“When I sent out a casual and nonscientific poll of my own to a wide cast of acquaintances, friends and colleagues, I was surprised, but not really, to learn that maybe 60 percent claimed a belief in a God of some sort, including people I would have bet were unregenerate skeptics. Others just shrugged. They don't think about this stuff. It doesn't matter to them. They can't know, they won't beat themselves up trying to know and for that matter they don't care if their kids believe or not.” PeopleIfsThinkingKnowsTryingBelieveMatterCareKidsBeliefStuffMy OwnAtheismBeatsPercentIncludingCastsDon't CarePositive AtheismWideColleaguesPollsAcquaintanceCasualSkeptic Author:Natalie Angier
“A famous bon mot asserts that opinions are like arse-holes, in that everyone has one. There is great wisdom in this... but I would add that opinions differ significantly from arse-holes, in that yours should be constantly and thoroughly examined.We must think critically, and not just about the ideas of others. Be hard on your beliefs. Take them out onto the verandah and beat them with a cricket bat.... Be intellectually rigorous. Identify your biases, your prejudices, your privilege.” ThinkingShouldIdeasHardBeliefOpinionBeatsPrejudiceAddPrivilegeHolesBatsCricketArsesGreat Wisdom Author:Tim Minchin
“A genuinely persuasive argument does not merely tell you that you are wrong about everything. It doesn't just beat on you from the outside. It comes inside your belief system, as it were, and affirms something you believe strongly. And then it says - well if you believe this (A) then why in the world can't you see that B is true?” IfsWorldBelieveWellsDoeBeliefBeatsArgumentIf You BelieveBelief SystemsPersuasive Author:Timothy Keller