about comedy but instead about rivalry.  I do not believe religion too sacred for jest, but only such mockery a poor mask for belligerence.  Remember, in order to have anyone follow our path, we must start from common ground.

In many of the dominant religions it is not difficult to find this common ground.  There are truths that hold regardless of religious beliefs, and many of these resonate within the religious teachings themselves.  A key tenet of most religions is love — not putting ourselves before others, and remembering to show kindness even to those who we may not think deserve it.  And, as tends to be a common theme in my writing, love is not some purely spiritual invention but an objectively beneficial approach to life — we are each only a trivially small part of the universe, yet if we work with those around us we expand our influence and use their experiences to grow.

These points echo not only in what we discuss about religion, but on how we discuss religion.  We need to remember whatever ideals we pursue — whether theistic, philosophical, or simply scientific — are to be pursued without ego.  The things most worth pursuing are those things beyond ourselves — beyond our egos — for being driven by something beyond ourselves is the surest way to make progress.  If these ideals are truly worthy of pursuit, then our pride will only serve to do them injustice.  Moreover, if we wish others to pursue the same, we can cooperate with them, and help them to see the goal, not our inevitably incomplete position on the path to it.  And if they choose not to follow us, we must not see it as an attack on the ideal, and moreover we must not see it as an attack on ourselves.  If there is truth in our paths, and if anyone else also seeks a path of truth, then, in due time, our paths will cross.