Why I read the Naked Pastor October 7, 2007
Posted by Darren in Atheism.trackback
Despite being an atheist, I often hop over to David Hayward’s blog nakedpastor.com (on the blogroll) to see how the other side live, so to speak. David is a pastor in some church somewhere and bares his somewhat tormented soul to us all. He’s just turned 50 apparently, hence these few lines, a kind of blogging birthday card, if you like. It made me think why I’m here in the blogosphere.
Although we’re on different ends of the believing scale (or are we?), I find his posts insightful and occasionally inspiring. Obviously I disagree with the whole god hypothesis thing, but I’ll forgive him that and say he’s a wise man nevertheless!
His regular commenters, however, are an enigma to me. I simply do not get the theistic mindset at all, having never been indoctrinated and never felt the need to believe in any god or anything supenatural. As internally frustrating and mystifying as it is, I like to read these commenters’ opinions on the issue of the day, inevitably twisting logic and mangling facts to fit in with the various Christian beliefs they cling to. Try as I might, I can’t work out how they reconcile their religion to the real world, especially in light of David’s own, well, let’s say cynicism if not quite doubt.
Why do I do this? I think it’s useful to try to understand the malady, religion, and those caught under its spell. I often read that Christians claim to feel pity for atheists, and I’d like to return the sentiment. I genuinely wish I could help people break free of this memetic virus (as Evanescent recently called it - I just had to slip that phrase in somewhere!), but I don’t know how. The task seems impossible, especially because the religious generally don’t want to be saved, at least not in the way I mean it.
This is not so much a concern for the already religious, as I think the True Believer is already lost. I’m concerned for our future as a species. I really do think that we need to shed religion to make progress - organised religions, inherently divisive as they are, are like a cancer to the larger entity we call Humanity, in which we are all cells. Note that I’m referring to organised religion and not religious people themselves. Quite frankly, I don’t care what you believe in the privacy of your own home. Whatever consenting adults do behind closed doors is no concern of mine. I do care, however, when those same unfounded beliefs and superstitions are foisted upon our unsuspecting children. Falling back on “God did it” as an explanation is a real inhibitor to progress, and when religion and politics are mixed, the results are terrifying. Religion and theocracy leads to restrictive policies born out of fear and out-group hatred, which leads to totalitarianism. How can that be a good thing?
Anyway, back to the point of the post. I want to understand why people believe, why they want to continue to believe in the face of overwhelming evidence against, or lack of evidence for, and what drives the religious types. David gives me some hope that all is not lost, and nakedpastor.com is one small window into this alien world.
well darren, i am honored! thanks. if ever we meet face to face, i will personally buy you a glass of laphroaig… on ice!
Just my observations here. I may be way off, but this is all I have.
Darren, like you, I am (for lack of a better word) and atheist, but unlike you, I am a former believer in the Christian God…but like you, I visit nakedpastor, probably daily. Sometimes I wonder if David isn’t a closet atheist.
I had a friend, many years ago, when we were in the military, who I had suspected was gay. He never came out to me, couldn’t really, but I suspected, and I think he knew I suspected. We remained friends during our tour together, never talking about the tabooed subject.
David displays many of the hallmarks of a person on the verge. He seems dissatisfied and discouraged with where his faith journey has led him (just like I was). He seems to be desperately clinging to an image of what he wishes Christianity would or could be, but that image, I am fairly certain, never was, and never will be a reality. Why? Because human nature will not let it be. And since the God of the bible seems to have no interest in helping his followers become what David would like them to become, David struggles with the grave disappointment. His only solace seems to be in his friendships, and in his ability to express himself. I just hope that one day, he will see that, in reality, that is all he, or any of us need- freedom and friendships.
Hi Bob, and thanks for visiting my small corner of cyberspace.
I think David’s in a difficult position, being a pastor, but I do hold out hope that he’ll see the light, so to speak. Even if he stays a pastor, he is wise enough to know the difference between human nature and religious dogma, and hopefully be even more useful to his community than a regular pastor that is blinded by the faith.
[...] was reading Naked Pastor who pointed toward Darren, of A Critical Mass, who had written a birthday blog, so to speak, for the Naked Pastor. I find what Darren wrote intriguing and impressive all at the same [...]
The problem is not that the religious don’t want to be saved. It’s that they already think they are.
I can think of no greater encouragement to nonchalance and apathy than the belief that the world’s problems will be solved by someone else, and that you’re destined to be saved, so sit back and get this life over and done with as fast as possible.
Note: here I am not necessarily saying that religion is false; even if it were true it would still foster a mindset I don’t want to have: uncritical, almost lazy, almost blasé.
I agree with your post and I found myself sharing your reaction to his blog after reading through a few pages.
David, tainting laphroaig or any quality scotch with ice is sacrilege.