Are You On the Fringe?

How do you define a fringe belief? You compare it against the majority fringe belief. Any belief that ultimately relies on my "feeling it is true", or "I have faith it is true", is a fringe belief and not just because it isn’t the majority opinion. When humanity believed the world was flat, was it? How about those fringe round worlders now?? All too often we interpret our feelings, thoughts based on intuitive and personally specific knowledge. This rarely leads to accuracy. Just as viewing the world thru our belief system rarely leads to accuracy in interpreting the facts.


Being on the fringe, in my opinion, is all too often defined by what the majority doesn't accept as truth, doesn't believe is accurate, or it simply doesn't find it acceptable in their culture, nation, work site or family. I'm on the fringe simply because I don't find any universally acceptable proof that anyone's god exists even though 84% of the U.S. population believe in a supernatural god. So much for the claim of persecution of religious believers by non-believers.

The truth is supposed to set you free, really? That's not what I see happening with believers and by their own admission. Truth or accuracy will set you free, but the key is "if" it is truly accurate and helpful information. Let's stop trying to make something fit if it doesn't work. I can't tell you how many people I see trying to live up to beliefs that only serve to cause confusion, depression, anxiety, shame and guilt.

My thought is, if it's broke don't keep using it. Look for something that works. The simplist answer is usually the correct one, not the one about invisible beings acting and or failing to act in our daily lives. Personally I think anyone who believes in supernaturalism is on the fringe. Maybe they are right. Time will tell. As for me, I plan on staying on the non-theist fringe only as long it's accurate. I'm not possessed to stay anywhere if it's inaccurate and unhelpful. I'm also not offended if people seek to understand why I don't believe.

Cheers,

Bill