Knit Addict

71? Sounds right. I hope your day is at least half as good as my last birthday was. At the very least, I wish it to be pain free and contented.

Not much on the knitting front. If you have Victorian Lace Today, I’m half done with the second repeat of Chart H on the smaller Sampler Shawl, on the first pass through the various motifs. I came up on the library list for The God Delusion and picked it up yesterday. I read from about 6 until 9:30, and figure I’ll read through lunch today too.

There’s nothing knitting related from here down.

It’s interesting to watch my own reactions to what I read. I’m an atheist - I used to say agnostic, but I’ve realized that’s not true. I don’t think the jury is still out. I simply don’t believe in God. Yet I enjoy talking to others about what they believe.  I enjoy reading books about spirituality and different paths. I read Women of Wisdom and enjoyed it, even though most of the women profiled do believe. I read At the Root of this Longing and enjoyed it too. But Kurt and Sue gave me a copy of The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict and I just can’t stay with it. The author does say very clearly it’s not a book he expects people to sit down and read - he presents it as a study guide for Christians who want to defend their beliefs or proselytize.  But right from the introduction, where he says there is only one spiritual truth (and can you guess which one it is?) I find myself bristling and arguing.  I just can’t make myself stay with it, even through numerous tries.  I wonder how much of that is simply because I don’t share his beliefs?  Who knows.

It’s not like Dawkins or McDowell are going to change anyone’s mind.  Each book will only reinforce the readers current belief, and inflame folks who don’t agree with what they’re reading.  It is interesting to watch the reactions though - for all of everyones “scientific” arguments, it still comes down to what one believes versus what another does.  I do take strong exception to people who say that since I don’t share their beliefs I must be immoral and evil.  That’s utter bullshit.  I choose to try to be a decent person not because I’m afraid of going to hell, but because I want the world to be a better place.  Do I always succeed?  Of course not.  Nobody does.  But I also don’t try to force others to conform to my non-belief.  It would be nice if I were afforded the same respect.  Wondering what I mean by that?

I’m hesitant to push the Publish button.  Why?  Because I’ve seen the reactions when I disagree with a strong believer.  Not all of them - absolutely not.  But I’ve seen and heard enough horrified and/or hostile reactions to my atheism to figure this won’t be without consequences.  Maybe some day we’ll live in a world where I don’t have to think about that.