Reason @ MindSay

"He that will not reason is a bigot; he that cannot reason is a fool; and he that dares not reason is a slave." -William Drummond, 1585-1649

"Inequality is not natural. Poverty is created in systems that permit the one or the few to exploit the many. People learn to want to live in a big house. Nobody chooses to live in squalor. These are self-evident truths. There's no debating self-evident truths."

-Andrew Austin, Freedom and Reason

"Many of these can be part of faith-based initiatives I want to keep the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives open, but I want to make sure that its mission is clear. Faith-based initiatives should be targeted specifically at the issue of poverty and how to lift people up."

-Obama, On The Issues

My Take on this BS

The Office of Faith-Based Initiatives is not only unconstitutional by violating the 1st Amendment, but also by violating the statute against litmus tests. We're all tired of hearing about Obama's Christianity. It's very apparent to those of us who don't play in identity politics that he is the trying to make his religion his practical image, an almost Messiah-like figure in the eyes of the American Public. This is disgusting and he's making a bad image for real liberals like myself who wanted Hillary to be the nominee. Now McCain has a much stronger chance of winning in November, and we all know that's, in all practical sense, a 3rd Bush term for the country, and more endless war.

*sigh* We really could have secured the White House for years to come, a new golden age for Democrats, but even the super delegates were screwed into this one...

This spring my students and I again studied the conflict between reason and religious faith. We read and discussed opinion by Bertrand Russell, by Sam Harris, and by me (post number 160 in my blog archive index). Following the conclusions to their papers I invited students to comment on our subject, the course, the class, the materials and, if they wished, also on me, their instructor. I’ve standardized their usage and mechanics, and below I post the student comments I received.

 

1

This class has taught me that is okay to have our own thoughts and opinions on any and all topics, including the topic of religion, which tends to be a sticky subject for most people. The conflict between religion and religious faith has been going on since the beginning of time and will continue to cause and create conflict in our everyday lives because people believe so strongly in religious ideas they would do anything to defend their opinions. Most of the time it’s to such an extreme that they forget the other billions of people who live on the earth with them. I have had personal conflict with religion in my own life. My mother and sister are very strong believers, and my aunt and her family are missionaries. So they are constantly reminding me how having a little faith would change my life and telling me that the daily struggles of life would be easier if I had stronger faith. I didn’t know God would pay my Visa, make my ex-husband be a better man, or provide a roof over my children’s heads. I haven’t known God to do this for anyone. I don’t shame them for their beliefs, but I guess it would be nice to just be accepted for who I am and not for what I believe or do not believe. This assignment has taught me to look at religion in a different way, and I now believe that religion has been more harmful in our society than good. I thank Mr. Skank for allowing us to learn and understand the topic of religion from an academic perspective as opposed to a church perspective. I will continue to strive to always be a good person and, if there is a place called Heaven, I hope that being a good person is the key and not the misunderstandings that have caused so many people to die for religion and to sacrifice the lives of so many others for religion.

 

2

When people speak of the conflict between reason and religious faith, one of the big topics that comes up is whether there is proof that God or anything in the Bible actually existed or happened. The people on the side of reason are the academics, the people who are looking for answers and don’t rely on a spiritual presence to explain to them the mystery of the universe. Then there are the members of the world of religion, a group of people who follow the world of their God and the book written by him. These people are supposed to believe only what the church tells them and nothing else. War is the biggest piece of evidence we have that religion has caused more conflict than reason. The academics have not had anything close to the bloody conflicts that religious people have had.

The academics have an open mind to any possibility and do not rule anything out simply because a spiritual presence called God told them it was lies. Academics do gather like a church, but no one person has the correct answer; they congregate around the world and talk to each other in a nonviolent atmosphere, working together. As for the Bible, Koran, and other religious books, the academics understand them to be books, and like all books they read and decipher the books to find understanding of the authors’ message.

The members of religious faith are locked into believing that God knows all and has told them what is true and, if information countering their beliefs is presented, they are to reject it. In the past, these were the people responsible for most of the war in the world and those responsible for what will come because of their crusade to smite the nonbelievers and bring forth the word of the Bible to the world.

As for me, I have had a lot of conflict with just the religious image, the belief that people who have a religion are better than people who don’t or who don’t express it as openly. I have friends who express it openly, but they don’t slam a Bible in my face every time I see them just because I don’t feel the same way they do. As I said in my introduction, my religious experience, as in going to church, was short so I don’t have a lot of issues with Christianity; I have more with religious systems as a whole. It’s scary to know that religious people will hunt down and maybe even kill those who are not like them. As for me, I just know what I would call a few basic things most people know, like what Christmas and Easter are all about. In my family those holidays are less about their religious aspects than about just getting together with my family.

 

3

Now I wonder how many individuals gather within their churches and profess beliefs that in fact they do not truly trust or comprehend. I can’t imagine how frightening it must be to say you believe when all you want is the actual courage to do so. It is my opinion that there are many more self-proclaimed Christians who want to believe in God and Jesus than those who actually do. This is the main reason that I value others for their sincere beliefs even if I may not agree. The truth is I’d rather discuss religion and faith with a devout atheist than with a wishy-washy Christian. It takes a great deal of strength and trust to surrender yourself completely to any belief. What’s strange is that no matter what belief it is that one has accepted, it becomes difficult for that individual to understand how he or she ever got along without it. It is the same with me. Although I will say truly believing in Jesus hasn’t made my life better, Jesus has made my life a real life, a complete life, a life I could have never dreamed of.

A conclusion to this essay could never be all I aim for it to be. It is clear that the conflict between reason and religious faith is apparent in my life, although I never thought I would even address the subjects that I faced internally and externally over the course of this semester. What I have come to know is that there is a strain between what we as human beings acknowledge as real in our minds and what faith is. What causes the conflict is that we, as the so-dubbed “supreme” beings on Earth, do not want to ever grant truth to what is unknown. Even though some may say they acknowledge the unknown, they continue to share ideas, write books and essays, and speak in front of thousands. If agnostics truly embrace the unknown, why are they telling me why they feel the way they do? What do they want to prove?

No matter what we say, we all search for the truth about ourselves as physiological entities roaming our surroundings. I, too, find myself sometimes engaging in some sort of ritualistic activity like brushing my teeth and suddenly stop and ask myself: How does all of this work? Why does my hand know what to do? Why am I even brushing my teeth? What is the purpose of this? Is there one? I can already sense the answers that scientists, Christians, Buddhists, Jews, Atheists, Agnostics, and Satanists would say to me. Everyone has his or her own take and own idea about how it works. This creates the ultimate conflict in my eyes.

 Who is right? I think we are all wrong in some way. We are wrong to judge, wrong to force belief on others, and wrong to dismiss what we can’t understand. The truth to me is that the unending love I have come to know through Jesus is the only truth that matters to me. Let everyone else explore different ideas and beliefs. I shall not judge you. May all people find the what they are looking for. Though I may talk to you about my beliefs, I shall not force you. I will never believe in anything but Jesus as the Son of Man and the redeemer of my soul. Still, I shall never hatefully dismiss others’ ideas.

I feel this experience and many more like it to come will impact my relationship with God only for the better. I have never felt more strong in my faith. I entered into this course with a negative view of all who don’t believe what I do. I now regard them with the utmost respect and understanding, although I still hope they will come to have the kind of love for Jesus that I do, not because I wish to “save” them from anything; but, if I could somehow bestow the joy and love I feel from Jesus in my life, I most certainly would want others to come to truly know Christ as I feel that I do. It is my choice to not try and delve into the conflicts that exist within religious faith and reason. I am strong in the fact this does not make me ignorant or sheltered. I have seen what else is out there for me to try and understand. I will never see any logic in it that agrees with the experiences I have had with God throughout my life. We all have these choices to make. I made my decision and will continue to make it daily for the rest of my life. I choose Jesus forever and always!

Mr. Skank, I do want to say that this course has proved to be the most valuable course I have taken throughout my college career. I appreciate all the information you have presented and encourage you to keep challenging the spiritual side of every student you meet. I wish you all the best in your life.

4

Reason and religious faith are different because reason is when you are trying to change somebody’s opinion toward something or come to an end about something. Religious faith is the belief that you know that something is true no matter what, because God in the Bible, a holy book, said it is true. There is no middle ground or end to it. When I am trying to talk to somebody about something, if we can’t come to a middle ground or an end to something then there’s no reason in even talking about it. If they don’t care about knowing the “truth,” then I don’t care if you don’t know God. It’s your life, so if you don’t want to sit and listen, fine. I could care less what you do or don’t do. This class was very interesting for me, just the daily conversations and the stories and things that were told. Mr. Skank is a really cool teacher. He gets you to think and he is really funny. I don’t really know about the readings. Some of the things I didn’t really like. They pushed my buttons a little, and I didn’t really like that the writers were talking about religious people and questioning their faith. No, I don’t think it should be questioned. It’s the word of God. Whether it was written by God or not, I don’t care.

