Religion

Hey, I almost forgot

Hey, I almost forgot… isn’t this National “Mission Accomplished” day?  Yeah!  No wait, that was yesterday, which was also National Prayer Day.  I missed them both, but somehow don’t they kind of belong together?  National exercises of ineffectual self-congratulation?  Jesus said pray in private in the closet and we made a national day out of it.  And still call ourselves a Christian nation.  Well at least we still hate gays, whom Jesus never mentioned in any way. 

No, really folks, I kid, I kid because I love.  But if we didn’t think there was some big guy in the sky who will bail us out of our mistakes, mightn’t we pay more attention to the possibility of screwing things up in the first place?

Posted by George on 05/02/08 at 06:59 AM
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Expelled, spewing into a theater near you

Ben Stein’s docuflunkary Expelled starts Saturday. Reviews I’ve seen so far focus on its clumsy scripting and propagandistic imagery, its intellectual dishonesty, and its outright total misunderstanding of what evolutionary theory is or is not.  The implication is that it will be naturally de-selected by the marketplace.

It would be nice if the movie fell to quick oblivion, but that isn’t going to happen. It really doesn’t matter if it’s bad or good. There’s serious money behind it, and a very popular religious meme.  Millions of people have a religious/political reason to see the movie, whatever its merits.  And it will live on in DVD performances in church basements everywhere.

The movie pits bad-boy rebel Ben Stein against “Big Science” to ask the question “But how did life begin in the first place?” But Stein never catches on that abiogenesis is a separate question from evolutionary theory.  Instead the movie keeps trying to clumsily pack “Darwinism” and Nazis into the same box.

At least the TV ad shows Richard Dawkins saying; “God is about as unlikely as faries, angels, hobgoblins etcetera.”

UPDATE: Jason Rosenhouse at EvolutionBlog reviews Expelled, The Movie.  And Ken Hanke at Mountain Express says; Junk science meets even junkier filmmaking.  Still slavering for more?  Scientific American’s John Rennie says; ”Expelled; No Integrity Displayed”.

Posted by George on 04/16/08 at 06:59 PM
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“Who’s crazier now, Washington Times?”

Allright, enough about Obama’s crazy ex-pastor.  You want crazy?  In The Revealer, “a daily review of religion & the press”, Read about a preacher with big-money connections to the Bush administration (and several other Washington pols) who makes Obama’s preacher look like the oracle of reason…

It’s all a matter of perspective, isn’t it?

Posted by George on 03/25/08 at 09:29 AM
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On terrorism: Credit where credit is due

It’s welcome news, this statement from a huge gathering of Muslim scholars:

“...Scholars from 6,000 religious schools attended the meeting. The Deoband school promotes a brand of Islam which some say was an inspiration to Afghanistan’s Taleban. The school has always denied this.

Opening the conclave the head of the Deoband school, Maulana Marghoobur Rahman, described terrorism as a thoughtless act which is against the teachings of Islam. He said that the killing of innocent people of any religion was prohibited by the Koran, the Muslim Holy Book.

Many participants said they want to change popular perceptions in which, they say, terrorism is being equated with Islam. Others said that while Muslims should not be harassed because of anti-terrorism operations, the community also needed to be more introspective… ”
BBC Reports Muslim scholars decry terrorism.

“More introspective.” Yeah, that would be good medicine for both sides right about now - or a lot earlier.  And neither side needs to wait for the other to start looking in the mirror either. Islam doesn’t really have a central authority so it takes time to get that many scholars together to see the obvious. 

But the Muslim world does have many equivalents to our president; tough-talking, anti-intellectual demagogues whose jingoism just churns out death and suffering all around in the name of widely held good principles. Right now they’re probably denouncing the conclave with Arabic rhetoric that translates to; “Lousy liberals!  Don’t they understand we’re at war?!

Anyway - good going, Muslim-scholar guys, this is a really positive step. It truly is the best thing you can do to help Muslims who live in non-Muslim societies. And, uh, everyone else too.

