Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : My House -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Poet who wrote (1836)	10/1/2002 2:07:55 PM
From: E	Respond to of 7689

It's happened to me, too. My reaction is to laugh and say "I have no idea what that means." I've also had religious people declare to me with certainty that I'm religious. Not recently; but it used to happen when I worked at St. Agatha Home for Children, where I had many Catholic friends/associates, including nuns. The priest there said that to me quite authoritatively. I think the misunderstanding is that if someone perceives certain moral or ethical qualities in you of which they approve, or just thinks you're nice, and trusts you, and is used to believing that those sorts of qualities come from outside the person (we use the word "extrinsic" in discussions on SI), and aren't a phenomenon rooted in our humanity, and perceives those qualities or values in an particular individual, they attach the label "religious" or "spiritual" to them. Partly it's simply a way of giving a compliment, I think; of making a friendly overture or gesture; but partly it's a way of becoming comfortable with the possibly disconcerting fact that they like and trust a self-described atheist. I have to go into the city now. I won't be back until too late to post, so won't be able to reply to the other posts today. That was an interesting article, wasn't it? I sent it to Hitchens with the suggestion he address some of the specific risks it discusses. I'd be very interested in how he'd address those considerations. Wonder if he will. Bye until tomorrow, all.