 

5

When people talk about the conflict between reason and religious faith, I think that they are talking about how people see things differently than the way that religion tells them they should see things. People naturally want to believe in reason, and if you tell me you don’t then you are a liar. People believe what they see and what is logical in their minds. The thing is that many people don’t believe in the reasonable things because religion tells them that the reasonable things in life are wrong. The source of this conflict is between the logical people and the people who support the many different religions of the world. The logical people of the world don’t believe in things unless they can be proven or they have witnessed it. The religious people believe in things that can’t be proven and believe things that they have never witnessed and have only been told stories about. This is where the conflict comes from.

I have experienced this conflict between reason and religious faith in my own life. I was forced to attend church as a child and was put through all the religion courses that my parents could find. The thing is that I never really believed in any of the teachings. I was always the kid challenging the faith and always going my own way. Finally I resolved the problem by not attending church anymore. It has angered my family, but I don’t see the point in attending something you don’t believe in.

This class has been very interesting and sometimes frustrating to me. I enjoyed the open discussion and the input that people had. I liked the fact that we had a mix of people in the class because it made it interesting to hear about other religions. The class frustrated me because I never really wrote down my feelings and beliefs about religion, and sometimes it was hard to put everything into words. Overall, I enjoyed the teacher, my classmates, and everything else that took place in class.

 

6

Sam Harris addresses atheism: “All religious people are atheists with respect to everyone else’s religion.” This is a very interesting view. I strongly agree with this statement. Being an atheist means not believing in religion. I would say that I am an atheist regarding all the religions except Christianity for the mere fact that I have not taken the time to learn and explore them. Honestly, I would love to take a world religions class just for the joy of learning of different religions and cultures.

But this class has opened my mind and my heart to consider other opinions and different beliefs. When a person is asked about the conflict between reason and religion, many people are uncomfortable talking about something so personal. Christians think they do not have to go through that argument only because God says do not argue over such a thing because he has done it for us. Reason, the scientific side, is thinking, making plausible answers for things that are not plausible. Every person uses reason to make and defend wise or unwise choices. Religious faith is something not everybody has. It is the thing that fills a hole in a person’s heart. It is the frosting on top of a cake that you just have to stick your finger in and try. It is comfort and support when things are imperfect and when it feels like you are stuck on that downhill slide to the bottom of a pit. It is the light at the end of the tunnel when answers look so far away. I believe the conflict between reason and religion arises because people just cannot define anybody else’s faith and sometimes not even their own. People cannot make plausible answers for something that is beyond their thinking.

I have never felt the conflict in my life until this class. I have not experienced it because I am a closed person; I stay out of other people’s business and do not let very many people get close to me. I do not think that conflict will ever be solved, for two reasons. One, some people are too nosey and think it is their calling to save every person from going to hell. Two, there are people like Mr. Skank, people who question other people to get them to learn and think more about their own life and the lives of others. On the first day of this class Skank told us that we would be studying the conflict of reason and religious faith. I wanted to drop the class and take a different one, but I decided I was here and it could not be that bad. I hoped it would make me a stronger person and that I would learn more about others in the class. The next thing he told us was that we were going to read “Why I Am Not a Christian.” At the thought of reading a book so titled, I was shocked. It was one of the most challenging things for me to do to open up and contribute my opinion on things of this nature. At first I tried to avoid saying what I thought, but then I just could not fight it anymore.

As for Mr. Skank, he was difficult and frustrating. It seemed like every time I would gain the courage to state my mind he would contradict my statement with questions. It was very frustrating, and I feel very bad that my boyfriend had to put up with me after class for a whole quarter. I was shocked that Skank would even think about introducing a subject like that into the classroom. All my life I have been told by schools to never ever speak of religion in school. I always hated that rule. It was a very interesting class. In the end I believe this class has made me stronger and more aware of my religion and of others as well. I am very thankful I stayed in this class and stuck it out until the end.

 

7

I have said many times that I want to believe in God, and I don’t know of anyone who wouldn’t want to believe that there is life after death and a god who looks out for you and your family, a god who makes sure no harm will be done to you as long as you follow his rules. But as Sam Harris says, there is a difference between wanting to believe something and having good reason to believe it. I have had horrible things done to me and my family. I have seen some of the ugliest, darkest moments one can see. No god was there to help me through it. No one broke out through the clouds and picked me up off the ground to guide me. I have no reason to believe that there is a god.

This class has taught me what an agnostic is. I believe that if I were to classify myself as anything, it would be an agnostic. I do not have any reason to believe in god, but I also have no reason not to believe in one. I know who I am, what I want to do with my life, and where I want to go. I have had no religion to guide me. I have had beautiful, caring, compassionate people to help me make good decisions. My family is strong, we have been through a lot together, the bonds I have with them are stronger than any I believe I could have with a god. I think that religion makes people feel good. It gives them a feeling of completion. I feel some believe that because they attend church on Sunday and donate money to the offering they are good people. Sometimes these people turn around after church and do unspeakable things and believe that they can just ask for forgiveness from god. Any god that would grant forgiveness to people just because they asked for it and believe they deserve it is not a god that I would want to worship.

The conflict between reason and religious faith is the battle in life when people are forced to decide between what they believe is right and wrong and what religion has taught them is right and wrong. For example, homosexuality is not right in the Bible, but I believe that it is okay. I do not think that because someone is attracted to the same sex is a reason to be rejected by God and be forever damned in hell. Nor is a god and a holy book a good reason to commit hate crimes or kill people. I have never fit into a religion so I have not felt this conflict in my life. I have very strong morals and feel that I am an ethical person. I know what I believe is right or wrong and it is not influenced by a god.

 

8

Religion is a difficult topic to discuss. It is tough to distinguish what is right and what is wrong about religion because there is no proof. Many conflicts with reason and religious faith occur because there is no proof for religion. I firmly believe that there is a god. However, I do not always agree with every aspect of religion and also have many unanswered questions about religion. Still, we will never completely know the truth.

 

9

There are many confusing religious dogmas that conflict with reason. Until recently I have not encountered this conflict, due to a sheltered life, but the last two years I have come across many things that have evoked many questions. I admit that often I avoid this conflict by ignoring it and thinking it’s nothing when really I should explore and consider the possibilities. Someday it could be that the religions of today will fade just as other mythologies have. There are not many people who worship the Egyptian god Ra, or the Greek god Zeus, or the Roman god Neptune. Perhaps there will be a time when Christianity will be marveled for its art and not for its religion. However, Christianity has been a prominent dogma for many centuries, though at times it was a weaker religion and at other times stronger. I have not been able to resolve the conflict as of yet, as my ability to learn and question has become stronger than my trust and faith in something with insufficient evidence. There will always be a part of me that will doubt; however, I still long and hope for something to believe in. 

            During this class and writing this paper I have been asked many questions about my religion, and I believe I am more willing to question something before I completely agree or disagree. Writing about subjects such as abortion, dogmatic religion, and the usefulness of religion has made me more skeptical and curious and more courageous in asking and pondering. Even thinking about my past brought up questions and self-exploration. My thoughts may not make much sense because I am still in the middle of thinking things through before I make a decision on these subjects. I suppose this paper is more about exploring ideas and thoughts than about making definite statements, and I am grateful for the opportunity to express my thoughts on the matter. My beliefs are still in Christianity; however, I now look at religion in a different way and analyze it rather than just taking it for what it is. There are many things I do not know and am now curious to find out.

 

10

In conclusion, reason is what makes you do or believe in something. For example, what makes you go to school? Whatever your answer is, then that is your reason. On this subject of religion, reason is what makes you believe in a specific religion. What is religion? It is the beliefs an individual believes and the practices that distinguish him from other individuals. Examples of religions are Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Communism. The conflict between reason and religious faith arises when the holy books try to explain why different things happen and emphasize that things happen due to a supernatural being, while the secular world tries to show that there is a cause and effect for everything in this world. The holy books state that God is the creator of the world, but the secular world then questions where God came from or who created God, because there is a reason and cause for everything in this world. The conflict arises in topics like the existence of God, what is the true religion, the virgin birth of Jesus, and Jesus being God’s chosen child. I have had a lot of such conflicts in my life, especially with my parents…. The conflict was resolved by my having to obey what my parents wanted. They stated to me that as long as I lived under their roof I would have to dance to their music and that was it. I really liked the class because it got me thinking about things I was scared to think. It was a relief to know that I share the same questions about religion with a lot of different people. In a way I am scared because I am doubting the religion I have believed in for so many years. It’s a challenge.

