Thisis a response to Garry Gamble, Nelda Westerlind, and Jim Mohr’s letters of June 12.
Though Garry Gamble may aspire to show “respect for scientific methods of discovery,” he was distracted by my speculative remark instead of looking to the conclusions of Professor Uffe Schjoedt’s research study. Do focus on the study.
I admit that I should have stated: the Christians experienced God’s presence when the prefrontal cortex of their brains shut down, a “massive deactivation” of the brain similar to that experienced during hypnosis. The prefrontal cortex of the nonreligious remained active throughout; they did not experience God’s presence. This is a finding of Professor Schjoedt’s research study, not my speculation. This is very interesting indeed!
To Nelda Westerlind:
Maybe writing is fruitless as you suggest because people tend to stay with the cultural instruction of their childhood, except
my atheist friends were raised Catholic, Lutheran, Presbyterian and two former evangelical ministers among them. I was raised Baptist. We didn’t stay stuck in our youthful indoctrination. People can be comfortably numb in their familiar belief system, yet some start asking questions as we did, and demand clear, verifiable answers, not just faith. Yes, we face mortality, and value the wonder of each day instead of looking to an afterlife.
Jim Mohr made an excellent point about philosophical gridlock and suggested “don’t ask, don’t tell” regarding belief. Historically speaking, most atheists stayed in the closet, because it was no fun being persecuted as evil or worse.
At the same time Christians, Mormons, and Jehovah Witnesses, tend to tell, tell, and tell. The repetition seems to reinforce their own dogmas, plus, I’m told that there are rewards in heaven for “witnessing for Christ.” Maybe it should be called “hearsay for Christ.”
When should everyone speak up? When any person presents his own religious dogma as the reason for a law unto all, we should all protest. God is not mentioned in our Constitution for good reason. Religion has been divisive. If everyone respected the 1st Amendment of our Constitution, then each individual could follow ones religious choice protected and in peace. Even my Baptist father knew that!
Geri Jensen
Grand Marais
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