Posted by George on 02/27/08 at 06:07 AM
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Sunday Morning: The New Theology

The Chicago Tribune has a major article on a theological movement to re-imagine God in the light of the discoveries of science:

The New Theology

The article describes a correspondence between Brown university biologist Kenneth Miller and Amish carpenter Lamar Schlabach, University Of Chicago geneticist Jerry Coyne’s “colorful” de-conversion story, and others. 

“If your faith requires supernaturalism, or a God who wields overpowering control over nature, then yes, evolution will challenge that,” says Van Till, who took early retirement from Calvin College in 1999."The key is to correct your portrait of God,” he says.

Let me get the popcorn: the letters to the Trib’s editor will be stuffed with responses to this article for weeks to come.  It is an interesting article however.  I suggest using the ”print” link to print it out for easier reading as it is quite lengthy. 

What do you think?  Imagine two centuries from now, will Christianity adapt to science?  Or...?

Posted by George on 01/20/08 at 12:44 PM
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Two Republicans

Why not let Mike Huckabee put this whole “Church And State” thing in perspective for us?

“I have opponents in this race who do not want to change the Constitution,” Huckabee told a Michigan audience on Monday. “But I believe it’s a lot easier to change the Constitution than it would be to change the word of the living god. And that’s what we need to do—to amend the Constitution so it’s in God’s standards rather than try to change God’s standards so it lines up with some contemporary view.”

Mike Huckabee to MSNBC, 14 January 2008

Huckabee can’t be accused of hiding his true intentions.  Did he mean this “contemporary view”?

“[The pro-establishment clergy] believe that any portion of power confided to me, will be exerted in opposition to their schemes. And they believe rightly; for I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man. But this is all they have to fear from me: and enough, too, in their opinion.”

--Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Dr. Benjamin Rush, September 23, 1800

Heinlein’s Nehemiah Scudder was elected in 2012.  I think they’re ahead of schedule.  At very least the Republican party is trying to get there.

Posted by George on 01/15/08 at 04:43 PM
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Redneck Dawkins

Of all the criticisms directed at Richard Dawkins (mostly by people who have not read his books) I am most mystified by the notion that he is “strident” or “arrogant” or ever “rude” to believers.  This is largely a matter of definition; as far as some people are concerned, simply the act of questioning their unexamined beliefs is rude.  But apart from that I think there may be a cultural element.  So I propose an experiment if somebody majoring in sociology wants to dig up a grant.

Suppose you had a video of Richard Dawkins from his ‘God Delusion’ series, and you reproduced it as closely as possible using an actor with a heavy Southern accent - say Georgia or Texas.  The actor should be quite a few pounds heavier than Dawkins, and dress in typically American fashion. In other words, he should look and sound stereotypically American.  Same words, different guy.

Now play the two videos to two groups of participants in several different American cities, hopefully individuals who had never heard Dawkins speak before.  Afterward, ask some standard sociological questions: “Was professor Dawkins credible?  Would you like to hear more from him?  Would you share a meal with him?

The thing is, I’ve read several books by Dawkins, and quite a few videos, and I’ve never seen him be disrespectful or rude to anyone or even speaking about anyone.  I’d just be fascinated to know what percentage of his negative public image is due to the fact that he’s a tweedy professor who speaks with a British accent.  Sometimes I think it’s “Those hoity-toity British!  Speaking in their fake-sounding British accents...”

Posted by George on 12/24/07 at 05:12 PM
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“Dawkins, Dennett, Harris & Hitchens walk into a bar, and…”

Well, actually a comfortable drawing room in front of a fireplace.  Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens sit down at a table for two hours and discuss religious offense at atheism, the relation of faith and self-deception, and the separation of the numinous from the supernatural. (And that’s just in hour one.  Maybe in hour two they come out and say they were just joking about that...)

