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HAVE I HELPED? |
From Religious Faith to Social Optimism
I am often struck by the optimism of the very religious people that I know. Now unfortunately I believe that kind of optimism is founded on fundamentally mistaken beliefs, the belief that they are special people in God's eyes. But fundamentally these people are optimists, which is really a necessary attitude. And I really admire them for this. At times, it is very difficult for me to be an optimist. My optimism is based on curiousness and wonder. And of course the time honored reason, that there is really no other choice!
If we can just get the religion of these people out of the power structures, and the government, we would be much better off.
Of course there are degrees to all of this. I can see no problem with a "God-centered" expression in our public life. As you can see in one of my other essays, there is really no difference. You just as well call "it" God. No problem.