Quote Originally Posted by Matin View Post
is the argument and the objection here against fundamentalism, and not truly against faith? it's in fundamentalism that one finds intolerance, not necesarily in faith...
That's my point of view, at least. I don't proclaim myself to be an atheist or a Christian or any other particular type. When pressed I respond with, "I'm an apathetic agnostic: I don't know if God exists, and I don't give a damn."

However, I do have faith. Not in some supernatural, intangible, supposedly omniscient being as described in the religious texts. But in science, or more precisely, the scientific process. (Not to be confused with scientists, who are mere mortals like the rest of us and subject to the same capacity for greed and subterfuge as anyone else.) The scientific process, when properly applied, helps to advance our knowledge of the universe, and tells us how we came to be, what processes conspired to bring about the results we see before us.

The thing we have to remember is that all formalized religions evolve with one basic premise in mind: we know the only truth; all others are heretics. We tend to forget that those who propagate that religion are mere mortals, just as we are. Any pronouncements they make are no more than their own opinions and interpretations of scripture, not the definitive word of God.

So, if you want to believe that God created us, and set us on this world to worship him, you have that right. And if I want to believe that all of humanity, and all of the creatures on this world, are mere accidents of nature, well I have that right, too.

As to why we are here? I don't know and I don't give a damn!