From: exukjb@exu.ericsson.se (ken bell)
Newsgroups: alt.atheism
Subject: Re: Atheists of a feather...
Date: 12 Aug 92 16:33:55 GMT
Organization: Ericsson Network Systems, Inc.

In article <BsMKIG.LL2@wpi.WPI.EDU> johndunk@wpi.WPI.EDU (John Dunkelberg) writes:
>From: johndunk@wpi.WPI.EDU (John Dunkelberg)
>Subject: Re: Atheists of a feather...
>Date: Fri, 7 Aug 1992 17:56:39 GMT

>In article <20096@optima.cs.arizona.edu> sham@cs.arizona.edu (Shamim Zvonko Mohamed) writes:
>>A couple of questions about being atheist in a believer's world:
>>How important is atheism to you? Are your close friends also atheists?

>Agnosticism is my philosophic outlook on life.  My friends range from
>atheists to (at one time) born-again christians who feared I was
>hell-bound.  People I would call friends are able to discuss/argue
>issues like politics and religion without it impacting their personal
>relationships.  I think otherwise I would consider them a bit too close-
>minded, and maybe childish.  I avoid politics and religion with some of
>my aquaintances, because they do have problems separating friendship with
>philosophy.

>>Is your SO also atheist? Or, if you're single:
>> would you go into a relationship with a theist?

>I have had a strongly christian minded SO, and still care for her
>greatly.  I have no problems with her belief, and we can discuss such
>topics openly.  But I feel that she is not as comfortable when it
>comes to potential long-term relationships with soemone not of her
>faith.

>>On a slightly different slant: any atheists out there that believe in
>>"paranormal" phenomena?

>I'm an agnostic.  I haven't seen good evidence for psi and such, but
>certainly admit the possibility.  However, it has been used for so long
>as a hoax and way to seperate the foolish from their money that I am
>critical/cautious of claims.

>-- 
>| John S. Dunkelberg Jr. |"The devil went down to georgia, 
>| johndunk@wpi.wpi.edu   | an' he was lookin' for a soul to steal.
>|------------------------| He was in a bind, he was way behind,
>|The Charlie Daniels Band: and he was lookin' to make a deal..."

You need to take a look at William James on this topic. He argues 
brilliantly that a person's overall philosophy should be a critical factor 
in your relationship with him, and that only a fool would suggest that 
what a man believes on the most fundamental and important aspects of life 
and existence should have no bearing on one's decision to associate 
with him. There are limits of course. But it depends on how deep the 
differences go.  This is not to deny the importance of tolerance; but I 
think it would be quite appropriate for me to refuse to rent my apartment to 
a man who believed he was god incarnate! 

There is a war of ideas being waged in this world, since ideas move it (at 
least at the top). So the question for me is, Can people on opposite 
sides in that battle be 'friends'?  It is a strange battle indeed which is 
lead by generals who encourage the soliders from either side to fraternize 
with the enemy.  

k.b., wellmaybenot.
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