 

11

To me, reason is something that makes something fair, just, and logical. Religious faith is self-explanatory. It is the feelings of attachment, love, belief, and faith that people can have when they are devoted to their faith, whatever faith that may be. I feel that both sides are the exact opposites of one another. They contradict each other because reason can never be implemented on the side of religion. That is because people who are “reasonable” follow through their beliefs with logic and come to an understanding with science and thorough research and knowledge before making any kind of decision. People of a faith rely solely on their religious beliefs which do not carry any sense of logic for the most part and are based on a specific belief and faith that people think (but are not sure) is the right way that things should be. They base their decisions and thoughts on teachings of their faith. These two sides become the fire and fuel in conflict. Reason becomes the fuel that makes the fire of religion stronger and more dangerous. The two can never be one because it really is difficult to see and find something logical in religion and because at times some things don’t quite make sense.

I have felt this conflict because in my life I deal with religious faith and the conflict of reason all the time. I see things in my own religion that I find hard to believe, but I try to keep that faith. That’s all I can explain it by. Faith. Events have taken place in my life that have made me wonder if there is an Allah and, if there were, then why are some of these things happening? I feel that I have two sides of the conflict still brewing in my life. I hold onto both reason and religious faith on two separate spectrums in my mind. There is the part that helps me to believe that Islam is the way of life and to obey almost every teaching faithfully and then the part that seeps into deep logic of why things are the way they are and if it’s religiously explained or just explained through philosophy or science. So I do go back and forth. I have found a harmonious middle ground, whereas others haven’t.

This class has been quite a journey for me because I never imagined myself discussing these kinds of things in an English class. I did enjoy the people in class and made some really good friends whom I hope to carry with me through the years. I enjoyed the discussions we had and wished that we could have had more. I wish that we could have had more people in class who weren’t afraid to express their opinion. I am not afraid to express my opinion, but I do take time to see when and where and how I should approach the subject. Russell and Harris both are quite intelligent men who have written extraordinary works. I enjoyed reading them and thinking of them all the while brainstorming my own thoughts about the subject material. I have never had an English instructor like Mr. Skank before and it was the first time that I had an instructor who really opened my mind.

 

12

I can’t sit here today and say that I have never believed in God, because for many years I did. In reality I think that having believed in God at one point in my life makes my opinion and thoughts on this whole subject that much more valid. People of religious backgrounds read out of a book that supposedly was written thousands of years ago and inside this fictional book are ways that we are supposed to live our lives. But times change, and the ways in which we act and interact in life have to change as well. From seeing and reading about religion from both sides of the spectrum I have discovered that people in the Catholic setting do not know if there is a God amongst us either. What they have to hold onto is faith. Faith is belief that is not based on proof. After my pleading with God during my lonely nights to give me some sort of a sign that he is here and actually a real entity, God (my faith in God, serenity through the Bible’s passages, a savior, a man who can come back from the dead and who will relieve me, and many other of my convictions) never replied to me and made himself known. My faith in any sort of deity or religion will never be again, even if some sort of miraculous event should occur. I do not want to have a burden on my shoulders every day, and that burden is the Bible telling me to live this way and not that. I am intelligent and mature enough to make my own decisions without the help of a god of any kind.

The conflict between reason and religious faith to me is about the ability to look past what people have believed in for many years and to be blessed with the ability and independence to say no, that is not right nor is it what I believe in. Reason exists in people who have had experiences with religion first-hand and have found reasons to believe that a book or god is not real nor the way to live one’s life. There are also many people who have never believed in a religion or god, either of their own free will or because that’s just how they were brought up. On the other side, religious faith is strong in many people. They think that their god is worthy of all they have to offer in life. Everything that they do is an offering to the god, whether it be praying, going to church, or helping others in need. Their offering could also be killing nonbelievers and the starting of wars. Religion is corrupt in many respects. The president, who is a strong believer in God, has to think that this is what God wanted—to send over thousands of troops and watch them die for their faith in a country which is based on religion, “one nation under God.” Coincidence, maybe; irony, completely. 

            I have had many conflicts with my faith in religion. I have done many good things in my life because of the Bible. I have respected people, done good deeds for others in needy situations, and also offered up my prayers every day to one day be at the gates of heaven to be with God. The conflict that I have with God and religion now I base upon the fact that I have never seen him. I have never had anything good come from my faith. My faith led me to being rebellious and not caring about others’ feelings nor my own. Reason caused me to think outside the box about what is going on in this world every day: murder, ominous weather that claims lives, priests (some of the biggest believers in God) not keeping their hands to themselves and stealing from people who come to church to be saved. The whole church setting is corrupt in the same sense as our government, which ironically is based on religion as well. I can sit here today and type this paper with no faith in God or any religion, and nothing bad has happened to me. I’m still here alive and breathing. I have a more positive outlook on life not having to abide by the teachings and rules of a fictional character.

 

13

At the beginning of this course I had no idea what was meant by conflict between reason and religious faith. I never realized there are so many arguments dealing with religion. I always thought there were people who believe in God and people who don’t, and that was it. I am thankful that Mr. Skank provided me with materials that introduced these conflicts to me and gave me the opportunity to see the different views towards religion. At the same time I feel that writing this paper has done nothing for me. I am unable to grasp the purpose of spending a whole semester writing and talking about religion. I do think it is good for the nonbelievers and believers to hear each others’ ideas and thoughts, but for me the whole process was too drawn out. For me personally I don’t understand a word a Bible has to say; it’s in a foreign language. This is probably one of the worst papers I have written because religion plays no role in my life. I couldn’t find any real depth or thought to write about. I also found it very frustrating. I have never had any education on religion, and when we would talk in class about the Bible and the history behind religion everyone else knew what was going on and I had no idea. My cousin and I were talking about this same topic the other day, and we both had the same thoughts. We don’t know if we were taught in school and just weren’t paying attention, but the Bible and other forms of writing similar to it are complete gibberish to us, yet everyone else seems to understand it. Is it assumed that we will understand  because it is assumed we go to church and believe in God? Overall I truly enjoyed Mr. Skank’s style of teaching and conducting his class, but the topic is annoying to me.

 

14

How are we to enlarge our understanding of one subject if we cannot escape that of another? Religion has always restrained us in our schools from learning of specific subjects, not only evolution but of many more controversial subjects that need to be brought up and debated as well. Even religion itself was not to be brought up in discussion for debate for me personally until I graduated from the OPS system and entered Metro Community College, this class more specifically. If a subject had the slightest connection to religion we, the students who were to be learning about it, were just simply told to disregard it and that it wasn’t at all important. I feel that this is why many of my classmates get riled up about the main subject of this course. If we would just let people talk with one another about their personal perspectives on religious faith and beliefs, we could ultimately and I think would ultimately end this unneeded feeling of awkwardness and hopefully provide more factual answers to questions on these matters, making us less stupefied and oblivious to the truth of religious beliefs, faith, and religion as a whole.

In regard to the subjects of God, miracles, angels, Jesus, Christ, one almighty being, reason, religious beliefs, and faith, I think for now it is safe to say that truth and reasonable doubt win the conflict between reason and religious faith. Reason and some perspectives of academic discourse undoubtedly challenge religious beliefs and religions on their truth and factuality.

The class was fairly interesting and kept my attention better than a normal English class. This discussion widened my horizon on the difference between facts and tales of religion and holy books. My opinion on this conflict is that it should have been discussed and that religion should have been disassembled long before my lifetime. Although this topic be entertaining, it is not one that I thought should have been a requirement for mine and others’ graduation. Since this course is a requirement, I think that there are many topics in the world we are oblivious to which need to be discussed and which could have been discussed along with this conflict between reason and religious faith. Other than that, I liked the class and would suggest others take the course. Religion has become more of a worry and a harm than a builder of a sense of security anymore.

 

15

Religion is discussed all over the world every day. I do not blame Bertrand Russell, Robert Skank, and Sam Harris for trying to convince people not necessarily that there is no God but that religion should be taken a lot less seriously than it’s currently being taken. Everyone believes his or her religion is correct, and that is what we need to think about. If we cannot prove which religion is correct, then we should not be as strict about our own religion. We should not be bombing buildings and having wars over different gods when we’re not even a hundred percent sure whether any of these gods exist. Killing our own kind for imaginary fantasy gods I think is ridiculous, and I would never fight people just because they are Islamic, Jewish, Buddhist, or any other religion, and believe in a different god.

