How up-front about not being religious should we be?

I was recently at some friends house in Iowa (I live in Colorado) with my children. These friends happen to be extremely religious and my children and I aren't at all.
Through most of my life, I have tried to be very tolerant and respectful of other's beliefs and opinions. In this case, that meant at dinner, when they prayed, I would stay quiet, though not participate.

This year however, they went to hold hands prior to the prayer. I didn't think much of it and just held hands with the two people on either side of me. But, I noticed my oldest two children refused to do so and one of them gave me an odd look for the fact that I was doing it.

It made me ponder just how tolerant I should be. I've been getting less so because of the changing tide in this country, especially with the Bush Administration. But, with friends. I also noted on this trip that they were willing to give me a book on Christianity that I'm sure they hope will convert me, but I'd be uncomfortable giving them a book trying to break them of their faith.

This is certainly something each of us has to ask ourselves and for me, I've been making a concerted effort to be more upfront about me beliefs, but I also don't see a lot of gain in being argumentative just to argue or with people that aren't really open to it. I tend to be much more willing to let them know what I think without being pushy about it and while being willing to listen to them.

Sigh of relief re: Left Behind series

Previously I posted an article about the Left Behind book series. The first few books actually frightened me.

Well, I'm now almost done with the sixth book and am much less scared. The series has turned more and more fictional, complete with monsters and magic and so has become much more just fun reading and less serious material with vast conversion potential.

What a sign of relief.

Hitchen's anti-religion statement getting attention

The Washington Post published an article in the On Faith section asking for comments on Hitchen's anti-religion statement:

"Religion is violent, irrational, intolerant, allied to racism and tribalism and bigotry, invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, contemptuous of women and coercive toward children." Why is he right or wrong?

Go to On Faith and chime in...

Left Behind [Series]

Sorry I have been lax on posting, I'll try to make up for it...

I've been reading the Left Behind series, and I have to tell you it disturbs me - on multiple levels.

The first is that I can imagine these books having significant conversion capability for those with any religious inclination. The books do an incredible job of making it sound and feel like there is a personal God out there who has tangible, physical impacts on our planet and our lives. Of course there has never been any real, scientific evidence to back this up, but many people want to believe in a God and in something more meaningful than the lives they are living. Having the hope in a God and reading these books and feeling that connection could easily aide in the conversion of many otherwise skeptical people. Frightening stuff...

Now, I am very skeptical and rational and have a lot of confidence in my Humanistic stance - but these books were able to kindle (rekindle?) very old, base feelings in me that made me (ME!) want to believe. I have to give it to the authors (Tim F. LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins); they know how to invoke deep-seated religious feelings in a person and how to give a person hope that there is some truth to heaven and God and the possibility of a personal relationship with Christ.

If you are secure in your Humanistic (or Atheistic) beliefs, then read them just to understand the other side. If you have any religious tendencies, but don't want to be converted fully into religion, then stay away from them until you are secure in your beliefs.

Humanism vs. Faith in Humanity

The LiveJournal Blog on Humanism (http://community.livejournal.com/humanism/37601.html?view=234209#t234209) posted an article on Humanism versus Faith in Humanity.

I think Steiner misses the point - equality is not the same as being treated equal. He seems to get off on a minor wording about Humanism that he thinks implies humanists believe everyone to be equal. That really has nothing to do with Humanism; but, we do tend to believe that all should be treated with the same rights as Human Beings.

But, it was nice to see him catch a lot of flack in comments on the Blog :)