Several times this week I’ve seen religious people dismissed for intellectual laziness. The idea that religious people ascribe to their doctrines solely through blind faith is a very popular conception. I’ve certainly seen many examples of this stereotype in my lifetime, and in any people group as inclusive as “religious”, you’re bound to find examples of almost anything. Overwhelmingly, though, many of the most thoughtful and critical people I’ve met have been religious.
Though there have been rare exceptions, my general experience of the difference between the religious and non-religious is not intellectual rigor, but humility. Religious scientists and researchers I have known are particularly aware of the limits of human abilities and knowledge, and though they attempt to stretch those boundaries on a daily basis, they realize it is an intense wrestling match. The non-religious people I’ve known, on the other hand, tend (with some exceptions) to be strident in their views and feel that anyone who disagrees with them is intellectually shabby or perhaps even diabolical.
Have you ever noticed it’s often the most insecure people who trumpet their superiority most loudly?
Posted by poppies
