An interesting** paradox came to my mind while I was at the dentist.
And no, I was not on any laughing gas. Although I do hate how as the shots wear off my nose tickled like I needed to sneeze... But dentist visits make for another entry.
The religious Christian folks who advocate teaching "Intelligent Design" in our children's science curriculum usually use a certain angle. It is usually pointed out that "Intelligent Design" and "Evolution" are both theories and therefore can be taught side by side as theory.
All-right, leaving aside the rebuttal that "Intelligent Design" is a moral, historical, allegorical, and theological "theory" and therefore doesn't belong in a SCIENCE curriculum, there is a glaring issue with their "teach them side by side" position.
Creationists like to push the concept that we should teach both theories side by side, and let the kids make their own intelligent decisions about which they feel is the more plausible theory.
While at the same time, those same exact people - are fighting to censor our airwaves. They say that lots of music or TV programming is inappropriate for kids, or even young adults, and therefore should not be on our airwaves. They push "decency" standards. They sue.
Why is it OK for kids to make decisions themselves about the origin of mankind, yet not about exposure to nudity, profanity, or violence?
If we want to go further, we can look at alcohol or tobacco consumption, driving, and even sex and marriage.
All of these things, are the types of things that many of the same people who are pushing "Intelligent Design" actively shelter their children from with the excuse that they are not able to make good decisions as children or adolescents.
But how about the humdinger? All of those things are easy pickins for the the religious zealot. How about something else? How about. . .
Wait for it. . .
Homosexuality?
Why can't a person who is intelligent enough to decide which complicated theory got us here - decide whether or not they prefer same sex companionship?
I say, if they can chose how we got here, they can chose whether or not they want to change the channel when sex and violence come on TV. But if you don't give your child enough credit to make it through life if they are exposed to homosexuality - then they certainly can't handle complex theories like "Intelligent Design" and "evolution".
Oh, I see. You want your kids to be able to chose on the topics you find fitting - but not on anything else.
Ahh, I get it.
(As a side note, every time I typed "Intelligent" in this entry, I misspelled it. Thank god for real time spell checking on my Mac. Does spelling ability have anything to do with "Intellegence" ?)
And no, I don't think all Christians fit my description here. It is just we never hear about those *good* Christians because they are all out, you know, being Christians - instead of trying to piss off the rest of the planet. I think most *real* Christians secretly wish that these crazy extremist annoying hypocritical people who call themselves "Christian" would just disappear - or at least re-brand themselves. Only a *real* Christian will never admit that because they are too loving and tolerant to discriminate like many of the "so-called Christians" do.
**Well at least it was interesting to me.
And no, I was not on any laughing gas. Although I do hate how as the shots wear off my nose tickled like I needed to sneeze... But dentist visits make for another entry.
The religious Christian folks who advocate teaching "Intelligent Design" in our children's science curriculum usually use a certain angle. It is usually pointed out that "Intelligent Design" and "Evolution" are both theories and therefore can be taught side by side as theory.
All-right, leaving aside the rebuttal that "Intelligent Design" is a moral, historical, allegorical, and theological "theory" and therefore doesn't belong in a SCIENCE curriculum, there is a glaring issue with their "teach them side by side" position.
Creationists like to push the concept that we should teach both theories side by side, and let the kids make their own intelligent decisions about which they feel is the more plausible theory.
While at the same time, those same exact people - are fighting to censor our airwaves. They say that lots of music or TV programming is inappropriate for kids, or even young adults, and therefore should not be on our airwaves. They push "decency" standards. They sue.
Why is it OK for kids to make decisions themselves about the origin of mankind, yet not about exposure to nudity, profanity, or violence?
If we want to go further, we can look at alcohol or tobacco consumption, driving, and even sex and marriage.
All of these things, are the types of things that many of the same people who are pushing "Intelligent Design" actively shelter their children from with the excuse that they are not able to make good decisions as children or adolescents.
But how about the humdinger? All of those things are easy pickins for the the religious zealot. How about something else? How about. . .
Wait for it. . .
Homosexuality?
Why can't a person who is intelligent enough to decide which complicated theory got us here - decide whether or not they prefer same sex companionship?
I say, if they can chose how we got here, they can chose whether or not they want to change the channel when sex and violence come on TV. But if you don't give your child enough credit to make it through life if they are exposed to homosexuality - then they certainly can't handle complex theories like "Intelligent Design" and "evolution".
Oh, I see. You want your kids to be able to chose on the topics you find fitting - but not on anything else.
Ahh, I get it.
(As a side note, every time I typed "Intelligent" in this entry, I misspelled it. Thank god for real time spell checking on my Mac. Does spelling ability have anything to do with "Intellegence" ?)
And no, I don't think all Christians fit my description here. It is just we never hear about those *good* Christians because they are all out, you know, being Christians - instead of trying to piss off the rest of the planet. I think most *real* Christians secretly wish that these crazy extremist annoying hypocritical people who call themselves "Christian" would just disappear - or at least re-brand themselves. Only a *real* Christian will never admit that because they are too loving and tolerant to discriminate like many of the "so-called Christians" do.
Common sense is not common.
-Voltaire
Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.
~Seneca the Younger
Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense.
~Chapman Cohen
Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction.
~Pascal
There is no position on which people are so immovable as their religious beliefs.
-Barry Goldwater
**Well at least it was interesting to me.
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