http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo#Natural_knowledge_and_biblical_interpretation
The ideal to me is to see it as a difference in whether or not someone wants
a faith commitment in a possible God beyond the see-able touchable world. Some-
one can try to persuade someone else to see it their way, and if they go for it
or not, I hope they're still friends afterward.
I read an article on the Internet recently saying more people in school are
relaxed about there being those differences. I think that's healthy.
I like people of various belief and non-belief outlooks, and I'd feel like a
real creep if someone thought I didn't like them about those things. Some
people in any kind of group (nationality, race, income level, belief or non-be-
lief outlooks, etc.) get 'centric and try to rationalize they're the good
people and others are crazy and stupid and cause all the trouble in the world.
It's when people get 'centric about those things--in the belief matters, like a
Rutherford or a Rutherford for the non-believers like a Stalin--that the divi-
sions and trouble and fights start.
For the popular Christian example, Jesus didn't teach to find people who
believe differently and beat them up. That kind of trouble started when
politicians got 'centric about it in contradiction to the source material. (I
Cor.10:31-11:1) Some say more people have died over God than anything else.
But I'd say more people have died when they get 'centric about it or whatever
else. It's rationalizing about being 'centric taken to the extent of fighting
the others that causes the trouble.
I can see the case intended for not wanting to believe in the first post. But
it's overdone, too much of a stacked deck meant to make a flame war, mainly
verses that come up when a liberal vs. a conservative interpretation are delib-
erated on, from Gen. to Rev., given as though they established the non-belief
choice. You want to guard against being too 'centric when contesting something
when what's mainly to be faulted ironically is when people try to rationalize
the need to be 'centric about it or whatever.
