it isn't actually part of judaism. even SO i have been an atheist since the age of 15. i wasn't rebelling against my heritage or judaism. i just realized there are no gods. that's all. i think the quotation applies very well to christians, though.

g

When discussing religious faith, as a nullifidian not only do I agree with Hitch, but I am also in agreement with Peter Boghossian, who defines faith as 'pretending to know things you don't know.' As the great 19th century orator, Robert Green Ingersoll (known then as the Great Agnostic) said:

"The notion that faith in Christ is to be rewarded by an eternity of bliss, while a dependence upon reason, observation and experience merits everlasting pain, is too absurd for refutation, and can be relieved only by that unhappy mixture of insanity and ignorance, called 'faith.'”

"There is nothing left but faith in what we know could not and did not happen. Religion and science are enemies. One is a superstition; the other is a fact. One rests upon the false, the other upon the true. One is the result of fear and faith, the other of investigation and reason."

I agree, but I would like to add on to that in that religion is the ultimate collectivist ideology type. That being said, it can do an immense amount of harm and would most likely be corrupted quickly.

As a former Catholic, we were taught that faith was a gift from God. Not everyone received it. A prayer invoked at times was "Lord, help my unbelief." Honestly....

As a former Catholic, we were taught that faith was a gift from God. Not everyone received it. A prayer invoked at times was "Lord, help my unbelief." Honestly....

I think it's a great quote that can be applied to much more than religion.

I have said many times that faith without evidence or facts is fine with me.

However, when people choose to believe in spite of evidence and facts, then that crosses the line, to where it is no longer faith, but willful ignorance. Most religious persons do nto make the distinction between the two but think of it all as just "faith".

I think it is the willful ignorance side that is dangerous, because that is the kind of "faith" that is the basis of fanaticism and basically all the evil done in the name of religion.