Belief

Was thinking about some things I saw over at Heterodoxy & Orthodoxy, brought something to mind.

All of the various stuff from Democrat commentators and leftist news weenies about 'you know, some of these religeous types actually believe this stuff' brought it up.

When someone does not themselves have any religeous beliefs, or when those they claim are just window-dressing, how do you discuss this with them? How do you explain an idea to someone who, down inside does not believe that anyone could take it seriously?

It's like talking to someone who simply cannot believe that a 'civilized' human could actually believe in a right to arms. There is simply no frame of reference they can place it in except "deluded fool who doesn't know what's good for him", so that's how they treat you.

So much of the commentary on moral and religeous beliefs from the above-noted is on the level of "talk nice to them and say you will respect them in the morning, and they'll see how smart and progressive you are and vote for you", and it is stupid. You do not get through to someone on any meaningful level with condescension; you just piss them off on one level, and make them pity you on another. (those more generous in outlook will feel pity or sorrow; everyone else will just get more pissed off at you).

The other part is the commentary on the lines that "Your beliefs are just being used, you are being fooled," and so forth; often from someone with no real religeous beliefs themselves. Or, from those who do have true beliefs, "MY religeon does not allow starting a war on lies", etc. There, it's down to "If you believed properly, you would not have voted for that man!"

It's the attitude that "You're not smart enough/sophisticated enough/caring enough to really understand" again.

And that won't get you anywhere.