[Dragaera] agnosticism (no flame) (was, long ago: (no spoilers) The 17 [Great Weapons])

[Howard Brazee]

Steve Rapaport wrote:
> Right.   But  even disbelieving in such things is an act of faith and
> therefore, by Gorelick's argument, not rational.   I can't see how
> disbelieving in the malevolent Barney afterlife or Devera's participation
> makes me a better person than those who hypothetically might believe in
> them.
>   
That is a common statement made by theists about atheists.   But I 
haven't seen atheists agree that it is true.
> So I think I'm with Mark on this one.  Belief is irrelevant unless it makes
> you do things like build cathedrals.  Then it's just a cool meme virus handy
> for using humans to make things.
>
>
>
>   
My big thing is similar - it is righteousness.   Except that being Right 
is very useful when it allows you to have a lifestyle that works.    
Children learn to do what's Right, (Mommy will be mad if I walk across 
the street without looking).  Where it hurts is when Righteous people 
commit evils against others who are Righteous in different ways.   
Example, bin Laden and GWB are both fighting Righteous wars.

An interesting thing about Dragaera is that such Righteousness appears 
to be limited.   Members of one race no more expect members of another 
race to be like them, than we expect dogs to have our values.

I still expect that even with their Knowledge of how Gods work, they 
would have theological differences.   But they might argue like two 
Rabbis, instead of like two kings about these differences.