To those of you who practice moderation and free thinking I raise a glass to you.

@val70 But, but ... Your profile says 'open minded'.

@Really Read more and be open minded. Start with Montaigne and perhaps you'll get pass the buts

@val70 Pascal

@revenant Ah yes, the benefits outweigh anything else :) For both the main question was about the dangers of zealotry, of serious religious belief (for Montaigne), or the dangers of the lack of zealotry (for Pascal). Whenever I think of Pascal's famous saying that it is the heart that feels God and not reason, well, I go back in my memories of staying at my grandparents. They didn't go to church but had great faith. There was enough scared heart imaginary around for that. It's a real pity that people nowadays are more interested in how to use smartphones correctly than finding true and long lasting spirituality

@val70 @val70 I seriously try to be open minded.

There are hundreds; maybe thousands of books I have read; and millions, perhaps billions I have not (Including anything I recall, written by anyone called Montaigne.) - none of which prevents me from being open minded. Why do you think it would?

Oh, I looked for something by Montaigne (do you think he was open minded?) and found this:

'"Valour has its bounds as well as other virtues, which, once transgressed,
the next step is into the territories of vice; so that by having too
large a proportion of this heroic virtue, unless a man be very perfect in
its limits, which upon the confines are very hard to discern, he may very
easily unawares run into temerity, obstinacy, and folly. From this
consideration it is that we have derived the custom, in times of war, to
punish, even with death, those who are obstinate to defend a place that
by the rules of war is not tenable; otherwise men would be so confident
upon the hope of impunity, that not a henroost but would resist and seek
to stop an army.'"

I have I have no reason to read anything written in such a convoluted, antiquated style. There is plenty of modern thoughtfully written philosophy that's easily accessible in both senses of the word.

I do enjoy Kierkegaard among others - "The thinker without a paradox is a paltry mediocrity" (Either/Or)

I also appreciate fiction writers - Le Carré is one - who can quietly include social, political & philosophical thought within the stories they spin.

"This will require the elevation of pragmatism over ideology. It will require that both sides give up rights. Rights. Giving up rights is a hard thing to do. It will require that each side recognizes and acknowledges the pain and the suffering of the other. And it will require an end to the hateful attitudes and speech that some on each side direct against the other. - John Le Carré's character Amos in 'Absolute friends'."

In any case I read only for my own enjoyment and learning.

- So there! 😜