The Rational Inferiority Complex or Why It Is Hard To Talk To Atheists

Over the last week I have been engaging in my newest addiction called Stumble Upon, a nice little addon that allows you to randomly surf the web according to topics of your choice. If you haven't discovered it yet, trust me it is very addicting as you never know what is coming with that next click and you can't help but discover what's next. I have already come across one guy who wrote an applet for Linux to shut off his machine at a reasonable hour so he can get to work.

Recently, I came across an article about why it is so hard to talk to Hyper-religious. An interesting article even if it comes to the wrong conclusions, but interesting still. It is a subtly insulting article towards those who hold conservative religious beliefs such as I. Despite the claim to not be insinuating anything by bringing up the 2006 Baylor study which cites that the more conservative Christians tend to have less education. He double talks a fair bit but I have to wonder if you don't honestly believe it then why do you even bring it up. Eventually, his true colors come out as he concludes that the hyper-religious are guilty of willful ignorance. His point is that we have been shown the proof, but are ignoring it so that we can continue submitting to an authoritarian god.

Admittedly there are more than a few anti-intellectual Christians out there. Generally, they are rather paranoid about the educational system in general and science in specific. I am inferring from his arguments that he believes that all people who refuse to acknowledge such "proven" truths as global warming and evolution are anti-intellectuals refusing to believe the truth in the face of overwhelming evidence. But we aren't to be faulted we are the product of those who have a vested interest in keeping us ignorant.

Apparently, he believes that those of us who are leaders in the religious community are acting out of self interest by trying to keep the ignorant masses ignorant. When I read that I wanted to laugh. I am sure there are a few who do want to keep people ignorant, as they say it takes all kinds, but I want people to understand. I want people to understand the principles of evolution, genetics, physics, and biology, but then I am biased. I was working on a Master's degree in microbiology (a 3.0 at Texas A&M, a thing that goes against his assertions) before going to the seminary, I enjoy science and I enjoy teaching it. However, I noticed that atheists or so called rationalist never talk about a person such as I a very educated and intelligent person who also holds because it violates their world view.

They claim to be believers of evidence, open-minded, a rational when in reality they are just as black and white and irrational as those of us who hold conservative religious views. They have merely replaced an authoritarian god with authoritarian rationality or logic. Don't believe me, check out the number of times you see how many of them who came out of a religious background claim to be too rational or logical to believe in something as illogical as an involved God. Despite their claims at not having a black and white view of the world they have for all practical purposes relegated the world into rational and irrational. Categories that happen to correspond with their personal beliefs and views.

Sadly, I think too many of them have come across the educated religious people who are too willing to abandon all the tenants of their beliefs and/or uneducated anti-intellectuals and enough too few educated and intelligent conservative Christians such as myself. But, then I and others such as myself would upset a part or their world view that is very near and dear to their hearts, their rationality. It is my personal theory that all atheists suffer from an inferiority complex involving their ability to be rational so they are compensating by rabidly rejecting all that cannot be explained, labeled, and categorized. However, that is just my pet theory.