Feel free to disagree with me. I’ll probably disagree with you.
We must not use logic or science to challenge faith, but rather use ‘equality for all mankind’ as the basis.
There is no need to understand the ‘why’ of faith, only what the result will be when that faith is acted upon.
“Will my faith feed the hungry and clothe the poor of ALL faiths?” or “Will my faith kill my children and condemn my neighbour because they challenge or refuse to share my faith?”
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Two words I don’t think should ever be used together: “Holy” and “War”. Unless they’re part of a sentence which separates them, like “Holy Shit, Batman, are we at war again?!”
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We cannot tell a man (or woman) what he believes, we can just put forth points of views and have discussions which challenge his beliefs and asks him to defend them. By defending our beliefs (ANY beliefs, even that the Leafs will some day win the Cup again), we grow to understand our faith and usually reinforce it. The person who cannot stand to have their faith challenged, is someone who fears their faith may not hold up to scrutiny or the light of day.
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Just to clarify, my comments and questions about Faith are in part because I come from a long line of religious leaders, missionaries, and the persecuted (though mostly for political, not religious reasons). My words are meant to challenge my own family history, not just others.
Like most people, my family has fought wars, formed nations, had Faith, and stood by their beliefs when challenged. But they also tried to convert the natives and they owned at least one slave.
They were products of their times and they created their times, as am/have I. I would never own another human being, but I’m pretty sure I could pull the trigger with very little guilt if someone entered my domain and tried to kill my loved ones, no matter what justification they offered.
I try to put all of my ‘brain crops’ into my fiction, not just to say what I think, but to make others decide what they think. Because if we don’t examine, don’t challenge, don’t think and rethink, whatever we have Faith in will be worthless.
That’s my little ramble for the day. I suppose I’m just avoiding the reading and editing on my desk. Well, back to it.
Ciao for now,
T-Bone.
The Tao of Tim 
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