Posted by Richard S (38.30.253.181) on July 20, 2001 at 11:27:21:
In Reply to: Here's where it always breaks down: posted by Charlie S on July 20, 2001 at 02:01:01:
Pascal, Kiergaard, and a bunch of other heavy thinkers have said the same thing, that some religions require that we never ask "Why?" Of course, they conclude that one should accept it and just stop asking why, but I can't buy that. If there is a God, and if he/she gave us the ability to reason (which is one of the few things which distinguishes humans from the "lower" animals), then why not use it? I tossed ready-made religion out of my life many years ago, and, as expected, it made absolutely no difference to the ups and downs of existence, except that I can no longer blame some omni-everything transcendental dictator (God) when things go wrong. I'm not a Christian, and I'll probably go to hell, but I've already been there, done that, with CH, so it won't be anything new. ;-)