To the editor:

There’s reality and there’s mythology. Scientific naturalists don’t confuse reality with mythology, but, unfortunately, religious fundamentalists confuse their mythology with reality.

Religious fundamentalists accept as definitive the ancient quasi-historical and mythological writings of a semi-literate, bronze/iron age, desert dwelling, goat herding tribe living in a remote part of the world. They believe some transcendental deity chose these people to be special, in spite of their sinful contumacious ways, while ignoring millions of people living in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas and other parts of the world who were not considered worthy of any recognition. This is unfair and extremely myopic to say the least.

It seems that accepting any religious assertion, whether in the resurrection of Jesus, Muhammad ascending to heaven by horse, or miracles, is just a matter of faith. A person believes it, on emotional needs without any objective evidence, and/or because some ancient people claim to have a special pipeline to some imaginary sky deity.

The Bible is one of the most cruel books ever assembled. Here is what biologist/essayist Richard Dawkins had to say in his book “The God Delusion:” “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: … a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, … genocidal bully.” A plain reading of these scriptures verifies everything in Dawkin’s statement.

In contrast, the scientific view embraces human reason, ethics, and philosophical naturalism while specifically rejecting supernaturalism, pseudoscience, superstition, and the paranormal as the basis of obtaining a realistic view of reality.

Philosophical naturalism is essentially the logical result of methodological naturalism, the doctrine which assumes that there is no way to contact, detect, or otherwise empirically observe the supernatural. Methodological naturalists believe the scientific method to be the best way to determine a valid view of reality.

The scientific method consists of gathering facts about the world by experimentation or observation, forming an hypothesis on the basis of these facts, repeatedly testing the hypothesis including investigation by independent peers, and finally forming a corresponding theory. The theory is provisional, but highly probable, and subject to alteration or rejection if later discoveries so indicate.

So, if you really want to become religiously and scientifically educated, study writings by well-educated theologians and scientists, not fundamentalist apologetics by biblical literalists. The reward is a mind free from religious mythology, pseudoscience balderdash, and irrational superstitions.