1. How to Respond to Religious Disagreement
Andrew Moon
4/13/12

2. How should we respond to religious disagreement?
Main Question
How should we respond to religious disagreement?

3. What is ethics?

4. What is ethics?
It is the study of right and wrong, good and bad.

5. What is ethics? It is the study of right and wrong, good and bad
Question: What are right or wrong ways to behave?

6. What is epistemology?

7. What is epistemology?
It is the study of knowledge and rational belief

8. What is epistemology? It is the study of knowledge and rational belief
Question: “What is it rational to believe?”

9. How should we respond to religious disagreement?
Main Question
How should we respond to religious disagreement?

10. How should we respond to religious disagreement?
1) Morally, how should we respond to religious disagreement?

11. How should we respond to religious disagreement?
1) Morally, how should we respond to religious disagreement? 2) Epistemologically (or rationally), how should we respond to religious disagreement?

12. Morally, how shouldn't we respond to religious disagreement?

13. Morally, how shouldn't we respond to religious disagreement?
Quickly judge them.

14. Morally, how shouldn't we respond to religious disagreement?
Quickly judge them.
Ignore the issue.

15. Morally, how shouldn't we respond to religious disagreement?
Quickly judge them.
Ignore the issue.
Demonize them.

16. Morally, how shouldn't we respond to religious disagreement?
Quickly judge them.
Ignore the issue.
Demonize them.
These are not good ways to respond to religious disagreement!

17. Morally, how should we respond to religious disagreement?

18. Morally, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Listen

19. Morally, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Listen
Give other people the benefit of the doubt

20. Morally, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Listen
Give other people the benefit of the doubt
Engage in intelligent and open discussion.

21. Morally, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Listen
Give other people the benefit of the doubt
Engage in intelligent and open discussion.
Be a kind and mature person!

22. Morally, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Listen
Give other people the benefit of the doubt
Engage in intelligent and open discussion.
Be a kind and mature person!
These are good ways to respond to religious disagreement!

23. How should we respond to religious disagreement?
1) Morally, how should we respond to religious disagreement? 2) Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?

24. How should we respond to religious disagreement?
2) Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?

25. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
When we see that someone disagrees with us about a religious issue, is it rational to continue holding on to our belief?

26. What is disagreement?

27. What is disagreement?
Ducks exist.

28. What is disagreement?
Ducks exist. (Believe)

29. What is disagreement?
Ducks exist. (Believe)
Santa exists.

30. What is disagreement? Ducks exist. (Believe)
Santa exists. (Disbelieve)

31. What is disagreement? Ducks exist. (Believe)
Santa exists. (Disbelieve)
There are an even number of ducks.

32. What is disagreement? Ducks exist. (Believe)
Santa exists. (Disbelieve)
There are an even number of ducks. (Withhold Belief)

33. What is disagreement? Theist – one who believes that God exists
Atheist – one who disbelieves that God exists (believes that God does not exist)
Agnostic – one who withholds belief that God exists.

34. What is disagreement? Theist – one who believes that God exists
Atheist – one who disbelieves that God exists (believes that God does not exist)
Agnostic – one who withholds belief that God exists.
Two people disagree when one person believes a claim and the other disbelieves the claim.

35. What is disagreement? Theist – one who believes that God exists
Atheist – one who disbelieves that God exists (believes that God does not exist)
Agnostic – one who withholds belief that God exists.
Two people disagree when one person believes a claim and the other disbelieves the claim.
I will focus on the disagreement between theists and atheists.

36. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?

37. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Math Superior – You do a math problem and arrive at an answer: 17. After you turn in your work. Then your professor says that the answer is 18. Is it rational to continue believing that the answer is 17?

38. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Math Superior – You do a math problem and arrive at an answer: 17. After you turn in your work. Then your professor says that the answer is 18. Is it rational to continue believing that the answer is 17?
Math Inferior – The same events occur, but instead of your math professor saying that the answer is 18, a student who rarely comes to class and who often fails his tests tells you that the answer is 18. Is it rational to continue believing that the answer is 17?

39. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Math Peer – The same events occur, but this time, a student who does math problems just as well as you do says she got Is it rational to continue believing that the answer is 17?

40. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Philosophical Peer – Theodore studies the arguments for and against the existence of God. Theodore believes that the arguments for God's existence are superior. However, Theodore's atheist friend Athena believes that the atheistic arguments are superior. Each regards the other to be just as intelligent, honest, and philosophically able. Should they continue to hold on to their theism/atheism?

41. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Philosophical Peer – Theodore studies the arguments for and against the existence of God. Theodore believes that the arguments for God's existence are superior. However, Theodore's atheist friend Athena believes that the atheistic arguments are superior. Each regards the other to be just as intelligent, honest, and philosophically able. Should they continue to hold on to their theism/atheism?
It seems that they should withhold belief!

42. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Response: Wait… wait… wait… hold on…

43. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Response: Wait… wait… wait… hold on… Theistic belief isn’t about arguments. It’s about experiencing God. It’s about having a sense that there’s someone out there.

44. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Response: Wait… wait… wait… hold on… Theistic belief isn’t about arguments. It’s about experiencing God. It’s about having a sense that there’s someone out there. Theodore can say that he has a special experience or sense that Athena is missing.

45. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Visual Peer – Fred looks out into the quad and sees the dean of the college. Fred says, “Good ol’ dean!” Sally, who is next to him, says, “That wasn’t the dean. That was some random guy.” How should they rationally believe in response to one another?

46. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
If Fred rationally believes that Sally has impaired vision, then he is rational in retaining his belief.

47. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
If Fred rationally believes that Sally has impaired vision, then he is rational in retaining his belief.
If Sally rationally believes that Fred tends to hallucinate, then she is rational in retaining her disbelief.

48. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
If Fred rationally believes that Sally has impaired vision, then he is rational in retaining his belief.
If Sally rationally believes that Fred tends to hallucinate, then she is rational in retaining her disbelief.
If neither has any reason to think that the other’s vision is worse off, then each should withhold his or her belief.

49. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Religious Experience – Theodore, on the basis of experiences in life, comes to have a sense that there is a God. Athena says that she has never had this sense. How should they rationally respond to each other?

50. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
If Theodore rationally believes that Sally’s ability to sense God’s presence is impaired, then he is rational in retaining his belief.

51. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
If Theodore rationally believes that Sally’s ability to sense God’s presence is impaired, then he is rational in retaining his belief.
If Sally rationally believes that Fred is hallucinating, then she is rational in retaining her disbelief.

52. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
If Theodore rationally believes that Sally’s ability to sense God’s presence is impaired, then he is rational in retaining his belief.
If Sally rationally believes that Fred is hallucinating, then she is rational in retaining her disbelief.
If neither has any reason to think that the other’s abilities to detect God is worse off, then they should withhold their belief

53. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Conclusion

54. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Conclusion
Theists should either

55. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Conclusion
Theists should either
Withhold belief that God exists or

56. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Conclusion
Theists should either
Withhold belief that God exists or
Find a good reason for thinking that atheists’ ability to sense God’s presence is impaired.

57. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Conclusion
Theists should either
Withhold belief that God exists or
Find a good reason for thinking that atheists’ ability to sense God’s presence is impaired.
Atheists should either

58. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Conclusion
Theists should either
Withhold belief that God exists or
Find a good reason for thinking that atheists’ ability to sense God’s presence is impaired.
Atheists should either
Withhold belief that God does not exist or

59. Epistemologically, how should we respond to religious disagreement?
Conclusion
Theists should either
Withhold belief that God exists or
Find a good reason for thinking that atheists’ ability to sense God’s presence is impaired.
Atheists should either
Withhold belief that God does not exist or
Find a good reason for thinking that theists are hallucinating.

60. The End
Any questions?