Who Is a Christian?
This is interesting in light of a recent conversation here. Another post about Dobson here.
(Shimmies to RSR and Pharyngula)
From Pharyngula: "I'm not surprised at all. I've seen the UD crowd say that they don't think Ken Miller is a Christian, too. It's basically a way to punish people for not following their individual worldview."
I'm not surprised either, particularly considering what I've seen lately at Uncommon Descent. Shimmies to BC.
(Shimmies to RSR and Pharyngula)
From Pharyngula: "I'm not surprised at all. I've seen the UD crowd say that they don't think Ken Miller is a Christian, too. It's basically a way to punish people for not following their individual worldview."
I'm not surprised either, particularly considering what I've seen lately at Uncommon Descent. Shimmies to BC.
Labels: religion
posted by Kristine | Thursday, March 29, 2007
8 Comments:
The best part about atheism: schadenfreude.
There's nothing quite as satisfying as watching the wolves cannibalizing each other.
Ah, this goes on all the time though. "You're not a Christian." "No, you're not," blah, blah. I saw plenty of it.
Over at RedStateRabble I mention the fact that those people who stand on street corners "witnessing" often look like they're about to hurl before they talk to you. They're scared. I don't blame them, but they were told that they "have to do it" and they believe it.
I also mention that when I was a teenager our church brought in someone who gave us the "witnessing" pitch - there I was, outwardly one of the gang (except when I asked questions, which I did), inside not buying this jazz, listening to the guy tell us to "witness" on the streets. I thought, "No way! Not ever! I'm going through the motions until I'm eighteen and I can leave, and that's enough!"
Kristine,
I posted some of the same stuff I posted here over at RSR. The material about there being no restrictions on rolling your own religion often makes people think.
I don't enjoy other's distress, so to me the schadenfreude is not thee best part of atheism. For me, the best part of atheism is that it better fits the data coming to me from the natural world; atheism is closer to true. Then, without the overhead of religion - time and financial commitments as well as the pernicious intellectual impairment - I have more time and other resources to do those things that really do make a difference to me, my family and the rest of mankind.
I admit to some schadenfreude as regards the ID movement tanking because I think it's such a scam, but the "You're not a Christian" crap is just abusive. As I said, it's used to scare little kids into thinking that they have to "witness." I agree with you about what's best about atheism, but I'm not interested in "rolling my own religion." I do think, however, when one sheds preconceptions (as much as that's possible), what emerges could be a spirituality, but it would be something the world has never seen before.
I admit though, seeing Dobson spout off in this stupid manner is pretty convenient right now, and I'll enjoy anything that makes people see him, Falwell, Robertson, the Left Behind Dodos and others like them for the morons that they are.
Evangelicals, of any stripe, are pains in tender portions. I am able to observe the Golden Rule in one particular; I don't care to have people knocking on my door trying to foist their peculiar religion on me, so I don't go up and down the street doing the same thing. The way I see it, if God wants me to know something, she will tell me herself.
Scotius
I don't care to have people knocking on my door trying to foist their peculiar religion on me
They're trying to foist their peculiar loophole in the Golden Rule. And basically, that's what I see religion as. It's definitely a loophole for this being that people call God, because He gets to do anything that he wants with us. And I don't believe in that kind of relationship.
"There is no two-day-old religion without its one-day-old heresy."
I heard that twenty-five years ago. I wish I could remember who said it, and where he got it, so that I could properly document it.
Ain't it de troot' though. Before Constantine legitimized Christianity, there were the Gnostics, the Monophysites, the Pelagians, the Arians, and so on, all scrappin', fightin', and generally raising hell about their various faiths. A few centuries later, the Picts and the Scots were breaking one another's skulls over the proper observance of Easter.
I've said it before; most people are ignorant dolts about religion.
Scotius
Ain't it de troot' though.
Yes, t'is.
It's ironic that Dembski, who likes to be called the “Isaac Newton of information theory” loves to bring up the fact that Newton was a “Christian,” but in fact Newton was an Arian and had to keep his beliefs secret to avoid a heresy charge.
Newton also enjoyed placing several of his competitors on the gallows. He was a virgin to the day he died. He was brilliant but not a pleasant man by any means.
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