            The only reason there is even conflict between religious views is that people do not look at the reasoning behind them. When I hear the stories about Noah’s Ark or Moses parting the Red Sea, I do not believe them. I think of how today we could probably not build a boat big enough to fit two of every animal on, let alone way back then. Moses parting the Red Sea to save his people is a great idea, it would be great to see it in a movie, but no way would it happen in real life.

I have not really had any conflict in my life over religious views, outside my family at least. My mom is a religious woman, and I think she would like me to follow in her footsteps, but I do not look at religion the same way she does. She used to tell me that it was an hour a week to spend with God, and that that was nothing at all. The way I thought of it was how do I know that I am not wasting that hour? How do I know there is actually God that I am serving that hour for? If I was sure that there was a God, I would have no problem spending an hour of my life with him. I resolved this conflict by getting a job and telling my employer I would like to work Sunday mornings so that I would not feel bad about not going to church with my mom.

            This class taught me and showed me that there are a lot of religious views that I have not looked at outside this class. When I first walked into this class and Mr. Skank started talking about the Bible, I thought it was the biggest joke. I thought it was just going to be a subject brought up, discussed, and ended quickly, like other times in school. But it was continued for the next hour, and it continued through every class afterwards. I feel that I still have the same views and opinions as I did when I first walked in, but reading Bertrand Russell and the other authors did give me ideas and information on how much this world is actually based on religion and how many wars and fights we have gone through were over people’s beliefs.

Mr. Skank had me frustrated like crazy because I would try so hard to come up with some kind of reasoning to beat his statements with. Some days I felt like I was getting so frustrated that I wanted to up and walk out. Every time he would write back on my paper, proving me wrong and sharing his ideas, so that after I debated about it all night I would realize he made a lot of sense. I rewrote several of my statements because ideas I thought I clearly understood I clearly did not. All in all I’m glad I stuck with the class.

 

16

In the end I think people should be able to logically question things and have their own opinion on any topic, including religion. Many people are too stubborn to even logically think things out and see if they seem true. Many people are poorly educated and are early on convinced of things they are told. Also I believe that some people just do not see the other side of people’s stories or just do not listen or try to process what others say. I believe if more people thought ideas through and tried to look at ideas logically before acting upon them that things would be better. I never could understand why people did not question religious facts and rules they were told. Most of the kids who believed in these unreasonable stories were “smarter” kids than I, straight-A students, and yet they believed in things so foolish they sounded like fairy tales. It makes me question what being smart even is; it does not seem to me that they are very smart at all if they are so gullible.

I understand the conflict between reason and religious faith to be any idea of religion that does not make sense to you or that you have doubt about because of the lack of evidence. It arises when people logically look at something that does not make sense. When it does not make sense, people will commonly look into the topic for evidence or proof. Many times things may sound irrational because they were explained differently in another time due to the lack of knowledge and resources they had at the time. Countless times in my life I have run into the conflict between reason and religious faith. Just about every day in religious class I would question my teacher about any topic that did not make sense to me. Many of my questions were never answered for the fact that there was not much if any proof to back the statement up. To expect me to just have faith or to just believe in something to me is not reasonable and sounds controlling.

 

17

When people discuss the conflict between reason and religious faith, they base their thoughts and ideas on many different things. People take into consideration the way they were raised, what religion their family was, along with major influences they had in their life. People that trust reason over religious faith think of everything in a logical way. If they don’t see it happen in their own life, they have a hard time believing it ever could. But I feel that on the religious faith side people don’t need proof; they trust what they are learning and accept what they feel is right and true. I am not sure what the sources or causes of this conflict are. All I can think of is that ever since religion started people always wanted to know the truth and wanted to always be right, even if they were wrong. I feel that I am lucky because I have never had this discussion in my life, except in this class. This class was very interesting. I noticed it made a lot of people think and question their own religion. I thought this was a very risky subject to get into, but I feel the instructor handled it very well. I liked reading Bertrand Russell and Sam Harris and about their views and feelings about religion. I feel I gained a lot from this course and hope it continues to be taught this way.

 

18

I do not necessarily believe everything the Bible says. I think some things are wise and that one could use them in his or her life, but it is just another book to me, and I personally do not need it or use it in my life every minute of every day. Throughout this course I have learned about the conflict between reason and religious faith and whether religion is really necessary to live a happy, successful life. I have realized that I am not the only one who experiences or questions this conflict. As I have matured and become more knowledgeable about religion and the real world, I have experienced the conflict between reason and religious faith quite a bit. I have questioned what I was taught as a little kid and what some have been trying to teach me for some time even now. Is this religion that I believe in even right? Is there even a God? Something had to have put us here, but what? And, if something put us here, what put that there? To this day I still ask myself these questions and many more — that will, I am sure, remain unanswered.

 

19

In conclusion, the conflict between reason and religious faith is the idea that the bases or foundations of religion have no proof. There is no current evidence of a God, and there are flaws and contradictions in the holy books and the churches’ teachings. The fact is that the world is an imperfect place, and religion has caused more fear and suffering than good. The existence of heaven and hell contradict the churches’ teachings. How can you offer forgiveness and eternal suffering at the same time? This idea alone is immoral and inhumane. Then there is the fact that there is injustice in the world. A lot of times the good suffer and the bad prosper and those who are supposedly saved by God show no evidence of being any better off than those who are not saved. Religion may be nothing more than a comfort to people, the hope that there will be justice after death and that they will go on to a better place. However, religion does give people the wrong reasons to be good, and it often condones people’s being judgmental of nonbelievers, discriminatory toward other religions, and hypocritical to so-called sinners.

            I myself have felt this conflict most of my life. I don’t think it was until I dropped my own religion that I was able to resolve it. This class I think has given me a full resolution. Before, I wasn’t sure what I believed about religion, but I just knew that I didn’t have to go to church or call myself a Christian to know that I am a good person. Now, however, I am fully comfortable with abandoning my religion altogether and just living my life according to my morals and virtues. I will no longer pretend to know things about the existence of God or heaven and hell, and I will no longer live in fear of judgment.

 

20

Many people feel uncomfortable when the conflict between reason and religion faith is brought up. Reason is questions that can never be answered and a lot of thinking. Religious faith is something given to people or arrived at by choice; it’s a gift that’s special. I think that every person has a little conflict over reason and religious faith. Every person has questions that can’t be answered about God. I do every day. I’m in this situation where I’m confused about what I believe in. I get people from different religions telling me if I want to get saved then I need to believe in this way or in that way. I’m a person who doesn’t get into anybody’s business, so when people tell me to believe in this way or in that way I hate it because religious faith is a gift that is given to you when you let God into your heart.

            When I first started this class, I thought I wouldn’t like it because religion is not something I would want to write about. When we started to write our paper and discussed religion, it made me sit down and really think about what I truly believed in. I didn’t think the assignments were really hard at all, but they caused a lot of thinking, which is the most important thing. I never thought I would have to write a paper about religion, but I am glad Mr. Skank made us do that. Overall, I thought this class was a great learning experience.

 

21

An earlier collection of student comments can be found at post number 169 in my blog archive index.

Think of our lives as a ship at sea...all of our daily comings and goings take place on this ship...every encounter, every thought, word or feeling, every response, every action and reaction...our marriage, our intimate moments, our fears, our pain, our prayers, our dreams, our secret desires, our cries to God...they all take place on the ship, our ship of life...but the ship is just that, a vehicle constructed of circumstance...and although the circumstances are most often captivating, somehow the whole of us goes lacking..and somewhere deep inside, because unfulfilled longing has a tendency to overwhelm, we sense a soft wind blowing us toward a harbor, a cove, for our private souls sake... and without forethought or reason, other than we want the whole of us to live, we lower the sail and we head into the wind...

 

We're not going to get out alive, so live, dammit, live!! 

 

lovespirit 

After Sept. 11, 2001, I decided to ask my students in Composition 2, academic discourse, to study and write about the influence of religion on war and peace. In the beginning I told my students that our subject was the faculty of reason itself—that is, critical thinking, logical reasoning, the academic aspiration to objectivity—and I assigned the book Education and the Significance of Life by J. Krishnamurti. Over the next six years I continued to tinker with my materials and methods until, just the last two years, I decided to address directly the conflict between reason and religious faith. Last year I assigned Bertrand Russell’s Religion and Science, but many students found that text too difficult, so this fall and winter I assigned instead Russell’s essay “What Is an Agnostic?” and his book Why I Am Not a Christian, though this winter we had time to read only the “Preface” and the title essay of the collection. We also listened to the audio of a talk by Sam Harris, “Believing the Unbelievable,” and I provided students with a transcript of it. Most of the final papers were about fifteen pages long, the shortest ten, the longest twenty-four. At the very end of their conclusions I invited them to offer any general comments they wanted to add about the course, the class, the materials, their instructor, me, whatever. I hurriedly standardized the worst of their usage and mechanics and below I post the student comments I received in fall and winter quarters.

