Nice Andrew Sullivan piece
Andrew Sullivan concludes his conversation with athiest Sam Harris today with what I thought was a very nice piece. His ending point, that it's impossible for us to think our way to peace, is the core problem I have with rationalist arguments against religion. In the end, I just don't believe it's ultimately a matter of science; it puts too much faith in our own rational natures. Here's a quote:
This earth we inhabit is in peril, and our generation's task is to protect it. I don't mean merely the environment, although its sickness is clearly a function of our spiritual decay, our preference for material gain over spiritual calm. I mean the real and terrible danger of terroristic warfare, the kind that is now ravaging Iraq and raped New York City nearly six years ago. Instinctively, I am a realist. I know the odds of surviving this with our civilization intact are low. But I also think I know the only fundamental long-term answer. It is non-violence as Jesus practiced it, love as Jesus taught it, hope as Jesus promised. This requires work - and paradoxical work - to accept our gangsterish nature, to acknowledge abuse of faith in fundamentalist certainty, to stay realist about how to keep the peace and defeat real enemies - and yet also to practice the faith that alone can save our world.