I just get SO frustrated!

I get frustrated having the same debates over and over again for no good reason. The only thing that happens is that people entrenched in their view remain so. People (including me) come wrapped up their invincible capes of self justification and cannot really hear what is being said.

I get frustrated at people who want to justify their worldview with things I KNOW are patently false. Of course this doesn't preclude their worldview being true, but it sure reduces their credibility in my eyes. How could it not? I happen to have a reasonable education in science, physics in particular. This is not boasting, it's just the way it is. People without an education in this area need to be very careful making pronouncements in it seeking to justify their personal religious view. I think it's a simple rule: If you don't know about it, don't talk about it. I have a certain amount of theological education too, enough to tell a pony from horseshit. I accept that SOME believers can rationally and eloquently make a case for their belief. I may disagree with some of their interpretations but I recognize the complexity of the issues and respect their intelligence. Why on earth are there so few of you?

I get frustrated when people blithely think that their enculturated view is the 'natural' one and that anyone who thinks differently to them is evil. In this day and age of free information and travel such ignorance is inexcusable. (Americans, I'm looking at you.) Which brings me to willful ignorance.

I get frustrated at people who view knowledge as a threat, who think education is unnecessary, for whom curiosity is evil, intellect synonymous with false pride, learning is the same as elitism. You are dangerous to free thinking and civilization itself. You have made a virtue out of sloth and ignorance a badge of honour. When you celebrate lazy thinking you enslave yourself to any philosophy that is shiny enough to catch your attention.

I need to be able to divorce my intellect from this visceral reaction. If I was a better buddhist I could look with compassion on all those who have offered up their critical thinking skills on an alter of convenience.

But I get SO frustrated!