I recently watched a debate on You Tube discussing weather or not Faith was a useful tool for life. The pro Faith side was argued clearly and respectfully by Yohannes Jejunum, M.D. (the M.D. in this case standing for, 'Master Dancer'). The unenviable position of having to argue against the proposition, was held by a fat, bald man, whom I could tell just by looking at, hated babies and beat his children with a soup can in a sock.
The opening remarks made by the great Mr. Jejunum, were clear and thought provoking. He spoke of how Faith was the language of the heart, and how it went beyond the conscience mind, providing hope for the future in a way that was not material, but spiritual.
I missed the oppositions opening remarks because my spider monkey fell in the toilet again, but I imagine they went something like this, "Blah, Blah, Blah, I'm a conceded dummy, blah, blah, my Mommy beat me with a tent pole, now I'm miserable, blah, blah, blah. Faith sucks."
The debate lasted about two hours, with equal time given for both debaters to present their point. I confess, I had a very difficult time understanding the arguments to the negative. At one point, the wife beater, explained that the definition of Faith, was a firm belief in something without proof, and that absolute beliefs of any kind, held without regard for factual evidence, can justify anything, even flying an airplane into a skyscraper. At this point in the debate, I began to have trouble hearing the presenter, since I had accidently put my fingers in my ears and began to hum loudly.
Luckily, the momentary tinnitus cleared up just in time to hear Yohannes say the following words, "Faith is a gift from the creator, without which the journey of life could not properly unfold. It is faith that binds us together and Faith that.....", I'll be honest, I was sending a text at this point, and I missed the rest of his spiel, but I could tell from the reaction of the crowed, it was brilliant.
The debate lasted about two hours and was followed by thirty minutes of audience questions, all of which were asked by the same individual, since he was the only one there. The most thought provoking of all his questions had to do with why the government insisted on banning smoking in all places of business, instead of allowing the owner to simply post a clear notification to all potential patrons and employees, that his establishment was smoker friendly, and they should judge weather or not to enter accordingly. But, because this question had nothing to do with the debate, it was ignored and the questioner tossed out a window.
When the debate was over I was very fired up. I immediately called my friend Kevin, who is the only atheist I know. Before he could even say hello, I began to yell at him for his lack of Faith. I made it very clear that he would be burning in hell for this outrage to god, and that he needed to change his ways before it was too late. When I was done with my rant, the gentleman on the other line told me I had the wrong number, but that he agreed with everything I said. He suggested we strip naked all who disagreed and brand the words, "Faith is Love", into their backsides. I found this intriguing, but chose to hang up on him, anyway.
I think that what I learned through this debate, is that Faith is something everybody has, but only some are willing to acknowledge. Even those who profess to be without, still act in a manner that shows Faith, like when they cross the street with their eyes closed, or use a male prostitute without a condom. Faith is an essential tool for our journey through life, and no matter what the unenlightened may believe, Faith is as real as the stars in the sky, or the Tauntaun Luke used to explore Hoth.
I missed the oppositions opening remarks because my spider monkey fell in the toilet again, but I imagine they went something like this, "Blah, Blah, Blah, I'm a conceded dummy, blah, blah, my Mommy beat me with a tent pole, now I'm miserable, blah, blah, blah. Faith sucks."
The debate lasted about two hours, with equal time given for both debaters to present their point. I confess, I had a very difficult time understanding the arguments to the negative. At one point, the wife beater, explained that the definition of Faith, was a firm belief in something without proof, and that absolute beliefs of any kind, held without regard for factual evidence, can justify anything, even flying an airplane into a skyscraper. At this point in the debate, I began to have trouble hearing the presenter, since I had accidently put my fingers in my ears and began to hum loudly.
Luckily, the momentary tinnitus cleared up just in time to hear Yohannes say the following words, "Faith is a gift from the creator, without which the journey of life could not properly unfold. It is faith that binds us together and Faith that.....", I'll be honest, I was sending a text at this point, and I missed the rest of his spiel, but I could tell from the reaction of the crowed, it was brilliant.
The debate lasted about two hours and was followed by thirty minutes of audience questions, all of which were asked by the same individual, since he was the only one there. The most thought provoking of all his questions had to do with why the government insisted on banning smoking in all places of business, instead of allowing the owner to simply post a clear notification to all potential patrons and employees, that his establishment was smoker friendly, and they should judge weather or not to enter accordingly. But, because this question had nothing to do with the debate, it was ignored and the questioner tossed out a window.
When the debate was over I was very fired up. I immediately called my friend Kevin, who is the only atheist I know. Before he could even say hello, I began to yell at him for his lack of Faith. I made it very clear that he would be burning in hell for this outrage to god, and that he needed to change his ways before it was too late. When I was done with my rant, the gentleman on the other line told me I had the wrong number, but that he agreed with everything I said. He suggested we strip naked all who disagreed and brand the words, "Faith is Love", into their backsides. I found this intriguing, but chose to hang up on him, anyway.
I think that what I learned through this debate, is that Faith is something everybody has, but only some are willing to acknowledge. Even those who profess to be without, still act in a manner that shows Faith, like when they cross the street with their eyes closed, or use a male prostitute without a condom. Faith is an essential tool for our journey through life, and no matter what the unenlightened may believe, Faith is as real as the stars in the sky, or the Tauntaun Luke used to explore Hoth.