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Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina  FYI this religion post was the brainchild of an (almost) 30-day trial with no sex.
The following post was written within an hour after sex.
Which is better? |
How do you define better? What is the goal for you when you write an article?
In my option, the religion article is much, much better.
What's the point of improving habits if they are the wrong habits?
The tone in the habits article is much more peaceful, but that comes at the expense of real passion. I can feel much more energy surrounding the religion article. It's an internet changer. Honestly, it almost made me cry I felt so validated when I read it.
Articles like that, so full of passion and worded with blunt, sometimes harsh statements, were initially what made me want to try veganism.
I was a twice a week steakhouse buffet attendee before I read this sentence,
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Steve Pavlina You could devote your entire life to Greenpeace, and it will only amount to a puny fraction of what you’d accomplish by living as a resource-guzzling playboy who happens to be vegetarian. |
That statement definitely forced a reaction from me. I was outraged!! I knew it couldn't be true. In fact, I wasn't going to stand for you slandering peoples life purposes like that. But the more I researched things, the more I couldn't back up my arguments, no matter how hard I tried.
Absolute statements force reactions. People have to go "all in" if they want to stay in the game. Either they have better cards, or they don't. Either way, the bets been called.
I couldn't show any better hands in support of eating meat. It deeply bothered me that I couldn't, and it took me months to accept that I had no valid reason to keep on doing it.
The religion article is just like that. It's written in absolutes, it's uncompromising.
Can all the plausible positive effects of religion trump the negatives you document? I don't think they can.
You don't need religion to engage in positive social structures. You don't need religion to be a charitable person. You don't need religion be be a loving person, or to live ethically. Meanwhile, the net negative impacts of religion are a reality that many, many people need to reconcile.
To me, that's certainty more important to delve into than telling people how to improve habits.