Hour two: Christopher Hitchens challenges Dennett on his proposition that there may be knowledge we’d be better off without, and Dawkins challenges Hitchens on his proposition that Michaelangelo couldn’t have done such wonderful art without religion.  Harris raises the point that criticism of religion should differentiate among the relative evils of religions, while Dawkins and Hitchens insist that it matters more if they are true than if they are evil.  And at the end of hour two the discussion turns to the real potential of global war over conflicting religious claims on a small piece of land.

Posted by George on 12/23/07 at 12:00 PM
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Tony Blair goes Roman

BBC Reports that Tony Blair has joined the Catholic Church.  According to the Faux News report I saw at the gym today, Blair said that “the Iraq war brought him closer to God.”

That’s nice, Tony.  Of course 173 of the soldiers you sent on that pointless errand are now a lot closer to God than you are.  And 3,896 Americans too, along with a half-million or so Iraqis and assorted others. 

And this is the guy who was worried about sounding crazy.

(Maybe Blair could have talked our god-addled leader out of this nonsense if he’d at least listened to what the pope was saying about the war before it started.)

Posted by George on 12/22/07 at 07:01 PM
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Vote the way we tell you or burn in hell
Bishops emphasized that voters must consider the church’s teachings on abortion and other moral issues when they select a candidate for the White House or any other office. If they don’t, bishops said, it’s not clergy who will judge them but God.

“It is important to be clear that the political choices faced by citizens have an impact on general peace and prosperity and also the individual’s salvation,” the bishops said in the document, titled “Faithful Citizenship.” “Similarly, the kinds of laws and policies supported by public officials affect their spiritual well-being…

...the guidelines issued Wednesday for the first time spelled out possible consequences as well as giving much more nuanced instruction to the Catholic electorate than in years past. Voters are implored not to support abortion-rights political candidates but also advised that views on abortion should not be the sole factor. Catholics should also weigh church teaching on such moral issues as immigration, just war and poverty, bishops said.”
Chicago Tribune: Catholic bishops say voters’ souls at stake

Y’know, I try pretty hard to be tolerant of mainstream religion.  After all, we share a lot of goals in common and I’d prefer to focus on the positive.  Maybe I’m just grouchy today but this crosses a serious line.  Not just “here’s some issues to think about” but a bald threat of eternal torture.  This is worse - worse than the Republicans’ fear-mongering that only they can keep you safe from Big Scary Osama (except when they can’t find him and they pretend he doesn’t matter). This is a divine protection racket.

Credible studies show that laws against abortion don’t keep it from happening.  But education does, and nonjudgmental availability of contraception does.  Yes, Planned Parenthood offers abortion services in some places but with all their other services, they’ve prevented more abortions than all the well-intentioned sign-toting Catholics who ever got sore feet wearing out sidewalks in front of clinics. 

Suppose a Catholic voter applies statistical thinking and reasons; “I want fewer abortions, so I’m going for the candidate with the most rational policies?” Well then I guess that voter can just burn in hell.  Or does it matter if there are abortions, as long as the doctor and the desperate mother are punished?  In that scenario only the irresponsible sperm donor gets off scot-free.

Oh wait, I think I understand now.  shut eye 

Posted by George on 11/15/07 at 07:31 PM
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Atheist anger, explained

I’ve been trying, unsuccessfully, to write a post about atheist anger for quite a long while now.  Some of my fellow atheists are really pissed off at religion - not just bible thumpers and jihadists but also the pastor of your local Episcopal church.  There are lots of reasons for this but the most common one is that ‘moderate’ religion provides cover for extremists to operate as destructively as they do.

My writer’s block stems from too much empathy.  I’ve been that guy, but I’ve been the other guy too and it’s made it difficult for me to stay angry for long even at people whom I think are tragically mistaken.  And it wouldn’t be unfair to say that annoys the living hell out of the angry set.  It’s a complicated topic and I have not yet figured out how to boil it down to a single post or even a series of posts.

