The staunch atheist, who lauds the scientific method, looks upon the fervent religious with pity, annoyance, frustration, and even enmity. They loathe that the religious bring noise, fog, and baggage into the process of trying to figure the world out and make it better. They seek truth; and they don't want the discussion of truth to be blighted by religion or faith. They see the people of faith as being small minded, unable / unwilling to ask questions.
The extreme believer, who reject anything not expressly defined in their religious culture, looks upon the ardent atheist with pity, annoyance, frustration, and even enmity. They hate that the atheist will not consider that there is "more" beyond the tangible that can forward the process of trying to figure the world out and make it better. They seek truth; and they don't want the discussion of truth to be blighted by the constructs of mortals. They see the atheist as being small minded, unable / unwilling to ask questions.
Both above descriptions represent fundamentalists. Fundamentalists can come from any religion -- any belief system.
Does any good come from a fundamentalist? Does being closed minded, REGARDLESS of what is closed in said mind, bring any good to the world? Does a fundamentalist ever really have any hope of changing the mind of different fundamentalist?
J Ian Wilson
28 - january - 2008