The New Bigotry of the Secular Left
1692: Salem Witch Hunt
2009: Ottawa Christian Hunt
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bigotry,
Canada,
Christians,
Globe and Mail,
hate,
history,
liberal bias,
politics,
science
9/11
1 month ago
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
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10 comments:
Wow, some of the comments get pretty nasty!
Um, how is believing in evolution bigotry against Christians? The Pope is not Christian? When the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglican Church, indeed most Christians see no conflict at all between evolution and the Bible, it is clear that this is about science and NOT religion.
The only ones who think this is about religion are those opposed to science.
Stop the conservative war on science.
Mr. Ted, you don't see the witch hunt that is being conducted against Minister Goodyear? Open your eyes, fella'!
Precisely what has this minister done that makes him unsuitable to hold his current position? Please watch the videos here.
Maybe Goodyear is being hounded.
I am responding to the ridiculous claim that Christianity is being hounded.
Seems to me that people have some serious questions about Goodyear and his appropriateness for this particular portfolio.
I fail to see how this is a liberal witch hunt on Christians, when most Christians including the Pope see no inconsistency or contradiction between Christianity and evolution.
Ted, for the record I am not a practicing Christian. I was raised as a Catholic but nowadays my spiritual views are more in line with Buddhism.
For you to say that it's a ridiculous claim that Christianity is being hounded is disingenuous at best. I just need to cite the dreadful treatment of Sarah Palin by the media and the hate (I use that word correctly) by so many of you on the Left. Of course I realize you'll deny this. I beg to differ.
Further to your own views, why are you unable to accept that someone can be a good Christian and also believe in the general tenets of evolution? They're not incompatible at all.
Since I've been completely open about my own beliefs, how about stating your own? Would it be correct to assume that you're an atheist or the new-fangled term, a humanist?
Pelalusa:
"For you to say that it's a ridiculous claim that Christianity is being hounded is disingenuous at best. I just need to cite the dreadful treatment of Sarah Palin by the media and the hate (I use that word correctly) by so many of you on the Left. Of course I realize you'll deny this. I beg to differ."
I have to confess, I have no idea what you are talking about.
I know some Christians who believe that blood transfusions are evil. I think this is ridiculous. Does that mean I am attacking all Christians????? Of course not.
Some Christians, a very few, believe that the earth is 6000 years old. I think that is ridiculous. Are you saying that I am attacking all Christians because I think the world is billions of years old? Of course not.
Just because someone is hounded and that person is also a Christian, does not mean that all Christians are being hounded. Surely you can see that.
I am sure many people did attack Palin because she is a Christian. I did not like her primarily because I thought she was an idiot and unqualified; but I also did not like her because she belongs to a small sect of Christians that believe actual witches are walking around casting spells on people. Am I attacking all Christians in holding that view? Of course not.
"Further to your own views, why are you unable to accept that someone can be a good Christian and also believe in the general tenets of evolution? They're not incompatible at all."
I am not unable to accept that. That is my very point. Most Christians have no problem with evolution. Heck, the Pope has no problem with evolution. What I have a problem with is people telling me that promoting evolution is an attack on Christians. How can that be when most Christians believe in evolution???
I think it is very arrogant to assume that one Christian's beliefs define Christianity for everyone.
We'll have to agree to disagree on the regular attacks against Christians. Question: Have you publicly criticized any Muslims or Jews to the degree you have public figures who happen to be Christian?
Ancillary questions:
Do you support Al Gore's beliefs on Global Warming?
Do you believe that the American government was somehow connected to the attacks on 2001-09-11?
You neglected to answer my question about your own spiritual beliefs. Are you an atheist or a humanist?
Hmmm. I'm not sure what you think we would be agreeing to disagree about.
I have not said anything in support or against "regular attacks against Christians". I have only said that criticizing someone's belief in a 6000 year old planet is not a criticism of Christianity. I don't believe saying evolution is true is an attack on Christianity and most Christians agree.
Have you publicly criticized any Muslims or Jews to the degree you have public figures who happen to be Christian?
I have never criticized someone because of their religion. I have criticized lots of people because of the views they hold on politics and art and culture and science. Just because Harper is a Christian does not mean that when I attack him I am attacking Christians.
I don't see how those additional questions are in any way ancillary. They are not related in the least. Many Christians believe in global warming and many do not. And certainly believing 9/11 was an inside job has nothing to do at all with religion or attacking Christians. How are these related?
Anyway, since you did ask:
- I think Al Gore is a buffoon who does more harm to his cause than good. I think politicians and the media and political partisans use science as a political football and routinely overstate or misstate science to advance their own careers or protect their corporate profits. Having said that I think the fact that global temperatures are rising is pretty irrefutable, but I have not been convinced we know why or that we can do anything about it. It could be natural, it could be man-made, it could be cyclical. I have also not been convinced that it is an apocolypse on the horizon. Humans have been through much hotter and colder periods, and we'll do ok.
- I think anyone who believes that the Americans are behind 9/11 has many screws loose in their heads. And someone who believes the Americans are behind 9/11 would be very inappropriate to be Minister of Foreign Affairs or Trade, just like someone who believes that science proves that the earth is 6000 years old would be inappropriate for Minister of Science, and like someone who believes blood transfusions are evil would be inappropriate for Minister of Health.
Hey Ted, thanks for answering 2/3 of my extra questions. I'll tell you why I asked. I'm a naturally curious person and so when someone disagrees with views that I consider to be "obvious" (at least obvious to me) I'm curious about where they sit on the political spectrum.
I have a future software web project where I want to ask people objective questions to see where they sit on the political spectrum.
More often than not, in my experience, those who describe themselves as Liberal or NDP party supporters answer a certain way wrt other questions about global warming and about 9/11.
You, in fact, answered somewhat differently than has been the norm in my case, which makes you more interesting and unique.
Clearly my views and yours don't coincide on several issues but that's unimportant. In fact, I think that those in our country who pretty much demand that we all think/speak a certain way (ie. political correctness) are the real scary ones we must all fight against!
"... most Christians including the Pope see no inconsistency or contradiction between Christianity and evolution." - Ted
Pew finds this regularly with their surveys, I'm still trying to find the link, but you're quite right, Ted.
Personally, I'm a Christian (so non literalist however I'm glad I don't live in earlier times, I have trouble keeping my yap shut) and I have no problem with evolution; its not a theory, its an observed phenomenon, like gravity.
And as with gravity, science has constructed theories, paradigms, that are intended to describe the mechanisms like genetic variation, adaptive radiation, speciation and such, by which evolution occurs. Q.E.D.
Those who doubt the reality of evolution remind me of flat earthers, one wonders how they can really believe they have an intellect so as not to use it.
" ... why are you (Ted) unable to accept that someone can be a good Christian and also believe in the general tenets of evolution?" - Robert
Uh, better go read Ted's post again, Robert, because that's exactly Ted's point. You seem to have gotten his point completely backward. Maybe have a bit of a rest first, perhaps its jet lag.
That said, there is a lot of anti-Christian sentiment flying around out there, its safe because Christians aren't going to kill people who insult us, and of course, it makes a useful spoof for the Islamofascists; it tends to spread amongst those who, unlike Ted, don't understand that Christians today are not the sort who brought the world the Inquistion, 30 years war etc.
In other words, there is a threat to our lives and freedoms from religion, only, Christianity it ain't.
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