Quote:
Originally Posted by Dr. Rez
trying to convince a religious person otherwise is the most futile act one could ever hope to take part in. I have never once gotten anywhere in an argument/discussion so what you did by keeping your mouth shut was definitly the wise thing to do. What alot of those religous types need to learn is "you worry about you and ill worry about me".
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Indeed, but I'm beginning to realize that the greater satisfaction comes from not even being inclined to change their minds. Whether it be for their right to their beliefs or you yours, or for any other reason not including for the benefit of someone's well-being. But the satisfaction, I'm finding, should not come from changing the belief system of another person solely to have it adhere to your own, regardless of who's correct.
This was a big thing for me in the past, and I'm still struggling with it in a lot of different ways. When I don't agree with something, I feel the absolute NEED to argue my position, regardless of the outcome. I'm only just beginning to really understand that my beliefs are completely independent of that and should not need such an action to sustain itself.
Ironically, when you start to understand this, you have to also understand the other side of the coin and accept that they will believe the opposite of what you do by the same conviction. Sure, one side may have a bit more critical thinking behind it than the other, but if critical thinking is absent in certain belief, then--as a counter-argument--it's not going to do much to affect it anyway.
I think maybe the best argument of personal beliefs are made internally, even if they are the result of consistent external influence. As long as someone comes to a conclusion on their own, they are more likely to adhere to it, versus someone trying to force it on them.
It doesn't mean we can't try to plant seeds...
But I'm pretty sure that's what the religious people are trying to do as well.
So, whatever side of the coin we may be on as individuals, we can hope what we want, but hope by force is never going to yield results, and--more importantly--we really shouldn't need that hope to begin with. It gains nothing if we are secure in our own beliefs and those beliefs are enough for us.
I'm not an evangelist. As much as I would like to, preaching science and reason is going to get me just as far as science and reason has been doing since its inception.
I'll just "pray" that others will subscribe to it, hoping their minds eventually weigh more than their hearts.