 

1

English 1020 was not the typical English class. I had heard from previous students and professors at Metro that it would be difficult if I was a Christian. They were right. I was tempted to drop at the beginning but decided to make it through. I believe the class did exactly the opposite of what its intention possibly was. My faith was strengthened an incredible amount. Listening to the discussions on a daily basis was hard, making me want to run out of the room or shout, anything to make the nonsense stop. I am still startled that this material was allowed to be taught in the manner it was. It seems very dangerous to instill preconceived ideas in the minds of young adults who did not grow up in a Christian home. Mr. Skank claims to be open-minded and he claims not to judge people, although his comment earlier in the semester that “Christians seem to be the most judgmental” is a judgment in itself. I consider myself extremely blessed to have grown up with the morals of the Christian church and to be taught the love of Christ. I pray that Christ will open Mr. Skank’s eyes to see the incredible hope and love that we can have in our savior, Jesus Christ. There is something to live for much greater than ourselves.

 

2

I have felt this conflict between reason and religious faith in my own life. I think it is natural for everyone to feel this conflict because there are always new reasons not to believe in God and always people who want to teach only facts instead of faith. I believe that there is much more to faith than just trying to prove God is real. I am able to resolve this conflict in my life because I have a strong faith in God and everything he has done. This class has been a real trial for me. I have never been put in a situation where my faith was questioned. It has been very frustrating at times, but I think it has also been good for me. It forced me to think about what I believe and what my opinions are about the arguments over religion and reason. I think the material used for this class was good, but I would really have liked to see the other side. I know classmates were able to share what they knew on religion, but there were never any readings on religion, and I think that made the class very one-sided, whether it was meant to be that way or not.

 

3

One fact that will always stand true is that no matter what side of the argument you are on, whether you’re defending religion or you are pointing out its flaws: No one really knows the truth. I have dealt with the conflict between reason and religious faith my whole life. I can remember being in second grade and asking my teacher if Jesus was real. I was of course told that he was very real and to not ask again. This conflict has always been on my mind. I don’t think that I will ever be able to resolve this conflict because of the lack of proof. I will always look at the more reasonable side of things. Religious faith to me lacks any sort of reason.

 

4

This class has really opened my mind to many different perspectives on life. It also made me realize how strong religious belief can be. The first couple meetings of class the tension was dense in the air, but that was a good thing. This class definitely broadened my horizon in the way I listen to other people’s perspectives on religion and also on life in general.

 

5

I guess I personally don’t understand how you can believe in something so much that you’re willing to die for it. I can’t think of anything I would be willing to die for, let alone a belief in something that I’m not even sure really exists. Regularly attending a college class has always been hard for me. Knowing I could still pass a class while I slept instead of actually attending it is probably my favorite part about college. In most classes I would just sit and listen to a lecture while I pretended to take notes on my laptop while I was really on Facebook talking to friends. This class seemed different to me. Discussing touchy subjects has always been fun for me, even if I’m just listening and not talking. I liked listening to everyone’s opinion about religion and to just how strong some of those opinions were. To be honest there were some comments that I completely disagreed with. I remember the first week of class a comment was made about how everyone in this world is Catholic, some are just better than others. I was born and raised Catholic, and even I don’t believe that, although my beliefs and opinions have changed since the beginning of this class. I knew I didn’t believe in everything the Catholic religion has taught me, and now I’m starting to agree more with the agnostic point of view. Discussing the agnostic side of view was probably my favorite part of the class, most likely because I agreed with it.

 

6

I believe the conflict between reason and religious faith arises when people’s faith overrides their reason and causes them to do things that their reason would not allow. The causes of this conflict are the idea of a higher power, an afterlife, and the idea that whatever faith you have is the right one no matter what. The idea of an afterlife makes some people think that life on this earth is second-rate compared to the one that comes after death. The idea that your personal faith is the right one tends to make people judgmental and intolerant of other people’s beliefs. This can lead to violence of many kinds. The last cause is the idea of a higher power. People may do some pretty harmful and nasty things because they believe that a higher being has power over them and their life. I have never really felt this conflict in my life. I have always just tried to do what I think is right and best in all situations and I will continue to do so because I believe that that is all that we can do.

 

7

When people speak of the conflict between reason and religious faith, they are referring to the unexplainable contradictions of religion, which religion answers by emphasizing a need to have faith or, as I would call it, dogma. This conflict is caused by the many unbelievable teachings thought to be absolute truths in the Bible or other holy books. I have felt this conflict in my life by having beliefs different from some of my family who are strong believers in the Bible. My not believing in a heaven and hell as described in the Bible has been hard for much of my family to accept. Still I feel lucky because I do have the freedom to believe what I want and continue to be loved by my family. I have taken great pleasure in this class and the chance to hear someone else’s opinions that are similar to mine. Where I live and have grown up my beliefs have always been unorthodox and not well-perceived. It is not often that I get a chance to speak my mind without a backlash of negative remarks for my beliefs. This is a class I think should be mandatory for all students just so they can actually take the time to actually think about what they believe and why.

 

8

My thoughts on this class are very different from most of my classmates. Because I came into this class with a open mind and heart, Mr. Skank and the class really made me think about what is true and what is not true. Most of the things that some think are not true are up for interpretation. Mr. Skank never tried to change our minds. But he did make us think about why we do take some things that we are told as truth with no proof they are right. Mr. Skank also made a good point about how if you question some major religions you are going to hell or you are labeled a heretic. Isn’t it basic human instinct to be skeptical and to question everything we know or think we know? The last point that Mr. Skank tried teaching us was to use academic discourse and the rules of it the right way. It is not always easy to stay level-headed when we are talking about god and religions. I am more open-minded than I was when the class started, but it is not someone else’s job to find out answers for us. It is our job to find out the answer even if it is contrary to what we think. This is the way people should look at religions. I think this class made me think outside my comfort zone and made me think about things I would not think about in my daily life.

 

9

So what truly is the conflict between reason and religious faith? I believe that it is nothing more than a misunderstanding between groups of entirely different people. The academics use facts and reasoning to prove their points whereas religious fanatics hold onto their faith with every fiber of their being. They simply do not allow other ideas into their heads. I have felt this conflict throughout my life, not only externally, but internally as well. I have had many people try to shove religion down my throat, and I also have encountered many who have challenged my religious beliefs to the point where I am an agnostic of sorts. Through taking this class, I have found that the side of reason is the more legitimate side to understand and believe. I have not yet resolved this conflict, but I have found that I am able to live more peacefully than before. I enjoyed this class thoroughly, and I hope to encounter someone with strong religious beliefs so I can hand them Bertrand Russell’s book and hopefully open their eyes to a new world like this class did mine.

 

10

Before this class started I, to say the least, was definitely wavering in my beliefs as a Christian. After reading Bertrand Russell and listening to Sam Harris I have finally heard what I needed. I needed to hear someone else say that it is okay not to believe. Not only to say that it is okay not to believe but to back it up with such a well-rounded and thought-out argument. It made me realize it is okay to question the “facts” that have been drilled into my head since I was a small child. Before this class I had no one to talk to about religion other than people from my own church and my family. It was refreshing to be around other people and be able to have that conversation with people who didn’t have a biased opinion and had some idea of what they are talking about. Before this class I felt as though I was lost and not really believing what I was supposed to. Now I know what my beliefs are and know that I am not alone.

 

11

There will always be disputes and wars over religion. There are many places where religion is a very touchy subject, where talk about it will start up brutality. Academic discourse, as frequently discussed, provides us the atmosphere to debate and talk about our beliefs in a nonviolent setting. We can hear about other people’s beliefs and tell our own without aggression, knowing that we are going to disagree and may not be able to sway the other people’s views. This is a healthy way to open up about our beliefs. I think talking about certain views in great detail may actually bring out new or changed beliefs. If we believe in one thing but never talk about it again, how will we know if it has changed without addressing it? There are a few things that I believed in at the beginning of this course that have changed slightly after talking about them. Other people didn’t influence me, but I did think about things in more detail when I was asked to talk or write about them. This class helped me. It actually made me a little stronger in my belief. When I had to iron out the kinks in a few of my views and put them all out on paper, they evolved. I now feel considerably more passionate about a few of my principles.

