I am one of the latter.
My parents exposed me to Robert Heinlein when I was just a child and he quickly became the guiding force of my belief system. I have a complete collection of his works on my bookshelves. The following excerpts from Robert Heinlein's Notebook of Lazarus Long and my included rants explain my philosophies.
Any priest or shaman must be presumed guilty until proven innocent. -- Lazarus Long
History does not record anywhere at any time a religion that has any rational basis. Religion is a crutch for people not strong enough to stand up to the unknown without help. But, like dandruff, most people do have a religion and spend time and money on it and seem to derive considerable pleasure from fiddling with it. -- Lazarus Long
There is no conclusive evidence of life after death. But there is no evidence of any sort against it. Soon enough you will know. So why fret about it? -- Lazarus Long
One man's theology is another man's belly laugh. -- Lazarus Long
Televangelists: The Pro Wrestlers of religion. -- Lazarus Long
The most preposterous motion that H. sapiens has ever dreamed up it that the Lord God of Creation, Shaper and Ruler of all the Universes, wants the saccharine adoration of His creatures, can be swayed by prayers, and becomes petulant if He does not receive this flattery. Yet this absurd fantasy, without a shred of evidence to bolster it, pays all the expenses of the oldest, largest and least productive industry in all history. -- Lazarus Long
"God split himself into a myriad parts so that he might have friends". This may not be true, but it sounds good -- and is no sillier than any other theology. -- Lazarus Long
God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent---it says so right here on the label. If you have a mind capable of believing all three of these divine attributes simultaneously, I have a wonderful bargain for you. No checks, please. Cash and in small bills. -- Lazarus Long
We always let water over the bridge lie where Jesus flang it; you know that. -- Lazarus Long Freedom begins when you tell Mrs Grundy to go fly a kite.-- Lazarus Long
In other words mind your own business, if that doesn’t satisfy you, get a hobby.
What are the facts? Again and again and again --- what are the facts? Shun wishful thinking, ignore divine revelation, forget what "the stars foretell", avoid opinion, Care not what the neighbors think, never mind the unguessable "verdict of history" --- what are the facts, and to how many decimal places? You pilot always in to an unknown future; facts are your only chance. Get the facts! -- Lazarus Long
A generation which ignores history has no past and no future. -- Lazarus Long
If you ain't makin' waves, you ain't kickin' hard enough! -- Lazarus Long
Anyone who cannot cope with mathematics is not fully human. At best he is a tolerable subhuman who has learned to wear shoes, bathe, and not make messes in the house. -- Lazarus Long
"If you are part of a society that votes, then do so. There may be no candidate and no measures you want to vote for... but there are certain to be ones you want to vote against. In case of doubt, vote against. By this rule you rarely go wrong.
"If this is too blind for your taste, consult some well-meaning fool (there is always one around) and ask his advice. Then vote the other way. This enables you to be a good citizen (if such is your wish) without spending the enormous amount of time on it that truly intelligent exercise of franchise requires." -- Lazarus Long
You live and learn. Or you don't live long. -- Lazarus Long
Of all the strange "crimes" that human beings have legislated out of nothing, "blasphemy" is the most amazing---with "obscenity" and "indecent exposure" fighting it out for the second and third place. -- Lazarus Long
The plural of spouse is spice. -- Lazarus Long
A woman is not property, and husbands who think otherwise are living in a dreamworld. -- Lazarus Long
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity -- Lazarus Long
Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors, and miss. -- Lazarus Long
To stay young requires the unceasing ability to unlearn old falsehoods. -- Lazarus Long
Political tags -- such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth -- are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire. The former are idealists acting from highest motives for the greatest good of the greatest number. The latter are surly curmudgeons, suspicious and lacking in altruism. But they are more comfortable neighbors than the other sort. -- Lazarus Long
A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects. -- Lazarus Long
Get a shot off fast. This upsets him long enough to let you make your second shot perfect. -- Lazarus Long
Your enemy is never a villain in his own eyes. Keep this in mind, it may offer a way to make him your friend. If not, you can kill him without hate, and quickly. -- Lazarus Long
An armed society is a polite society.
A brute kills for pleasure. A fool kills from hate. -- Lazarus Long
It may be better to be a live jackal than a dead lion, but it is better still to be a live lion. And usually easier. -- Lazarus Long
Place your clothes and weapons where you can find them in the dark. -- Lazarus Long
The meek shall inherit the earth, a 6 foot plot above them. -- Lazarus Long
Something that should be REQUIRED reading in every school.
redrock
Isn't it odd that such a brilliant man saw order, but never the One who created that order?
Or that he could show that love and charity were the greatest acts and goals of mankind, but never wondered whether than might be by some Design? That we value self-determinism and choice, but never saw that we were designed that way?
Or that we might reflect the Image of the Designer by that love, charity and the ability to choose for ourselves the difference between right and wrong?