By HOLYSMOKES
Updated: Thu, 07 Oct 2010 08:56:42 UTC

I posted a talking point to Dr. Dawkins on the thread where he asks for questions to present for his LA talk. What a pile of responses! Well done folks! After a bit more brainwork about my own question, I thought it might be interesting to post it here as well.

How can we collectively take the word, "faith" and over time, make it look like a foolish word? Say ...over a 5-10 year period. Instead of a word to brag about, how can we make any person using it feel silly when they say it about their beliefs? My reasoning isn't to insult people of faith, (although I'm sure it will become an unfortunate byproduct), insomuch as it is to make fence sitters do a bit more critical thinking prior to jumping on the religious bandwagon. Believers rarely cross over, however perhaps we can use it as a tool for the undecided legions out there. Let's get them saying, "It's a matter of facts" not, "It's a matter of faith."

The primary goal should be to get people thinking. I've noticed over my 50 years of traveling around the sun, that the religious routinely pronounce the word "faith" with gleeful pride. How can we make it synonymous with the word "foolish?" Just how does one change the meaning of a single word in the eyes of the public?

TAGGED: ATHEISM, PHILOSOPHY, REASON