 

12

I think this was a fun subject to work with as an assignment. I thought it was fun because in some cases you would get under someone’s skin and make them mad or even get them going. It was an effective subject because it gets you thinking if you never thought before on the subject. I had to take my time with this and think what was going on. Going through this was a good thing, because now I know where I really stand and how I believe in religion. I understand myself where I am going and how I believe that there is no higher authority.... What is the evidence that there is a higher authority? Everything that we want to believe we believe; we have our own power to believe in what we want to believe in. Mr. Skank, you are a great instructor in my point of view because you speak the truth when you speak and you really don’t try to change someone’s beliefs, but you try to make people think about everything, which should be done anyways. You make us use our brain to our full potential and you help us when we start to slack. In academic discourse you have to go into it with an open mind and not get mad about what is talked about. You are supposed to be able to talk about everything and make your point and somehow support your beliefs.... You would challenge our minds and make us think before we speak or even put it on paper.

 

13

As far as the class, I really enjoyed it. I have never taken a class with such an open structure. I also have never had a professor quite like Mr. Skank. When people try to teach me about religion I normally turn the other way, but with Mr. Skank I cannot turn away. I think it’s because of the knowledge that he has with so many religions. He holds so much credibility with this topic that it’s hard for me to stray away from his own beliefs. But the main thing that Mr. Skank has taught me is not about Bertrand Russell, it’s about figuring it out for oneself. His class has pushed me to think about my own beliefs. This course has also made me want to figure out where I stand religiously. Should I stay with my parents' beliefs that I was raised with? Or should I go out and find one that fits me best? See, I think that courses that make you think and make you want to go take action are the best courses. That is why I believe this could be the best college course I have ever taken.

 

14

I registered for this class and then went to the bookstore a couple weeks later to purchase the book. When I found the book on the shelf, I read the title, Why I Am Not a Christian. I thought I’d found the wrong book, so I asked for help from the bookstore lady. She confirmed that I indeed had found the correct book. So then I looked to see what the other instructors were requiring. Theirs seemed much more interesting. What, did I get stuck with some religious freak? So I thought about changing my class to a different teacher with a more interesting book. I showed the book to my husband and he told me that I might learn something. I told myself that he was right. Religion was a topic I didn’t know a lot about, so I thought I’d see what happened. This class has been a really good experience for me to learn about the differences in religion. It’s opened my eyes up even more to the impact that religion has on all our lives. From 9/11 to the war, medical research, or our children’s education, religion plays a big role in all our lives. Humans have turned religion into power and control. After taking this class, I am more grateful that I wasn’t raised religiously. I believe this has allowed me to keep an open mind. My mind was never trained to have faith in one religion. My faith has no rules or restrictions. My God has no control of me. I am free to believe in God. I am free to pray. There is a God. There is a God because I believe. I will leave this class with a more educated view about all the conflicts involved in religion. I feel I have a better understanding of the differences in people’s feelings. I don’t have to agree, but I can better understand why they believe what they believe. This knowledge will be a great asset to me in my life in many ways.

 

15

I believe completely in people’s freedom of choice for religion. No one should be forced to believe something they do not wholeheartedly think is true. With all of the intolerance in the world, it seems unnecessary to compel others to believe something they have no intention of believing. One question I have is why can’t we have it all? We have come so far in our way of life, yet we still cannot manage to peacefully live together. People should also not use the Bible as a way to better their own lives. So commonly, people will twist the words of the Bible to benefit themselves. It is hard to interpret the Bible today because times have changed so much. I know we aren’t supposed to kill people on Sundays if they are working, and we aren’t supposed to beat someone for looking at another man’s wife. I think we should learn lessons from the Bible and apply them to our daily lives.

 

16

The first day I came to the class, I thought that I was in the wrong one. It was not what I expected; I thought it was going to be an English writing class, not religion or philosophy. I was frustrated because I came with the specific need to learn how to compose better in English: grammar, usage, tense…these technical things. In the end, I had to rely on writing centers and fluent friends to help me correct these composition problems. I learned many things in this class. One is that there are more than just the three religions I have known. In the Middle East, we know just the three religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Muslim. I did not have any idea about Buddhism, Hinduism, and Agnosticism. In English Composition II, I learned what each religion believes in, which is good information to me. To be honest, in the beginning I did not like it and I felt uncomfortable. I am not used to sitting with people who do not believe in God and discussing the many questions that you asked. I prayed to God for patience and to give me the right answers. I liked the discussion. When you read our essays in the class, it showed how people are different from each other. The conflict between reason and faith is intricate, each side has its ideas or opinions, and we cannot change them. It is a hard subject to discuss, but we should respect each person’s opinion because it is their belief.

 

17

I am almost nervous that some day I will not have any bit of faith left. I just hope that someday I will figure out what it is I am looking for. For now I will just live life the way I want my life to be lived. This course made me think deeper on religion, and faith, and God, and Heaven, and Hell probably more than any college course has made me think about any of the subjects they were offering. Most courses in college, or even high school, have been based on books, and history, and facts, but with this course it was more about our thoughts and beliefs and exploring new ideas and concepts, and I really enjoyed it. I feel like in most of the classes that I have taken it is just tests and homework assignments and things that I probably will not remember after the final exam. In this class I enjoyed getting to know my classmates and my teacher. I think that academic discourse is a great way to teach a class and that more professors should teach that way! I would like to thank you personally for helping me open my eyes to new ideas and letting me know that it is okay to be an agnostic or even to believe differently than other people do.

 

18

People answer yes, no, or maybe to the question of the existence of God, and then are labeled into ideological categories based on their answer. After hearing a person’s ideology and discussion opens, then this conflict between reason and religion arises. The conflict I believe is that people claim they are right or more knowledgeable than those on the opposing side. Bertrand Russell and Sam Harris share the belief that religion is harmful. After reading Russell and Harris, I am still convinced that my answer to the question “Does God exist?” is a yes. I continue to believe and I do not agree that the teachings of my Christian religion, specifically the Catholic faith, are harmful or unknowledgeable. I don’t care to be labeled as unknowledgeable just because of the fact that I have a religious faith.

 

19

Overall I enjoyed taking the class; it was not too easy nor too hard. I have never taken an English class taught in this way before. It was a totally new learning experience for me. For the first time the teacher did not hand out tests and quizzes and think you were only as good as the grade you had. You actually let us write our opinions on an interesting school-related subject; that is what I think I enjoyed the most about taking the class. If I hadn't taken the class I would not have learned about Bertrand Russell or Sam Harris. At first I did not enjoy reading the things that Russell wanted to talk about; most did not seem relevant to me, because that was not what I believed in. But the more I read through his book, the more I started to appreciate some of things he had to say, the things that were not religion-based. When he spoke about life, love and knowledge, they were subjects that I could related to and could understand where he was going with it. Overall, I have a new respect for Russell. I did not like what he had to say in beginning, but after reading through his text, I know he is a very intelligent man who only means well.

 

20

I do believe that there is a conflict between reason and religion faith simply because I believe that the reason many things happen are not religious. I do not believe that the reason where I am today is because of my religious faith or beliefs, because honestly I lack religious faith and belief. Many people believe that the reason things are the way they are is because of religion and God. I don’t believe this at all. Like I mentioned before, I want to have more faith, I want to know there is a God, and I want to keep praying. However, I don’t know how long it will be until I think I have it figured out. Honestly, I don’t think I will ever have it all the way figured out or understand completely. Actually, I feel that I will always have doubts on things like Jesus and heaven and hell until they are proven to me to be true. I wish I had all the answers but no one has all the answers. I am here on earth to learn and that is my plan, to just keep learning a little at a time until I feel satisfied about my religious faith or lack of religious faith. Right now, though, at this point in my life I feel like I have everything I need to go on with my life. I have friends and family and love and knowledge. My life seems as complete as it could be. I don’t feel like I am missing or lacking anything. I don’t feel like I need a religion or the bible to make me happy and suit my life. I believe to have everything that I feel is essential to my life. So why change it and try to become religious, or read the bible, or add something in my life that I don’t have any certainty about? I have no idea where I am going, or where I will end up. I am just along for the ride.

