Subject: Re: atheism
From: jason varsoke (jjv@caesun.msd.ray.com)
Date: Wed Jan 19 2000 - 09:14:29 EST
> I find amazing - honest injun, no sarcasm - that a technical,
> theological discussion can trigger such an avalanche of informed,
> deeply felt words from such a variety of sincere people.
> Europeans like me are bewildered when we hear how vitally
> religious concerns continue, apparently, to engage the American
> consciousness. Even in these putatively Catholic parts, no one
> gets much exercised, let alone shot, over doctrinal issues such
> as creationism or contraception - or even abortion. (The war
> in the North of Ireland has been more tribal than religious.)
> While, reportedly, American chapels fill up, ours grow rapidly
> empty.
Hmm, always wondered how to spell "injun."
Well, I certainly would say that the american chapels are filling.
There are many (non-scientific) opinions on whether americans are moving
toward total secularism or away from it. I was brought up Catholic and
always thought that the country contained mostly Catholics. I now feel
like I was the naive boy in "Call it Sleep" thinking NYC was all Jews. I
could never understand why JFK was always hyped as a Catholic.
A protastant friend of mine, whose family is well involved in the
clergy, thinks that most americans are atheists. I think we are very few
and there are just a lot of non-practicing people out there. But I
haven't read any statistics that american chapels are filling up.
It's also strange to consider America, the country that above all
others, considers 'the Mighty Buck' the supreme ruler of the world, would
have more religious hangups than Europe. I guess that's why I prefer
contnental philosophy.
Oh, and Scottie, would you care to buy a Pound of Apples from an
authorized and legal English unit distributor?
> Yet a considerable fuss is being made of a new film which I haven't
> yet seen - Graham Greene's The End of the Affair - whose central
> issue is the presence or absence of God. Although a cradle agnostic
> who in life runs a mile from the company of believers, I've always
> been considerably more affected by Greene than, for example, Salinger.
> And The End of the Affair seems to me his undoubted masterpiece,
> one of the very few books I never tire of re-reading.
Guess I'm going to have to check this one out.
> I wonder why it is that so many of us find a narrative, a story,
> a fable, a parable, so much more haunting & persuasive than
> an argument?
Actually, I just asked Saul Bellow that exact question last wednesday.
Unfortunately, he didn't have well perpared answer and ended up drifting
off course before he could complete the first sentence. No pearls of
wisdom from the gent yet.
I'd say the short answer to your question is that a narrative plays on
emotions, something an argument usually only grates against. But that
answer is far to simple to be complete.
-jay
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