desire. For the educated, it is from a lack of scientific education. The more I talk to educated people the
more I verify my belief.
God is an answer for people who have no idea how the physical world works. Now, if you combine
knowledge of how the world works with fear induced through theological "education" during youth, you
have religious scientists who can accurately identify the gaps in scientific knowledge and are compelled
to fill them with God's wisdom or plan or whatever. That pisses me off.
But by and large, if someone says he is an atheist, or a theist for that matter, I don't really take the
person very seriously unless he can demonstrate a fair knowledge of natural phenomena.
Sincerely,
Greg Graffin
Dear Greg:
I would like to get my hands on your dissertation. It sounds interesting. I liked your line that an atheist's
irrational hatred of God being a "proof" for God's existence would be a great trick by God. You probably
wrote that in a spirit of irony, but there's reason to think that God does that sort of thing, arranging life in
such a way that people eventually get to enjoy the joke too, though sometimes the joke isn't so funny.
I've mentioned before some of the atheists who've had a big influence on me. Among the Christians
who've influenced me the most are a tobacco-chewing janitor who saw visions of the Virgin Mary and a
schizophrenic who lived in a mental hospital I worked at for a year. Jesus' family tree includes a murderer
and a whore, and the Bible's full of nutcases (Samson, Jonah, John the Baptist).
Paul snuffed a bunch of Christians before he became one. Billy Graham is simple, but charitable
organizations he's associated with have fed millions and he's done a lot of good.
Before you bend the knee again before the altar of "naturalism" (I never took you for a dogmatist), I
want to ask what the vision of the world your lyrics frequently express has to do with an impersonal
universe that is the way it is because it can't be any other way just because that's the way it is. If the
universe is the way it is just because that's the way it is, and we are part of the universe, then what's all
this stuff about the world being better "when soldiers lay their weapons down; when all kings and queens
... relinquish their crowns," etc.? I'm cynical, but not so cynical as to think that you meant this as a parody
or satire of people who think that the world can be made better. I really think you hope the worl(or some
as pects of the human part of the world) can be made better. I hope for the same thing.
The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: "Go to the great city of Ninevah and preach
against it."... But Jonah ran away from the LORD.... He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship
bound for [Tarshish].... Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose
that the ship threatened to break up.... [The crew] asked him, "What should we do ... to make the sea
calm down for us?""Pick me up and throw me into the sea, "he replied.... The LORD provided a great fish to swallow