Dr. Matt May

We'll see you.

We'll see you.

So glad to be here with both of you and all of our listening audience.

So glad to be here with both of you and all of our listening audience.

I have maybe one brief thing to say about that, which is just guilty as charged. I'm often very aggressive when I'm debating an idea. And sometimes that even kind of crosses over a boundary, I think, of attacking the person with the idea. And I feel really sad if I have harmed anyone or disrespected someone based on their belief system. I respect anyone of any belief system.

I have maybe one brief thing to say about that, which is just guilty as charged. I'm often very aggressive when I'm debating an idea. And sometimes that even kind of crosses over a boundary, I think, of attacking the person with the idea. And I feel really sad if I have harmed anyone or disrespected someone based on their belief system. I respect anyone of any belief system.

And yeah, I have no place to judge others based on their belief system. I do like the freedom that we have to kind of debate ideas. I think that's important and would like to continue to do that. But I don't want to do any harm or cause anyone suffering or to feel judged based on the way I'm approaching this conversation. So, yeah, I'm sad. I'm sad that they experienced that.

And yeah, I have no place to judge others based on their belief system. I do like the freedom that we have to kind of debate ideas. I think that's important and would like to continue to do that. But I don't want to do any harm or cause anyone suffering or to feel judged based on the way I'm approaching this conversation. So, yeah, I'm sad. I'm sad that they experienced that.

And I'm glad that they brought it up on Reddit for us to talk about here.

And I'm glad that they brought it up on Reddit for us to talk about here.

I love that too, David. Yeah. Just to further the conversation a little bit, I'd be interested in your response. I can't read the mind of the person who posted on Reddit, and I actually haven't gone to track down their actual statements, but imagine that their personal experience was that they were helped significantly.

I love that too, David. Yeah. Just to further the conversation a little bit, I'd be interested in your response. I can't read the mind of the person who posted on Reddit, and I actually haven't gone to track down their actual statements, but imagine that their personal experience was that they were helped significantly.

Through the their religious beliefs that the idea that they have a soul that's eternal, that they'll have an afterlife, that God loves them, that that has led to a sense of safety and peace and comfort for them and for their and for their community. It makes sense to me that they might feel threatened. Right. Sure.

Through the their religious beliefs that the idea that they have a soul that's eternal, that they'll have an afterlife, that God loves them, that that has led to a sense of safety and peace and comfort for them and for their and for their community. It makes sense to me that they might feel threatened. Right. Sure.

Uh, or scared if people are trying to pull the rug out from under their feet on a set of ideas that has been extremely comforting to them. And, and so my guess is that he's trying to be in a protective role. Um, and yeah, I, I can kind of see where that's coming from. Sure. I, I, and I also, also totally as a bit of a hero, right. Sees himself as a bit of a hero protecting folks who might, uh,

Uh, or scared if people are trying to pull the rug out from under their feet on a set of ideas that has been extremely comforting to them. And, and so my guess is that he's trying to be in a protective role. Um, and yeah, I, I can kind of see where that's coming from. Sure. I, I, and I also, also totally as a bit of a hero, right. Sees himself as a bit of a hero protecting folks who might, uh,

Straight from the faith.

Straight from the faith.

Yeah, exactly. And it leads to this in-group, out-group thinking that is so dangerous in humans to think of ourselves as, okay, we're in this group. We identify as Christian or Lutheran or Muslim. And therefore, everyone else is on the outside. Yeah, right. And that creates so much conflict and suffering.

Yeah, exactly. And it leads to this in-group, out-group thinking that is so dangerous in humans to think of ourselves as, okay, we're in this group. We identify as Christian or Lutheran or Muslim. And therefore, everyone else is on the outside. Yeah, right. And that creates so much conflict and suffering.