Recently I was asked how to talk to an atheist. My suggestion: ask them how to explain how different groups of people, even within the same culture, operate and adhere more strictly to different ethics and so their behavior is more loving, more just than others. Explain how different societies have throughout history have persevered even under persecution, slavery, holocausts, etc without relinquishing their identity. Explain how family members behave differently with regard to those around them—loving their neighbors and their enemies. How do you explain some of this even though the genetics, the environment, the nourishment, the nurturing is similar if not equivalent?
It’s not natural. It seems to be supernatural. Even Niall Ferguson in his book
Civilization: the West and the Rest hints at some religious, supernatural inner drive of certain cultures that had shared values—shared Spirit?—seemed to thrive more than others.
No comments:
Post a Comment