August 10, 2009

"Thank God for PZ Myers"

One more follow-up on civil atheism, with a somewhat unexpected conclusion.

To put it differently, thank God for PZ Myers. That man chaps my behind. He and I have no reasonable hope of ever coming to a perfect agreement on the social good, though we might achieve overlapping consensus. But he usually takes the issues of belief and reason seriously, and even when he doesn't, he forces me to do so. For that, he is "good health to me nevertheless." I am a better man and a better citizen for having to consider his perspective, even if I do wish he'd go jump in the lake more than just occasionally.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Exactly how I felt about the atheists I posted with. Little did I know they'd truly inspire me to consider my beliefs dispassionately.