To me, this is about "coming out" with a Naturalistic worldview. This may have to do with Christopher Hitchens's recent death, or the crazy fundamentalist revival in The States, but it fits.
He says that "all that matters is what I see". All his detractors can "rattle off [their] talk," but it isn't going to change his mind.
"If [they] break [him] down", all they can fault him with is a "selfish desire", because they have nothing else with which to criticize him. Hence "desperate times call for desperate measures" and "I am not ashamed [of who I am]."
"It took me a long time [...] and I have chosen my path." He needs "them" to come to terms with it.
The revelations he's undergone will be seen by believers as lies, if he tries to explain them to the believers, so he (sarcastically?) tells them they can go back to their "truth".
He says "[he] could let [the believers] in", but they would need to set their feelings aside and look at it from a reasoning standpoint. "[He] only listens [to reason, to the spokespeople of atheism, agnostics, etc.]" because it helps his own peace of mind, not because it would actually "convert" anyone away from religion (he knows it wouldn't help break them away).
"I took a cane from a blind man" can refer to the usual radical atheist (thank Douglas Adams for that one) practice of trying to remove the crutch of belief from someone who can't see their life without it (blind) and doesn't see the world for what it is.
"And I've tasted the fruit in the Garden of Eden" can refer to the fact that he's gained knowledge that cannot ever allow him back into the Garden. He's seen the world in a much grander light, and can no longer believe.
"When I walk out of here, I know I'll stand clear": after arguing with this person, he'll keep his mouth shut...
"But the taste in my mouth still remains" but that doesn't mean the believer has won; he still has this "bad taste" from the former belief and though he may not complain directly, he can't ever go back to the way things were.
To me, this is about "coming out" with a Naturalistic worldview. This may have to do with Christopher Hitchens's recent death, or the crazy fundamentalist revival in The States, but it fits. He says that "all that matters is what I see". All his detractors can "rattle off [their] talk," but it isn't going to change his mind. "If [they] break [him] down", all they can fault him with is a "selfish desire", because they have nothing else with which to criticize him. Hence "desperate times call for desperate measures" and "I am not ashamed [of who I am]." "It took me a long time [...] and I have chosen my path." He needs "them" to come to terms with it. The revelations he's undergone will be seen by believers as lies, if he tries to explain them to the believers, so he (sarcastically?) tells them they can go back to their "truth". He says "[he] could let [the believers] in", but they would need to set their feelings aside and look at it from a reasoning standpoint. "[He] only listens [to reason, to the spokespeople of atheism, agnostics, etc.]" because it helps his own peace of mind, not because it would actually "convert" anyone away from religion (he knows it wouldn't help break them away). "I took a cane from a blind man" can refer to the usual radical atheist (thank Douglas Adams for that one) practice of trying to remove the crutch of belief from someone who can't see their life without it (blind) and doesn't see the world for what it is. "And I've tasted the fruit in the Garden of Eden" can refer to the fact that he's gained knowledge that cannot ever allow him back into the Garden. He's seen the world in a much grander light, and can no longer believe. "When I walk out of here, I know I'll stand clear": after arguing with this person, he'll keep his mouth shut... "But the taste in my mouth still remains" but that doesn't mean the believer has won; he still has this "bad taste" from the former belief and though he may not complain directly, he can't ever go back to the way things were.