 

21

In conclusion, contrasting faith and reason seems a greater challenge for the reasons Harris cited, involving the taboo of questioning one’s belief in God. Both authors provide apparently logical and understandable arguments concerning the improbability of certain religious convictions, in addition to the harm they cause society—perhaps with a more urgent focus on the latter. My job involved weaving my thoughts and ideas with those of Russell and Harris, which I found difficult at times, having little to add. Even in the way of personal experiences, I seem to have few—I never experienced a religious upbringing, which disallows me the pleasure of relating how I embraced or abandoned it, while sharing the beliefs to which I was exposed. Although having a Catholic and a Muslim parent might seem like grounds for interesting anecdotes, the truth is that my childhood was rather uneventful in that sense. There were no conflicts, only avoidance. My opinion of the class was generally positive. I have had experience with this instructor in the past, and believe I was more suited to the material during the second course, perhaps because I attempted to eliminate the lack of confidence I previously held. I think this class helped in that sense, by forcing me outside the comfort zone—not with any religious comfort zone the instructor may have mentioned, but with my own conviction in my personal inabilities. However, I cannot state that writing this paper hasn’t been frustrating; I will probably continue reading material similar to that within the course, from curiosity and the desire to impress, but I shall avoid the need to write papers like this, if given the choice—should I take a writing class where I am expected to choose my own topic, it shall not involve Harris or Russell. However, I did enjoy the experience within this class, including the discussions we undertook and the opportunity for me to expand my self-imposed limitations, as mentioned.

 

22

Throughout this course, we have discussed the conflicts between reason and religion. The difference between reason and religion is that people who are agnostics think with reasoning. People of agnostic faith gather proof to make sure that what they are being told is really true, or if proof cannot be found, evidence of the issue being discussed. Religion, on the other hand, is completely different. People just believe; they trust in the Bible; they trust in the Lord with all their heart. Throughout the course of this semester, the discussions that we had in class and the reading materials assigned allowed me to take a deeper look at my own religious beliefs. I can now have confirmation on how I have grown through the years as a person of substance and a person of faith. I have found that there are many different views of the Bible, and religion for that matter, that were all new to me. This course has helped me come to the realization that there is no set religion, faith, or beliefs that apply to everyone; it is truly a personal preference. This course has taught me about acceptance and diversity. I truly believe that we should not judge a person based on their religious beliefs, but on the content of their character and who they are as a person. Mr. Skank opened my eyes and helped me to realize that I have a lot more to learn about my own faith and life in general. The lessons that I have learned will follow me through the rest of my life, and I hope that one day I can pass them on to my own children.

 

23

After all of the discussions we have had in class and all the readings we have done outside of class, I would like to say that this class has been one of the more challenging ones I have taken in a long time. Not because of its difficulty, but because of how you challenged all of us to think and to really get down to how we feel about religion and all of the readings we did in class, which is why I really enjoyed this class. I have never been asked about my thoughts on Christianity and the Bible except for in this class, and I think it gave me a good idea on where I stand on those things. I liked how each person pressed each other's buttons and knew how they were going to get the discussion going and make everyone really stand up for what they believe in and fight for it, to challenge everyone's thoughts to see exactly where they were coming from and how they got that way. It does worry me a little bit simply because of the fact that I don’t know how my parents would react to the things I have written in this paper. I know they would never shun me from the family, but I would be very interested to see what they thought on the things I wrote in this paper; it would bring up some interesting family dinner conversations, I know that for a fact. I think you did a very excellent job with the class knowing that God, Christianity, and the Bible are very touchy subjects and knowing full well that you would eventually step on some people's toes and even cause some dramatic arguments between classmates. I know some people didn’t make the entire semester, whether it be because of the way the class went and the things that you believed and how you challenged everyone's beliefs. I think that you did a good job not to force anything onto people. You knew the right things to say to the right people and that was why this class was a lot of fun to be a part of.

 

24

I firmly believe that religion is not only wrong and harmful to humanity, but also unnecessary. We do not need religion to love others, to help each other out, or to be good people. Unfortunately, as a product of religion, people are maiming and killing each other simply because they disagree. This cannot stand. We, as humans, are responsible for each other and the shape of our society. Do we really want to bring children into a world where their people will try to use them, take advantage of them, try to get them to believe something that is morally wrong and twisted? That doesn’t sound very smart to me, and I know that it won’t be avoided. Still, our priority should remain in becoming a society that promotes unbiased education, based on fact and not on wild beliefs in something that no one can prove, save a two-millennium-old book that was written by some people and was just said to be the word of God. I hope when my kids are in school, they will be endowed with skepticism and critical thinking/reasoning skills, and think and believe in things as they please, not for what society tells them is right and wrong. I am afraid for humanity, because I really feel threatened by people who cannot see past the end of their nose and are too afraid to speak out their objections for fear of death, or worse. I agree with Bertrand Russell on most of his points, certainly the ones on the dangerousness of being unreasonable, unable to see another’s point of view. We can do better, we must. Otherwise, I am afraid that we will keep killing each other off until no one is left. That just won’t do. We are smarter than that; we have just been suppressed into accepting dogmas and mantras for two thousand years and made afraid to speak out against it, even though it makes no sense whatsoever. I just hope that someday things will be different.

 

25

I feel as though there is no conflict between reason and religion; the conflict is between science and religion. Science seeks proofs for everything whereas faith is a set of beliefs that do not depend upon scientific research. In my opinion, faith has a reasonable basis for everything. Throughout this course, I have obtained the courage to be independent with my beliefs and what I stand for as an individual. Everyone has their own personal view of religion and/or science. I have acquired the knowledge through this class that analysis of something is not harmful, such as probing deeper into one's religion beliefs and basis. By looking deeper and acquiring more information, it can only make your belief firmer and stronger. None the less, it may also help you obtain the knowledge to see that there are other opposing factors. The course professor, Mr. Skank, was educated in many religions and doctrines creating an environment where one could learn effectively and obtain knowledge on all different levels. My eyes were opened, helping me realize that I have not looked deeper into certain aspects of my religion’s core.

 

26

Overall, I believe science coexisted with God, as God was its creator. I believe it played a profound role in the creation and development of the world, and I believe it will play a profound role in the end and destruction of the world, in the form of a nuclear Armageddon, which is of course prophesized in the bible. Each day that prophecy seems to be more of a forthcoming reality as tensions continue to grow around the world. The class as whole was very interesting. It was thought-provoking to say the least. I took a History of Christianity class last year at UNL, and I think this still the most I’ve ever thought or written about this topic. I definitely liked the course; it beats grammar any day of the week.

 

27

The conflict between reason and religious faith is definitely an issue that affects everyone. A huge issue right now is the war in the Middle East. The idea that some are willing to kill innocent people because their religion is making them heroes for doing so is preposterous. No one wants to lose loved ones in a war that many do not think we should be in. Faith seems to become an issue when it stunts the growth of society. Whether in research or schooling, many believe religion to be dangerous because of the fact that it makes some naïve to what is really going on in the world. I believe everyone has been in contact with such conflict. As a religious person I care about my faith and beliefs. But I do not want that to stop me from learning other ideas taught. Some may see this as unfaithful, but I believe God wants us to see every side to life and then decide our beliefs. One can still be virtuous to the Lord’s teachings while hearing differing views. The only way to solve this conflict is keeping true to yourself and your beliefs no matter the situation.

 

28

I think that when people refer to the conflict between reason and faith that they are talking about how hard it is for them to believe. I have a hard time accepting some of the teachings, but I know that is what I must do in the core of my being. I think that there are right brainers and left brainers. For some it is easier to be moved by faith and for others they must truly struggle. For the strugglers I pray. For the ones who have no idea who God is or why we are here I pray. I think that the conflict comes when the true meaning of what God and Christ intended is missed. We are to be living in peace. When radicals take an offensive position with the words of God, they end up hurting people. This is what should be stopped. It is the ones who are raising arms. The ones who are defending those who are being attacked because of the words of God are doing no wrong. I think it is important to have doubts. I think that if you have doubts you can move closer to God. I have realized through the writing of this paper that my mother does not handle well any doubts that I have about my religion. There isn’t anyone else who seems to mind any doubts that arise. I have many sources to ask questions about my faith. For this I am very thankful. I will pray for you, Mr. Skank, and I hope that before you leave this earth you are able to see or at least believe in the wonders of our Savior, the Lord, Jesus Christ.

