“I’m a Cultural Christian”.
That’s what Richard Dawkins, the world’s most famous atheist said. When he realised that a people ditching religion would not become moral, logical, atheist rationalists, but would more likely be parasitised by other powerful beliefs. And if that was millenarian Marxism that would not be good. If it was radical Islam it would not be good. If both Marx and Muhammad, even worse.
And so, this famous atheist, who’d mocked every aspect of Christianity in books and stages around the world, who’d published the best-selling The God Delusion”, came to this realisation. That Christianity had created the very society the treasures. Its culture, artworks, free speech, turn the other cheek, the Golden Rule.
Separately I called myself a “Christian Atheist”, many years ago. If I’m an atheist, I’d rather be so in a Christian society than, say, an Islamic one. The only other society that comes close is a Confucian one. As in China and the rest of East Asia. When China is not being communist.
Or Buddhist too. I guess. Like Thailand. But not Burma.
Elon Musk says something the same as Dawkins.
Here he is in 2024:
Elon Musk: I'm a big believer in the principles of Christianity.
“While I'm not a particularly religious person, I do believe that the teachings of Jesus are good and wise and that there's tremendous wisdom in Turn the other cheek.
For a while, when I was young, I thought that's really a weak thing to do.
With respect to bullies at school, I think you shouldn't turn the other cheek. You should punch them on the nose and then thereafter make peace with them. They need to stop bullying you, and a punch in the nose will stop that.
This notion of forgiveness is important. I think it's essential because if you don't forgive, then an eye for an eye makes everyone blind. If you're going to seek vengeance, you have this never-ending cycle of vengeance.
So, I'm actually a big believer in the principles of Christianity. I think they're very good.”
Interview with Jordan Peterson, July 22, 2024
