The facts are only half the story
Dating an Atheist has proven to be one of the most interesting – and at times , frustrating – situations of delivering “just the facts”. I have Christian beliefs, dating a man whose family is Jewish, and he himself is a devout Atheist. Talk about your stories of clashes of belief systems.
His belief in Atheism doesn’t allow for beliefs in anything that cannot be scientifically proven. I, on the other hand, relish my belief in stories, understand the need for folk lore, and believe a good physic fair should NEVER be missed! The combination of the two are an interesting mix. We have a large base for great conversations, and the occasional debate.
He wonders constantly at why people waste their time sitting around talking about, what he considers “ghost stories”, or “fables”? Why do we continue these traditions and myths? To him, they are as bad as Disney fairy tales – stories that we shouldn’t be giving time or credence too. In the end, his motto lands closer to “Just the facts please… and nothing else.”
Don’t get me wrong, the man isn’t an unfeeling robot. He enjoys the simpler things in life, loves a great movie, reads extensively, and can appreciate the magic of a moment. But what he finds as an unforgivable offense is to govern your life by a set of fables or traditions, to make life decisions based on them.
There are times, I tell him, that I feel sorry for him. As his life is based in Science, what kind of flavor does it have? Without a bit of faith, how do you get past the loss of a loved one? If you stick to the dry and boring facts of the scientific community, where do you find strength to move forward when you can’t see hope in the future?
To me, if you keep it just to the facts, you’re missing so much. The facts don’t leave room for the magic of life. I don’t want to hear about the chemical reactions that occur when you fall in love – I want to believe in the magic of one true love of a lifetime; that beauty should not be lost to the test tube of science.
“Nothing but the truth” only gives you part of the story, not the entire story. Facts can not convey the entirety of the story – they give you only the chance happenings of the day – without the twinkle in the eyes of children, the love of a complete stranger, and hope that lies with knowing that something better is always around the corner, life is not as fulfilling.
Now, the funny part of all of this: My boyfriend is a Creative Director! He spends his times creating stories, science fiction and fantasies for others to enjoy… Anyone else see the irony is this?
About Tee
It's funny… my sister and I were just talking about what you can't compromise on in a relationship, and religious beliefs was one of those things. But–obviously–it isn't that simple. The next time you have a debate, just tell him if you were a "just the facts" girl, you probably wouldn't have fallen for him. 😉
heh