Today I got into a discussion about religion with a few friends while leaving the Fresh n' Easy Market (or, as I call it. The "Fre'zy"). I found a few things about it rather interesting, so I thought I'd relay the story.
I'm not exactly sure of how it came up. We were wandering about, looking for food to bring to our last day of Styles Survey, and suddenly Nathanial and Frank started discussing religion. Now, I always sort of shy away from these sorts of discussions because I feel it often goes down a bad road. At this point I started wandering towards the cake section, wondering if I could eat an entire one by myself.
Nathanial was arguing that you can't disregard God and religion because you don't know the answers. From what I could tell from the cake section, he seemed to be fairly pro-God.
Frank, of course, took the same argument. That you can't know anything, so why would you believe something scrawled in a book that just arbitrarily tells you what is right and what is wrong, what is and what isn't.
Now comes in Pauli, our friend from the Faroe Islands. He's really fairly religious, this I knew previously, which is why I had hoped that we could ditch the conversation and go back to talking about the pros/cons of Regular vs. Double-Stuffed Oreos. Pauli claims that he
can know what will happen in life and beyond because of the Bible. He believes that it is the word is God, verbatim.
It is at this point that they notice I've said nothing.
All three look at me expectantly, waiting for my response. Deciding not to beat around the bush, I start rather bluntly.
"Well, first of all, I'm an Atheist/Agnostic. So, whatever I say is going to reflect those beliefs."
My brain has apparently left the building at this point, because I'm not usually so forceful with my beliefs. The conversation continues and Nathanial and Pauli keep asking me leading questions. Nathanial seeming to be honestly interested in my opinion, and Pauli trying to trap me within my own beliefs.
They asked me what I believed happened after we die. I told them I didn't know. But that's why I identify as more of an Agnostic. I told them I wasn't going to pretend that I know everything past, present, and future. What's the point? I have no evidence on hand to prove any of my own thinking.
Nathanial's questions fade out, as Pauli's get more prevalent. He wanted to know why I believed the things I believed and why I don't believe the things he believed. Finally, after much prodding, the speechifying began:
"Look, I wasn't raised with these beliefs. I was raised Catholic! It's just something that I feel inside of me. I've never been a religious person; but I do consider myself a good person. I like who I am and I don't need religion as a catalyst to make me feel or do anything. But honestly, I'm glad that you've found religion. I'm in full support of anyone who is religious. If that helps you, as a person, develop and grow and appreciate your life and the lives of others, then I think it's fantastic. But it's not a part of who
I am. It never has been."
Pauli paused at this. Then smiled, and said "Okay."
...why can't all discussions about religion end this way?
