Email From a Skeptic

Last week (over a few beers) I confessed my skepticism about God and religion to my older brother. We had a great talk, and at the end of the discussion we decided to begin a correspondence via email to discuss and debate the philosophical issues surrounding religion and belief in God. He also convinced me that I should include my dad, an intelligent and devout theologian, in the discussion.

I can honestly say that I have been hesitant to tell my dad about my doubts, as I have worried about what his response might be. My brother offered to kick-off the dialogue with my dad, and assured me that all would be well. After hearing back from my dad after he talked to my brother, I was pleased to find out that he was very understanding, and that he was more than willing to undertake an honest and rational exploration of the facts and the logic behind our belief systems. He told me that no matter how I make up my mind, he will always love and respect me. It's hard to put into words what that means to me.

Enough of the sappy stuff, though. This blog will be my attempt to document this journey with my brother and my dad. The idea behind the title "Email From a Skeptic" was inspired by Gregory Boyd's "Letters From a Skeptic". Perhaps this can serve as a modern version of that book, with the exception that it is from the viewpoint of the skeptic. I won't be copy-and-pasting emails in here verbatim, and while I will do my best to leave out the private matters, I will also do my best to leave in the relevant stuff.