<< Brent Allsop
P.S. Could anyone give me a reference to where one of Heinlein's
characters makes this remark? >>
Sure... it is the character "Kettle Belly" Baldwin in the book Friday. He is
speaking to her ( Friday), about maturity and the need for rational thought.
The point of the passage, and of my post, is that rationality does not offer
the degree of freedom from responsibility that can be achieved by religion.
What I mean is that in a religion one can always put the "blame" for
unhappiness or disaster or misfortune off on god, or the devil, or whatever
other bugaboos are part of that religion. An atheist hasn't that scapegoat
available. We have to shoulder the responsibility ourselves.
Brent, I'm not sure if you understood what I meant by my post. I don't
believe in any such thing as heaven or hell. when I spoke of the "warmth of
religion" I was responding to another members post concerning the comfort
sought after by many religionists.
For myself, I think that I do hold much of that childlike wonder you speak of.
I am often amazed and delighted by the world I live in and the wonders it
shows me daily. The prospect of living for long enough to really explore it
fills me with excitement and helps me approach the day with a bright outlook.
Don't read too much into the expression "cold light of reason". I simply mean
rational thought and study, without the need for some mystical explaination or
being.
It seems that so many people spend their time and energy trying to discover "
what it's all for". I don't need to ask, I already know..:-) But that is my
own opinion and it isn't one that i expect anyone else to give a hoot about.
I wouldn't dream of trying to convince anyone else that my reason is, or
should be, theirs.
I really don't think you and I see things all that differently. I do think
you have a greater degree of tolerance, or maybe understanding, of
religionists points of view than I have.
At any rate, I appreciate your responses and your thoughts on the subject.
Be well, Cori