Much of the CMY(K) project is focused on a conversation around doubt or a lack of faith. That conversation can certainly be internal but is just as often external. In fact, few of the songs on the EP’s are written about friends who no longer consider faith possible. Keeping with that theme, this will be the first in a series of blog posts that will actually be a conversation with one such friend.
I’ve known Lance Johnson since I was fifteen years old and consider him a good friend. We share a great deal in common including a love for comic books, a discerning taste in beer and a half-joking distain for bad pop music. We also share many of the same critiques of popular religion, though from different perspectives. My critique of popular religion stems from the assumption that Something True can be found or revealed in life and that bad religion makes that a harder process. Lance, as an atheist, assumes that there is no “Something True” to be discovered or revealed and that all religious effort in that direction is misguided at least and destructive at worst.
So, because we think the conversation between Christianity and Atheism important, we’re going to make a few of our conversations public. I will begin by posing a question to Lance (below), who will answer it at his blog and finally I’ll respond to his response. We’ll then reverse the sequence when Lance asks me a question.
We think it will be fun.
Lastly, I’m calling it a conversation for a two reasons:
1. Debates bore me.
2. I’d like to continue lifting up the skill of listening. Debates are about hearing just enough of what someone else is saying to prepare your next point.
We think it will be enlightening (our conversations generally are enlightening and fun for us). We also think it’s important.
So, Lance… my first question is; If a train leaves Chicago traveling 100MPH and another train leaves a city New York traveling 150MPH… um.. never mind.. scrap that…
ACTUAL QUESTION: You’ve stated that religious faith is bad for people. This implies some kind of good; a universal good, at that. Can you describe the “good” religious faith is an obstacle to? Is it a universal good; can it be applied to all people?
