I was really struck by this video of Penn Jillette that was linked to on a site I read yesterday:
The whole thing is interesting, but the bit that caught my eye (or ear, rather) was when Penn, as a confirmed atheist, says (paraphrase) “I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize…. if you believe that there’s a heaven and hell and that people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life…. how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize”.
So….. sorry.
mrBen
‘It’d be as well for you if I didn’t believe,’ she said, prodding him with a sharp finger. ‘This Om . . . anyone seen him?’
‘It is said three thousand people witnessed his manifestation at the Great Temple when he made the Covenant with the prophet Brutha and saved him from death by torture on the iron turtle-’
‘But I bet that now they’re arguing about what they actually saw, eh?’
‘Well, indeed, yes, there are many opinions-’
‘Right. Right. That’s people for you. Now if I’d seen him, really there, really alive, it’d be in me like a fever. If I thought there was some god who really did care two hoots about people, who watched ‘em like a father and cared for ‘em like a mother… well, you wouldn’t catch me sayin’ things like “There are two sides to every question,” and “We must respect other people’s beliefs.” You wouldn’t find me just being gen’rally nice in the hope that it’d all turn out right in the end, not if that flame was burning in me like an unforgivin’ sword. And I did say burnin’, Mister Oats, ‘cos that’s what it’d be. You say that you people don’t burn folk and sacrifice people any more, but that’s what true faith would mean, y’see? Sacrificin’ your own life, one day at a time, to the flame, declarin’ the truth of it, workin’ for it, breathin’ the soul of it. That’s religion. Anything else is just… is just bein’ nice. And a way of keepin’ in touch with the neighbours.’
She relaxed slightly, and went on in a quieter voice: ‘Anyway, that’s what I’d be, if I really believed. And I don’t think that’s fashionable right now, ‘cos it seems that if you sees evil now you have to wring your hands and say, “Oh deary me, we must debate this.” That’s my two penn’orth, Mister Oats. You be happy to let things lie. Don’t chase faith, ‘cos you’ll never catch it.’ She added, almost as an aside, ‘But, perhaps, you can live faithfully.’
Her teeth chattered as a gust of icy wind flapped her wet dress around her legs.
‘You got another book of holy words on you?’ she added.
‘No,’ said Oats, still shocked. He thought: my god, if she ever finds a religion, what would come out of these mountains and sweep across the plains?
– Terry Pratchett, “Carpe Jugulum”
I always admired that quotation. Penn Gillette clearly feels the same.
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