Thoughtful people need to parse religious extremism, politics, and religious belief in general. I think most intelligent people already do. The issue is not whether you can get thoughtful people here, but whether this discussion will impact those who conclude that religious differences justify the kind of intolerance that leads to murder, the kind of intolerance that pervades humanity at present.

I am one of those of the “atheist side of the perspective.” My atheism is simply an acknowledgment that I lack a belief in a deity. I make an effort to avoid the arrogance of the capital-A Atheists, those who actively disrespect the beliefs of Theists. I make this effort because I believe as you do, that our specific beliefs are irrelevant so long as our mutual commitment to humanity and compassion remains. I don’t choose atheism as a justification for selfishness or rebellion. I “choose” it as the factual description of my religious perspective. I can’t simply say “I believe in something else,” because there isn’t a convenient brand name to place on my ideas about humanity and being.

Unfortunately, for many people this is as far as the dialogue goes. In a monotheistic society, it’s difficult for an atheist like me to appear sociable when I say, “I don’t believe in your God,” because after thousands of years of theistic thinking, such a statement isn’t simply a statement of personal belief, it’s an attack against the universalist perspective that monotheism demands. This is unfortunate, but also inevitable, given the relationship between church, self and power throughout history. For most everyone, a belief in God is a prerequisite to goodness. The vast majority of conversations in which I’ve “admitted” my atheism have immediately been reduced to questions about my moral fiber. But since the only thing one can understand about the atheist is that he or she isn’t a theist, the hostility is an arbitrary and habitual response that conveniently dispenses with any effort at understanding.

This dispensing with effort at understanding is the very foundation of the cultural crisis that faces our world today. It is very easy to crawl into our caves of categories and from there assault those who choose different caves, since they can’t possibly be better than our self-proclaimed perfect world. This is an altogether human habit, one that has led us to calamity time and again throughout history.

Understanding is very, very hard. It requires intense, personal effort over many years. It’s so much easier to rest on our assumptions. I support your effort to overcome the barriers and open a dialogue.

Keep moving Rahim, we all support you

Inspiring and insightful words. A great kick-off to 2008. I look forward to being a frequent visitor- and maybe I can help contribute to the upgrade.