I titled this entry the way I did because I have realized that each and every one of us need to truly ask ourselves that very same question. On the surface it seems like an easy question to answer. But is it? If you can answer that question without a shred of critical thought then the answer is probably a no.
You see, to be considered a critical thinker one must apply critical thinking skills to the simple situations as well as complex ones. I'm going to go out on a limb and state that of all the people who read this blog most consider themselves to be atheist, secular, a free thinker, or somewhere in between.
That being said, let me first state that most of the people I interact with on social media (Twitter) use logic, reason, and critical thought quite well when it comes to the topic of religion. We draw our conclusions from massive amounts of evidence that points toward all religions being nothing more than myth. Most of us have, at least, a basic understanding of science whether it be evolutionary biology, physics, chemistry, etc. At the same time, not a single one of us claim to be an expert in any field that we are not expert in. If we don't know about a scientific subject or don't have an answer to a particular question most of us don't pretend to. Most of us are very comfortable with the phrase "I don't know". In the same breath we tend to point out, and rightfully so, conclusions made by the religious that are not based on evidence, we are quick to point out a person who claims to be an expert in something they are not, and we are quick to point out the wrongfullness of a person disregarding facts in order to continue their belief in the supernatural.
When it comes to the topic of religion most of us tend to think critically about the topic and draw our conclusions from a place of educated thought and reasoning. However, for some who claim to be a "critical thinker" religion is where it stops being applied.
We are all human beings and with that comes our short-comings. We are emotional creatures and life seems to be an endless battle between drawing a conclusion based on emotion and drawing a conclusion based on facts and evidence put through the filter of critical thought. That being said, if you are one who "crucifies" the religious for not thinking critically, then you better be sure you don't do the same thing when it comes to other topics.
We use the term "cherry-picking" when debating the religious on what they choose to believe and what they choose to ignore when it comes to the bible. That line of thinking should be pointed out as flawed and backed up by sound arguments. What we also must do is guard against doing the same thing when it comes to topics that strike an emotional chord within each and every one of us.
We don't get to pick and choose what topics we get to apply critical thinking skills to. That would be intellictual dishonesty and hypocritical. No matter how much the topic strikes us emotionally, critical thought and reasoning must be used. We become what we hate if we don't take that extra second, that deep breath, or that pause in order to draw an opinion or conclusion. We must consider ALL facts, ALL evidence, ALL possible perspectives of a situation or topic before drawing our conclusions.
I understand this is easier said than done sometimes. Sometimes things strike us so emotionally hard that critical thought seems impossible. But to take the easy road, that is to say to react to a situation based on emotion alone can lead down a one way road and it becomes difficult to navigate back.
I implore each of you, myself included, not to "cherry-pick" what facts we want to base our opinions on and what facts we want to discard. If they fall in the catagory of fact then we don't get to pick and choose. We must take ALL facts into consideration before drawing a conclusion regardless if we like the conclusion or not.
As with evolution, facts are facts whether we want to believe in them or not. We could all use a reminder every now and then.
-Zombie
