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PhDreamer
SFN Regular
USA
925 Posts |
 Posted - 09/30/2001 : 20:15:24 [Permalink]
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quote:
Man, you brits are lucky, i'm a sophomore in high school and i have to put up with my biology teacher dance around the word "evolution" every day. I put up with it by reading Darwin, Voltaire, and other great skeptic's works. My friends in scotland say that theres an american exchange program being offered....maybe I'll take up their offer...
What's the problem with the word 'evolution' in your high school? Is it the teacher's personal thing or is it the administration's? How can they teach the science if they won't use the terminology?
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Slater
SFN Regular
USA
1668 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2001 : 09:35:35 [Permalink]
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quote:
I, as an Agnostic who was raised Catholic, have a great respect for religion and the positive role it can play in civilized society... I was recently talking to a co-worker who was telling me that several years ago he was a drug user, an abuser, and an all-around not-so-nice-guy. He says that since he "found God" his life has turned around...For many people religion is an excuse to do-the-right-thing; and this is good.
Some times you hear something repeated so often that you just accept it as being true. Most American's think that, "Breakfast is your most important meal." In actuality it's no more important than any other meal. That phrase was an advertising slogan that the Kellogg's Company used during the 1920's, not a scientific judgement.
It is the most important meal--to them, they sell corn flakes.
This idea that religion is needed to keep ordinary people from becoming anti-societal villains is just another advertising slogan.
If you look at Atheists/Agnostics on the FBI crime statistics you find that in felonies they rank, on a per capita basis, extremely low. Only a couple of minor Christian sects have a lower crime rate. There are no Atheists convicted of capital offenses in the US at this time.
Divorce rates are also very low, a close match with Roman Catholics.
In everyday life it is impossible to tell the difference between Atheists/Agnostics and Christians by their behavior.
So what does this mean?
If religion is necessary to keep people from "running amok" then Atheists/Agnostics must be super wonderful people. They must be far superior to Christians to be able to behave in a manner indistinguishable from them without the civilizing effects of religion. Atheists/Agnostics must have powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men.
Or…
Maybe Atheists/Agnostics are just ordinary people like everyone else. If that is the case then they are proof that religion isn't needed at all to insure the civilized behavior of the masses.
Maybe the ideas that "all men are sinners," that everyone has a "sin nature," that man has "fallen from grace" that the world is a "veil of tears and a trial" are just advertising slogans to sell an unneeded product
Myself, I am also a "recovered Roman Catholic" and I am well aware of the claims Holy Mother Church makes for it's hand in the advancement of Western Civilization. However if one looks closely at European history you find that the Church was the greatest single element working against the advancement of civilization.
I was talking the other day with the owner of Earthbath--Totally natural pet shampoo" company. He said that the sweetest words to him were "Shampoo, Rinse,Repeat". He explained that repeating didn't get your dog any cleaner but it did use up a lot more shampoo. There has been more than one Pope who shared his attitude.
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The brain that was stolen from my laboratory was a criminal brain. Only evil will come from it. |
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theweirdirishman
New Member
8 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2001 : 18:28:47 [Permalink]
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quote:
What's the problem with the word 'evolution' in your high school? Is it the teacher's personal thing or is it the administration's? How can they teach the science if they won't use the terminology?
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Its not that he doesnt use the terminology, its just that everytime someone uses the word "evolution" some fundamentalist tightass christian gets uptight about how "HUMANS DIDNT EVOLVE FROM MONKEYS, WE JUST APPEARED OUT OF THIN AIR!!!" But there was a case a few years ago of a family suing the school over the evolution topic, fortunately, the judge threw it out as quickly as it came in.
-theweirdirishman
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ljbrs
SFN Regular
USA
842 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2001 : 19:15:34 [Permalink]
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I guess that I am somewhat different. I have never, ever been religious. I simply have always believed (as far back as I can remember) that whatever can be shown to exist, exists and whatever can be demonstrated to be true, is true. This lack of belief in baloney has always included a lack of belief in all of the other little cons which are foisted on chldren: Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, etc. I formulated my ideas when I was young, have thought them out clearly, regularly review them, and have no problems with them. I simply accept things to be what they are, and then I go on with my life, as usual. There is no big deal. I do not want anybody believing in everything I believe. It all belongs to me personally and their beliefs should belong to them in the same way.
Thinking one's way through life is the best way to go. While I might have problems with others over my beliefs (or lack of beliefs), my faith in myself and in my mind has increased in strength over time.
ljbrs   
*Nothing is more damaging to a new truth than an old error.* Goethe |
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PhDreamer
SFN Regular
USA
925 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2001 : 19:56:24 [Permalink]
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quote:
quote:
What's the problem with the word 'evolution' in your high school? Is it the teacher's personal thing or is it the administration's? How can they teach the science if they won't use the terminology?
This signature does not exist.
Its not that he doesnt use the terminology, its just that everytime someone uses the word "evolution" some fundamentalist tightass christian gets uptight about how "HUMANS DIDNT EVOLVE FROM MONKEYS, WE JUST APPEARED OUT OF THIN AIR!!!" But there was a case a few years ago of a family suing the school over the evolution topic, fortunately, the judge threw it out as quickly as it came in.
I can't believe your school administration allows this kind of disruption, as if avoiding the word 'evolution' somehow keeps the concept out of mind anyway. Where do you go to school?
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Espritch
Skeptic Friend
USA
284 Posts |
Posted - 10/01/2001 : 21:12:01 [Permalink]
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Its not that he doesnt use the terminology, its just that everytime someone uses the word "evolution" some fundamentalist tightass christian gets uptight about how "HUMANS DIDNT EVOLVE FROM MONKEYS, WE JUST APPEARED OUT OF THIN AIR!!!"
A few weeks ago, I and my brother were in Tennessee visiting some caves. On one tour the guide asked if anyone had any questions. I asked him how old the cave was. A fairly innocuous question you would think. But rather than answer the question, he became evasive.
I got the impression that he knew the correct answer but either he had made the mistake of given this answer once in the presence of some uptight fundy or else his boss had recommended that he avoid potentially "controversial" subjects.
It really kind of ticks me off that fundies have become such a consistent impediment to science, rational thinking, and the free exchange of ideas in this country. If they want to believe idiotic things, that's their business, but why must they insist that everyone else share their stupidity?
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Trish
SFN Addict
USA
2102 Posts |
Posted - 10/02/2001 : 04:44:32 [Permalink]
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It really kind of ticks me off that fundies have become such a consistent impediment to science, rational thinking, and the free exchange of ideas in this country. If they want to believe idiotic things, that's their business, but why must they insist that everyone else share their stupidity?
Maybe something to do with the concept of:
*Go forth and spread the good news.*
They somehow translate that to mean:
*Go forth and spread the idiocy.*
He's YOUR god, they're YOUR rules, YOU burn in hell! |
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