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Are there any theists that you admire? Why?
Actually, I was thinking more about current times when I submitted it. There are many theists in the past who I admire too. In addition to the above, we musn't forget that Charles Darwin was a also theist.
I think that I was also interested in the why. As far as a current theist, and there are also many, I admire Barry Lynn, head of Americans United for Separation of Church an State. Lynn is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. His group is one of those fighting to maintain the wall of separation between church and state. His group is quite active in filing legal challenges to prayer in schools, hanging the ten commandments in public places, school vouchers, creationism as
science, and the political involvement of the religious right. He is in particular a foe of Pat Robertson, and is trying to revoke the tax exempt status of Robertson's Christian Coalition because of Robertson's use of the group to support conservative Christian candidates.
There is more about Lynn's organization at:
http://www.au.org/
I support him and his group, and besides he puts out an interesting newsletter every month. I wish more xians were like this guy. (John Hachmann #1782)
I can admire something a theist does, without admiring the fact they are a theist.
(pan #1432)
Most of the theists I know accept the fact that I'm an atheist and don't bother me about it. I respect that. Many of them do good things through their churches and on a personal level because they're good people.
It's the politically active theists who try to shove their beliefs down my throat that bother me. (atheist@home #1554)
In general, I don't mind if a person is a theist or not, I think of what they have done. And I can even admire them in their field of work and despise them in everything else. I can think now of a Spanish actor (an atheist, I seem to recall) who's an unbearable person, but I admire his acting and writing capabilities. And of a writer, theist for sure, Arturo Pérez-Reverte, the author of "The Fencing Master" and other novels, who I find a moron but a good writer and great reporter, and I admire these aspects of him. (Angel Arnal #1443)
Yes to both...
Living:
Jay Alford, the pastor of my mother's church. It's the one I grew up in, an
Assemblies of God which has broken with the main organization about the time of the Jimmy Swaggert scandals. The guy lives the standards that he preaches, in and out of church. He's always there for counsel and assistance, he manages a staff of about a dozen assistants, (this is a big, *wealthy* church) that has spawned a bunch of offspring churches. Preaches a hell of a sermon too, if that's your thing. You can talk to the guy outside of church and he's not a fire-breather like some of our phony "pastors" here. Tremendous integrity. One of his first actions when he came to the church was to root out a couple of corrupt old-timers who wielded influence and who make Pastor Frank or EJ look like minor leaguers.
Dead:
Maybe I don't admire the men so much as their works: Dante Alighieri, who wrote the "Divine Commedia" also knows as "The Inferno," "Purgatorio" and "Paradiso." These books are epic poems, more than just theological works, they're masterpieces of medieval politics, science, religion, philosophy, art, and history. If you can absorb them, you'll learn more about the time and the religion than from any dozen
other sources. Johann Sebastian Bach, who composed some of the most magnificent music ever heard on the planet. (Fred Stone #1369)
My admiration for such people is based on their character, their achievements, their intellectual capacities, their personalities. I don't evaluate people on the basis of whether or not they believe in god(s). Nor do I think that - because I'm an atheist - non-believers are necessarily better people than believers.
While I have no use at all for religion and no admiration for anyone who allows slavish devotion to any religion to dominate their lives, I know many theists who are fine, worthwhile people. (George Ricker #146)
It is more to the point whether atheists admire theists for something that was influenced by their theism - moral standing, some activism, or an outstanding endeavour.
As for me, I *do* admire some theists for such reasons. For example, M.K. "Mahatma" Gandhi. His novel method of political struggle was religiously motivated, as was his ascetic way of life.
Of theists presently alive, I can't recall many. But one is Peter Garrett, lead singer of Australian rock band Midnight Oil. (Daneel #323)
- Any religious scientist who believes that nature and the universe tell us more truthfully about "Creation" than some dogmatic piece of paper.
Do deists count?
- Voltaire: Smart, tolerant (He didn't like atheists, but I forgive him as he was a product of his time! ;), great sense of humour, not as radical a deist as Thomas Paine, say. (Matthias Weiss)
There are also a couple of them on a.a. that are pretty reasonable. You know who you are.
I also have met and worked with some deeply religious people of different persuations, they have all accepted me not sharing their faith and I have always tried to respect theirs.
The only kind of theists I really have a problem with are the fundybots, I get an allergic kind of reaction to those. They are overrepresented here in a.a. unfortunately. (Ichimusai #769)
I watched the PBS show "Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln: A House Divided" last week. I've always been an admirer of Lincoln's and it seems that the older I get, the more my esteem for the man grows. (Flannel #1777)
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