When Man Alive! was first published, a number of people were distressed that I didn’t take a harder line on religion. My reason for doing as I did was pretty simple: Although I am a very strident atheist, and although I have nothing but contempt for theology and for all religious apocrypha, I like, respect and admire many people who say they are religious — including my own Best Beloved, my wife, Cathleen Collins.
I care a lot less about what you say you believe than I do about how you actually behave. If you are capable of leaving me alone to live my life as I choose, I don’t care what you say are your reasons for behaving as you do. By contrast, if you claim you are in agreement with my own ideas about the nature and structure of reality, and yet you cannot manage to keep your nose out of my business, then I care a great deal your actual behavior, regardless of your putative agreement with my philosophy.
This topic is of moment this week because our friends in the lands infested with Islam have put on another display of the impotent irrationality that is represented to be the substance of their religion. I don’t make fine distinctions about anegoistic doctrines: Whether your claims are based in religion, in politics or in some absurd academic dogma, if your behavior is atrocious, you are engaged in self-destruction in spite of your self.
We go through all this in the video, but the solution to every problem posed by anti-human dogmas is four-words simple: Fuck you. I quit. When the sane believers of every sort of doctrine work up the nerve to say those four words to their would-be masters, the world will be a better place overnight.
You can find an audio-only version of this video at the SelfAdoration.com podcast on iTunes.
Anthony Smrke says:
As the Broker of Record for Milestone Silver Realty Ltd. ; I am always interested in what other Real Estate practitioners have to say.I was expecting a real estate blog but was pleasantly surprised to hear your take on religion or in your case non religion. Just thought I’d let you know that I came across your blog and really appreciated the content even though it was not real estate oriented Thanks for posting. Keep up the fine work.
September 19, 2012 — 9:48 am
William Miller says:
I envy you! You’re atheist and your wife believes in God.. And you may have some argues about it from time to time)) But they are not critical. That’s a rare thing.
Loving each other no matter what is what worth envy)
take care!
September 20, 2012 — 7:07 am
Greg Swann says:
William, I have written a lot about my marriage, which just keeps getting better and better. One of the best essays on the subject — at least why it works for me — is here: Loving Cathleen…
September 27, 2012 — 10:18 am
Rocky says:
That hits the tgaret perfectly. Thanks!
October 12, 2012 — 8:57 pm
Rob Chipman says:
Greg:
It’s Wednesday morning at 11:15. I’m listening to you in the car. I do want to talk about these things. I’ve recorded several thoughts that occurred to me while listening to you. Thanks for this.
October 17, 2012 — 11:24 am
Greg Swann says:
Ah, good on ya. I’ve got a burgeoning collection of these videocasts by now. You can find them in video at SelfAdoration.com or as audio podcasts at the Itunes store. For anyone who seeks to know how rent-seeking philosophical arguments are used to buttress the slave state, I think I am a good investment of your time.
October 17, 2012 — 12:28 pm