Sunday, April 15, 2007

Arrogant? Moi?

Today I got another attack e-mail from an observant Jew trying to explain to me the error of my ways. He didn't mention my essay Why I Am Not a Jew, but that's always the one that prompts these e-mails. He explained at some length why, because I'm intellectually arrogant, I'm the wicked son mentioned in the Seder service. Yeah, okay, nothing new there.

But the astonishing part of the e-mail came at the end, where he illustrated my arrogance one last time:


I have only read some of your posts on your website. Your essay, David Dvorkin - George W. Bush caught my attention. Now, I am by no stretch of the imagination any huge fan of our president but my lack of confidence in his competency as President of the United States probably comes from a different place than yours. Be as it may, you listed comparisons and contrasts between yourself and Mr. Bush and I thought that I would add another distinction. While Mr. Bush has many failings, he seems to me to come across as someone who is willing to engage in dialogue and contrary to popular liberal notions, someone who is willing to take suggestions.


What universe is this man living in?

Oh, and he ends with:


[I]t is pretty apparent that your god is David Dvorkin. It’s a shame because your god with all your god’s accomplishments is seriously limited by his being human and all. You may be well read, but your humility to learn from anyone seems to be seriously lacking.

David you probably will not find G-d this way. Something tells me you’re not really seeking the truth anyway.


Dude! I am God! The Flying Spaghetti Monster told me so!

3 comments:

Lahdeedah said...

There's a really interesting article in the recent Wired magazine that was a dialogue between an atheist (some brainaic working on a phd in neurosomethingorother) and a christian preacher.

What I want to know, is atheism against religion in general, or the idea that there is something more than this life?

I could never sort the two out.

David said...

It depends on the atheist. We're all different, and there isn't any standard philosophy.

In my case, no doubt because of my upbringing (son of an Orthodox rabbi), I'm very hostile to religion and see it as on balance a force for evil the world. ("On balance" because of course I know that there are good people who are relgious and who do good.)

Others, such as my son, who was brought up by atheists, are much more mild-mannered about religion.

As for there being more than this life, I can't see how anyone can call himself an atheist and yet think there's an afterlife or a supernatural or deistic dimension to the universe.

Man, this could go on for much longer!

Lahdeedah said...

The article was in newsweek (I was so off) and the guy touted something about science hasn't disproven it blah blah lbha. He was a mild mannered athiest.

My husband is an antagonist (which I think is just someone to lazy to commit to one view or the other) and he views religion as evil due to the number of wars started over it.

I myself think I'd like Budhism, but am too lazy to look into it. I go with the 'there is more between heaven and earth than man can ever comprehend' quote. But I think science in the end will be able to explain it all.

This could go on forever. I seperate religion from spirituality, which many people think can't be done.