Greta Christia has done some of the work for me, though, in an excellent post on atheists and anger.  It is lengthy but punchy in a way that lengthy posts seldom are.  She does an outstanding job of illuminating the angry end of the atheist spectrum, then goes on to discuss why she gets especially torqued off at religious people, or even worse, other atheists, who try to tell her she shouldn’t be so angry.  Here’s one short paragraph from the set:

I get angry when believers trumpet every good thing that’s ever been done in the name of religion as a reason why religion is a force for good… and then, when confronted with the horrible evils done in religion’s name, say that those evils weren’t done because of religion, were done because of politics of greed or fear or whatever, would have been done anyway even without religion, and shouldn’t be counted as religion’s fault. (Of course, to be fair, I also get angry when atheists do the opposite: chalk up every evil thing done in the name of religion as a black mark on religion’s record, but then insist that the good things were done for other reasons and would have been done anyway, etc. Neither side gets to have it both ways.)

If the post I’ve been trying to write is a thousand-piece puzzle, Greta’s post is like finding someone has put three hundred of the pieces together for me.  I recommend it to everyone interested in religion or atheism from any point of the anger spectrum. 

Posted by George on 10/16/07 at 07:04 PM
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A Jewish person’s response to Dawkins

Richard Dawkins is a smart guy, and I’ve read several of his books about evolution.  But lately he’s on a kick where he’s trying to make a virtue of atheism* and it’s given him a good chance to demonstrate that he has a tin ear when it comes to talking about social groups and identities.  His latest example was, well, you can read it for yourself…

In an interview with the Guardian, he said: “When you think about how fantastically successful the Jewish lobby has been, though, in fact, they are less numerous I am told - religious Jews anyway - than atheists and [yet they] more or less monopolise American foreign policy as far as many people can see. So if atheists could achieve a small fraction of that influence, the world would be a better place.”

It’s difficult for someone outside a group to even refer to any characteristic of that group without coming off as stereotyping - even if the observation is complimentary.  For instance, I once told someone that every Mexican I’d ever personally known was very hard working and highly motivated - and that’s true - and I got a lecture about cultural stereotypes.  Fine, whatever.

So how would a non-Jew speak about Jews or Jewish culture?  This is particularly dicey because even the mildest criticism is met with accusations of “anti-semitism”.  It’s hard to discuss anything where one side is constantly told they don’t have rights to any thoughts, feelings, or imagery.  Generally I admire a culture that emphasizes education and community and personal achievement and consequently has contributed more than its share of scientists, artists, writers and statesmen.  If you want to think I’m referring to the Jews there, go ahead, but I wouldn’t want to be accused of stereotyping.

I can, however, point to a Jewish person’s reaction to Dawkins’ comments.  Richard Rosenhouse at EvolutionBlog asks; How does this affect the Jews? In his essay he touches upon Mel Brooks, Fiddler On The Roof, Passover rituals, his affection and unabashed support for Israel, and relations between Jews and their gentile friends. 

...When you get right down to it, I love being Jewish. I love the fact that for all my mordant atheism I am not even one wit less Jewish than the most orthodox rabbi. There are no good Jews or bad Jews or lapsed Jews or anything Jews. There are just Jews, and that is all. I love the fact that a rabbi derives his authority not from any perceived personal relationship with God (an idea that Jews the world over regard as absurd, obscene and arrogant) but rather from his education and his years of study of all things Jewish. You respect a rabbi on Jewish questions for the same reason you trust a scientist to talk about science; they know more about it then you do…

Lots more there is! Well worth the time reading.

*(I think Dawkins is making the same mistake that Christians make when they claim that their personal relationship to Jesus makes them better people.  Atheists in charge wouldn’t necessarily do a better job than religionists.  If someone is a good person, they’re a good person; it doesn’t matter what label they slap on it.  There are plenty of counter-examples to the putative virtue of any group: Pat Robertson for Christianity, Osama Bin Laden for Islam, and Karl Rove for atheism...)