 

29

All of these philosophers and atheists prove their points mainly by addressing all of the evil and cruelty in the Bible, but there are also many good aspects of the Bible too. That is what inspires me to still believe and want to continue to be a Christian, or just a gracious person that has a kind heart. From the bottom of my heart I know that I will always have questions and wonder if there really is a God, and if so will I ever see him or have enough proof to never doubt him. The conflict for me between reason and religious faith is all the proof out there that my God could possibly be a figment of the imagination really scares me. However, I do know that the philosophers have researched and studied their whole lives to answer certain questions about God, Jesus Christ, and the Bible. The more I listened to Mr. Skank discuss the material of Bertrand Russell and heard the obvious ironies or facts in support of their thoughts and ideas about religion, the more questions I had for myself about my beliefs and faith. I believe that I will always struggle with reason and religious faith because the more I learn and allow myself to accept the opinions of others about this topic, the more I will desire to learn above and beyond the limitations of my upbringing. My family may be disappointed that I have some reservations about my religion and God; however, I know that they will be accepting of me no matter how I practice my faith. I do know that attending the church that I attend makes me feel fantastic and joyous inside and it has helped me through some struggles in my life. God and Christianity have always been a positive part of mine and my family’s life. I have never taken the time, or maybe I was too scared, to hear the negative flaws of God and his ways. I prefer to keep the encouraging and wonderful things about my religion and faith a constant in my life; that does not mean that I am not willing to recognize the truth, though. It just means that having faith and believing in something is what keeps me going through life, hoping that someday I will be in heaven with all of my loved ones. I do appreciate the opportunity I had to learn about other religions and beliefs in this class and I thank Mr. Skank for making it interesting and enjoyable for me. I benefited from the class discussions and was eager to hear my classmates’ thoughts, opinions, and beliefs about God; it made me realize how sensitive some are to their faith being questioned. I was quite open to all the knowledge of my teacher and other philosophers about their viewpoints and the uncertainties of my God. I was ready to walk out after a half hour of the first day in Mr. Skank’s English Comp II class; however, I am glad I stuck it out and challenged my faith. This has been an experience I will not soon forget. Thanks again, Mr.S!

 

30

So much goes into the conflict between reason and religious faith because there are so many views on the subject. What people refer to when speaking of the two opposites is usually an argument. Some people refuse to understand what another is saying about their own beliefs because they are not open-minded. There are people who will believe anything they hear if it is desirable and what they want. Then there are people who listen to other opinions and respect what they believe but still stay strong to what they think is right. I would classify myself in the last category. Like any person, I have had doubts about what I believe and wondered if it really is the truth. Mr. Skank has helped me dig into God’s word with questions and things I never knew for sure. It has not made my faith weaker but much stronger. Finding out the reason for so many things I never realized has made me grow stronger in my walk with God. I’m sure that many people took Mr. Skank’s words and comments in a judgmental and harsh way as did I at the beginning. Then I realized that God wanted me to take this class to grow closer to him even though it was difficult as times. Mr. Skank didn’t turn out being so much of a burden as a blessing. Mr. Skank always talks in a joking manner about how all his Christian students think he will go to hell. I never say anything because it is not at all my place. According to the Bible, Mr. Skank will go to hell if he does not accept God as his eternal savior but who am I to judge him? I say again as I have many times in this paper, we are all equal in God’s eyes so I am not worthy to judge my equal. On judgment day, in front of God will Mr. Skank know where he will go for all of eternity. I will keep praying for my teacher and hope that we will come to see the light, but it is his choice to live in the arms of Jesus Christ for ever and ever.

 

31

I believe that when you're talking about religious faith and the reasoning behind it you will find many different views. Most people, I say most people because our class was mainly Christians, believe in God and the church. I think there is a fine line between reason and religious beliefs for a few reasons. One reason is how can God say he is trying to do good but all he seemed to do in the bible is kill people? He destroyed whole cities. He killed people just because they didn’t believe. It’s hard to think that the God in the bible is a good man. How could you? It’s like when the man got killed for gathering wood on a Sunday. I never knew that was a crime; however, it showed disrespect for God so he was killed. There are just too many stories like this in the bible for you to tell me with some rational thoughts God did the right thing. I liked this subject just because it made you think a lot. It made me think of my choices I have made about not attending church. I have talked to my parents about this subject and they haven’t given me the answers that I’m looking for, so therefore I don’t attend church. I think this is a choice I am going to stick with until people can answer all my questions and I can actually see that there could be some truth behind it.

 

32

What I believe people refer to when they speak of the conflict between reason and religious faith is just the many inconsistencies that religion presents. The many unresolved doubts and questions that people find in their religions. Here is an example: Common sense and compassion lead us to think that we should not judge others or disrespect them. Yet religion pushes us to judge the unbelievers and those who behave “immorally” and to treat certain people differently whether it is because they are unbelievers or women or sinners or inferior in some way. The sources and causes of this conflict can be summarized in one word—“religion.” This is the cause. Religion teaches us how to see the world, what to think of it, how to live our lives. What religion teaches is the source of this conflict. The word religion by itself is not the problem; the problem is what it represents and what it stands for—blind obedience. I have always felt this conflict in my life. I have always had a problem not questioning many things that religion teaches and/or promotes. This stubbornness of mine has caused my family quite a few episodes of becoming upset and claiming I’m "not going to turn out right.” It seems that if I refuse to follow Catholicism, which is the religion I grew up in, I am somehow going to be lost and I am going to become a bad person, which is just not true. Of course there are exceptions; there are people that I will probably never make any progress with, like my grandmothers. I do not think they will ever quite accept my refusing to follow Catholicism. In their eyes it makes me the black sheep, but I have learned that I am okay with that. I am okay with that if I am doing what my gut feeling tells me. I have realized that if people cannot see positive things in you because you do not believe what they believe, I have to feel sorry for them. I feel sorry for them because their minds are so closed, box-shaped, and mainly like a one-way street, and that is just no way to live this life. As arrogant as this may sound, it has to be their loss and not mine. Speaking of the class and of this whole experience, writing this paper and reading all this material, knowing that there are people out there who are free to think differently has widened my horizons and made me so much freer. I really liked this class. Actually I would like to point out that I could have taken this class earlier in the morning and with some other teacher and my schedule would have worked out better. However, I hate English composition so I was curious to see what textbooks would be used for each class and when I came across Russell’s book I knew that was the English class I wanted to be in. I felt that with a topic like this one, so interesting to me, I could forget I hated English and bear with the class. So I am extremely happy and grateful for this experience. Even before this class I had already rebelled against religion, against going to church and following other teachings. I am free to think and do what I want, and as long as it makes me happy that is what I will continue to do. However, now I have so much more knowledge to explain my point to others. Now I can tell other people that I refuse to follow religion because it does not give women an equal place to men and because it threatens and scares. Well, things like that…. I almost forgot to mention that I really liked my teacher. I do, however, want to suggest that he is not so harsh as some say on those people in class who hold such strong beliefs. It is, though, funny seeing other students defend religion with such passion and yet when they are asked to offer evidence or supporting material they just cannot come up with it, not because they do not know enough about the subject but just because that is the way religion is. Religion and its teachings are inconsistent, incomplete and it is taboo to criticize religion.

 

33

I believe that religion is causing our world a lot of agony and pain. Religion is a problem, and it's going to get worse before it's better. I am a religious person, but I don't think that religious people have a right to demonize homosexuals. It's not anyone else's business but yours. I hate how some religious freak people are trying to control people's lives that aren't their own! Like I said, I do believe in God but I don't take things out of control like some people do. I have read three different essays on why some people are agnostics, or why they don't believe in God. I still firmly believe that there is a God that created our Earth. I completely understand that some people don't believe in a God, or my God, and some people even aren't sure if there is a God or not. I'm not ashamed of what I believe and somebody isn't going to change my mind on what I do believe. These essays I read did get me to think outside the box a little bit and make me question if some things are rational beliefs. I am very glad I read the essays and wrote what I thought was right and wrong. I think the essays were excellent and they didn't make me mad at all. Harris and Russell seem like they are very interesting, smart men. They just think outside of the box and I respect that. I loved writing this paper!

 

34

After reading the writings of these two men, I have come to a lot of conclusions about the conflict between reason and religious faith. The way I have understood this is that for some there is not enough proof for of God's existence. They doubt many or all great chapters in the Bible and have no reason to believe in any type of religious God. I also think that a lot of what we read was very contradictory. I think that for people to be on the fence about these beliefs and to say they neither deny or accept that there is a God is the proper answer. It seems to me a safe answer, for there may be a slight chance there is a God. It is a way to redeem themselves if there is. I have never experienced this type of conflict in my own life. I cannot remember a time when I have doubted the existence of God. I have seen on television and read in the papers a lot about the removal of religion in our schools and judicial systems and countless other requests, all on grounds that it offends non-believers. Non-believers state there isn’t a God and ask, if there is, then why doesn’t he send us signs? On the other hand, this offends believers, and is that ok? Did non-believers ever think that just the normal daily things are the signs that many say they have never received from God to prove his existence? Just like in this class, have you, Mr. Skank, ever thought that God sends you a class full of Christians each quarter to be a sign for you? What about all of the papers you read? These all could be very good signs from God that these people and you are missing.