There are certain ways you have to delude yourself. Self-delusion is important, for instance in family life. You know what I mean? If you're in love with your wife you have to go in there with blind faith. You have to support everything. And with your kids, you have to believe that you're doing something that has higher purpose; even though you don't have any evidence that that's the way it's going to turn out.
Greg GraffinThere are certain ways you have to delude yourself. Self-delusion is important, for instance in family life. You know what I mean? If you're in love with your wife you have to go in there with blind faith. You have to support everything. And with your kids, you have to believe that you're doing something that has higher purpose; even though you don't have any evidence that that's the way it's going to turn out.
Greg GraffinIf you accept learning as a dominant determination of your behavior, then all of a sudden you're open to the idea that, for instance, there are other people who are more educated than you about the environment, who you will learn from. It's kind of like you don't even have to believe that you know anything about the environment, but you do have to understand that your behavior has been determined by learning in the past.
Greg GraffinAs Iโve said, Iโve never believed in God, which technically makes me an atheist (since the prefix โaโ means โnotโ or โwithoutโ). But I have problems with the word โatheism.โ It defines what someone is not rather than what someone is. It would be like calling me an a-instrumentalist for Bad Religion rather than the bandโs singer. Defining yourself as against something says very little about what you are for.
Greg GraffinUnfortunately, the average guy on the street believes that studying evolution leads to atheism.
Greg Graffin