Posted by George on 10/11/07 at 08:59 PM
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Checkout Lane Religion

Spotted in a checkout lane at Schnuck’s in Urbana, Illinois 2 weeks ago…

The comic strip 9 Chickweed Lane has a character who is an alien living among humans.  His God is named “Monty” and the place of Monty worship is the checkout lane of the local grocery store.  Hmm…

Posted by George on 09/17/07 at 09:14 AM
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Bin Laden becomes televangelist, invites US to “Embrace Islam”

Osama Bin Laden released another video this week, and it has been confirmed that it was actually him.

I’ve always said that I could find something to agree with from almost anyone:

Continued...

Posted by George on 09/09/07 at 03:17 PM
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Second Life to acquire Jesuit Missionaries

WeeDram made a comment in a previous post about people who a “hide in a cyberworld” and it reminded me of a news story about Jesuits being encouraged to get SecondLife accounts and try to preach to the unconverted there.  But the academic Jesuit journalist warned them in advance; there’s a lot of sex in SecondLife. 

Spadaro warns the uninitiated that “the erotic dimension is very present” in Second Life, that people can buy genitalia for their avatars in a world that is “open to any form of erotic stimulation from prostitution to paedophilia”. While the virtual world might be a refuge for some people seeking to flee the real one, it is also full of people seeking something more from life, including, possibly, religious enlightenment, he said.

“Deep down, the digital world can be considered, in its way, mission territory,” he said. “Second Life is somewhere where the opportunity to meet people and to grow should not be missed, therefore, any initiative that can inspire the residents in a positive way should be considered opportune.”
- IT News:  Jesuits say take word of God to Second Life

Wired magazine writer Lore Sjoberg ponders:

The problem with this is that virtual worlds are someplace where you can be someone else. In fact, you can be anyone else. It would be ridiculous to go a comic book convention and try to talk someone dressed as Doctor Octopus out of robbing banks. Presumably animal-rights activists aren’t trying to convince Glenn Close not to make clothing out of Dalmatians. Why would you wander into a virtual world and pick out likely targets for conversion based on their avatars?
- Wired: Preaching to the perverted in Second Life

The rest of the Wired article is definitely worth reading as Sjoberg explores many aspects of this bizarre development.  He correctly hints that in standard Christian doctrine, sexual fantasy is just as bad as the sex act itself. 

some sins seem to be sins even if you’re just pretending. Most of these have to do with sex.

Here’s Jesus himself talkin’:

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
- Matthew 5:27-28

Maybe this explains why so many Christian wingers are against video games, to say nothing of Harry Potter: the inability to distinguish between reality and fantasy is hard-coded right into their religion.  I guess it is to be expected from a belief system that created an official national day for making telepathic contact with an invisible being.

So yes, there are people who get utterly lost in a cyber-world.  They’re probably the same people who (if they are religious) get utterly lost in their religion, or (if they like Star Trek) show up for work wearing Star Fleet uniforms.  Loss of contact with reality isn’t necessarily a property of cyber-gaming, religion, or TV fiction; you have to look at the individual.  Some of them are just going to be straight-up loony, no matter what the subject.

Anyway, back to virtual evangelism.  I hope the Jesuits will take their missionary work to World Of Warcraft, too.  Can’t you just picture this scene?

Friar: “Hast thou considered granting access to thy heart for the Lord thy God, good sir?”
Orc draws sword.  Swooshing noise, *SCHLUPP* *THUD*, wipes sword on grass, returns it to sheath.
Orc: “I came to the Realm to get away from clowns like you.”

Look for Second Life to include real-world job recruiting, even college recruiting, if not now, in the near future. 

Update: online chat-based group therapy is comparing well to location-based. 

Assessments were conducted at admission, discharge and 12 months after discharge. 12 months after discharge, chat participants showed a substantially lower risk (24.7%) for negative outcome than controls (38.5%). Furthermore, the low dropout rate and the high session attendance supported the expectation that this novel offer met patients’ needs, and thus, opens a new avenue for the optimization of care for patients with mental disorders.

Wonder if insurance companies will start paying for group therapy sessions in “Second Life?”

Posted by George on 08/05/07 at 08:58 AM
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