IX.—ORIGIN OF SUPERSTITION.
"How is it that we have succeeded in persuading reasonable beings that the thing most impossible to understand was the most essential for them. It is because they were greatly frightened; it is because when men are kept in fear they cease to reason; it is because they have been expressly enjoined to distrust their reason. When the brain is troubled, we believe everything and examine nothing." Jean Meslier
This week, I started reading Jean Meslier. He was a French Priest born in 1664. He lived and worked as a Catholic priest, but wrote as an atheist. His words came out after he was dead.
I am not daring to read such thoughts as much as the thoughts are daring me into a space I could never have travelled thirty, twenty and even ten years ago.
XII.—RELIGION ENTICES IGNORANCE BY THE AID OF THE MARVELOUS.
"If religion was clear, it would have fewer attractions for the ignorant. They need obscurity, mysteries, fables, miracles, incredible things, which keep their brains perpetually at work. Romances, idle stories, tales of ghosts and witches, have more charms for the vulgar than true narrations. " JM
I downloaded "Superstition in all Ages". It was a dollar download, and this week in AFL, we will be introduced to him in our readings. But I am jumping the gun... only because of a computer glitch that introduced me to him a little earlier than maybe Peter planned. I was listening to the reading yesterday, and after it was over and the music was done, Sound Cloud moved on to a reading of Jean Meslier and it captivated me (the link is posted below) so I downloaded the only available book in Ibooks and its short excerpts are riveting.
XVII.—IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BE CONVINCED OF THE EXISTENCE OF GOD.
"Can one honestly say that he is convinced of the existence of a being whose nature is not known, who remains inaccessible to all our senses, and of whose qualities we are constantly assured that they are incomprehensible to us? In order to persuade me that a being exists, or can exist, he must begin by telling me what this being is; in order to make me believe the existence or the possibility of such a being, he must tell me things about him which are not contradictory, and which do not destroy one another; finally, in order to convince me fully of the existence of this being, he must tell me things about him which I can comprehend, and prove to me that it is impossible that the being to whom he attributes these qualities does not exist." JM
In listening to Peter Rollins weekly talk for AFL2022 on Youtube, he encouraged us to read and listen without agreeing or disagreeing. I find it absolutely freeing to read a lot of literature that comes my way like that. Just to read it and take it in without having any conclusions about the material. Sometimes I think "That makes sense." but most of the time, I am finding myself thinking "I can understand where that thought comes from." Maybe I don't agree or disagree, but I can understand why the author, in this case Jean Meslier, was brave enough to write the words. As I read his words, I find courage in them. Mine is not to agree or disagree right now. Mine is to find courage.
