Was that a Buddhist parable or was it Plato's? It was probably Buddhist. I don't think there were a lot of elephants in ancient Greece.
I agree completely that it's the approach one takes to their spiritual beliefs (or lack thereof) that makes all the difference.
In general, people who are secure in their beliefs tend to be tolerant of different beliefs. Whenever I encounter a person who passionately (in a loud, rude way) insists their way is right and only way (including aethists), I wonder who they're trying to convince; me or themselves? Given that none of them have ever changed my mind, I'm inclined to think it's the latter.
The one thing I do resent is twisting or ignoring history to prove one point of view or another. To claim that religion has killed more people through history than wars based on greed or tribalism or politics or chest-thumping stupidity, especially after the excesses of the twentieth century, just boggles my mind.
no subject
I agree completely that it's the approach one takes to their spiritual beliefs (or lack thereof) that makes all the difference.
In general, people who are secure in their beliefs tend to be tolerant of different beliefs. Whenever I encounter a person who passionately (in a loud, rude way) insists their way is right and only way (including aethists), I wonder who they're trying to convince; me or themselves? Given that none of them have ever changed my mind, I'm inclined to think it's the latter.
The one thing I do resent is twisting or ignoring history to prove one point of view or another. To claim that religion has killed more people through history than wars based on greed or tribalism or politics or chest-thumping stupidity, especially after the excesses of the twentieth century, just boggles my mind.