The Argument of Thy Faith
Oh how wonderful it is to have faith. In faith lies the comfort of certainty and knowledge without the hindrance of critical thought or skepticism. Without faith we must make a case of facts and provable theory to support our arguments. Without faith we are relegated to mere human animals who must rely on our brains and the power of reason to arrive at any acceptable level of certainty.
I would so much rather argue from a position of faith than from one of mere science and reason. Faith provides an impenetrable shield against reasoned intelligent argument. From behind the shield of faith, one can launch powerful arguments without fear that they might not stand the test of reason for faith is a substitute for all reason. Faith always overwhelms reason just as faith always overwhelms fact. It is a powerful force, faith. Within faith, there are no mistakes, no excuses and no consequences.
We all enjoy some level of faith. For some, it is an unswerving belief in the magic of a supernatural power that will care for them for ever and ever. For others, it is faith in the proven, faith that they can step upon a large stone and it will not collapse from their weight. Faith is a good and a bad thing. It is through proving theory that we gain faith in the known and that we understand how things work and can advance through science. It is through faith in magic and the words and interpretations of others that we venture into horrible atrocities. Truly, it is the use of our faith that determines whether it is good or bad. Yes, the good and bad in faith are us.
The Faith of Thy Argument
True conservatives have had faith at all levels and in all spheres of their lives long before there was any such thing as conservative. Religious Right-wing Republican Party faithfuls do not have a lock on faith. Religious Right-wing Republicans distinguish themselves by a strong desire to impose the products of that faith upon others. That force you to obey attitude is what sets these theocrats apart from conservatives. It is the desire to impose will and belief upon others that puts the Religious Right at odds with conservatives and the Constitution of the United States. Conservatives have little respect for the Iranian model of government. The religious right in America is pushing toward that model without regard for the protections of the Constitution. If you love America and the traditional American way of life, the thrust of the Religious Right to overturn the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution should have you very worried.
When faith is the basis of the argument the results are often nonsensical conclusions such as creationism, the denial of global warming theory and all the sin-based anti-constitutional positions of the Religious Right. Take global warming for a moment. I am not sure that I believe there is global warming on a long-term global scale (you can't deny the short term). Not being sure doesn't cause me to ignore the science and clues. Reasonable people will question, but not ignore. I think it is reasonable to be skeptical and ask for provable theory. I don't fully understand the anti-science anti-global warming position of the Religious Right, though. I can't find the part in the Bible that says, "There shall not be global warming," but I often can't find anything biblical that reasonably supports the position of the Religious Right. Why deny science? I don't know. Faith is one answer, but people of faith can still be reasonable. Surely, some of them believe in electricity. Conservatives of faith seem to have no problem with facts and proof and the principles of science, so why can't the Religious Right? The answer is in the paranoia that comes with faith.
When what you believe has little or no basis in fact and cannot be proven, your arguments are necessarily weak. One can argue one's right to believe and that right is guaranteed in America. How though, does one argue that a belief with no scientific evidence (think creationism) is fact. The only argument can be faith, so the only place the argument can carry any weight is among the crowd that shares the same faith. For that argument to stand on its own in the light of reasonable skepticism, there must either be scientific proof or science must be diminished. For the faithful wishing to argue the ridiculous, the only hope is to attack science. The best way to attack science is through politics. The best way to put politics to work to support faith is to dismantle or reinterpret the basic principles of the Constitution. They did it successfully in Iran and, for a while, they did it successfully in Afghanistan. I hope with all my heart the faithful do not succeed in doing it here.
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Faith is the abandon of all reasoned and skeptical thought with protection from consequence for even the most hideous act. - Jenny Jerrome
