Darwin, religion and choice

[matgb]

Today is one of those birthday things. I knew it was coming up, because the BHA invited me to their annual event but a) I'd have had to pay and b) it was in London, so have fun all that do go, I'm sure it'll be good. Fortunately, bagrec reminded me this morning, so I half inched this image from him . Evolution was, I used to think, something that we generally all just accepted, sure, there were a few minority extremists that thought otherwise, but anyone with a decent education, including the entire Catholic Church, just know it to be real, right? Unfortunately the internet reveals this to be untrue, and that someone who is an avowed Creationist has a good chance at the Republican nomination (although no chance at the actual Presidency) is something that really does bother me. Fortunately, there are voices of reason out there, including my better half, and we all know what Theory means, etc, right? Ah well, if you need a bit more explanation, ask a skientist, I recommend Debi the evolutionary morphologist if you don't have another one handy. I'm sure her hangover will allow her to answer questions in her comments ;-)

In other news, Anonymous vs Scientology had a good weekend of protests it seems, deathboy went to the London protest and has a good report, and the Phoenix protest got /.ed. There's a little bit of me that dislikes the thing as a whole bunch of people, including people that have their own personal different brand of sky fairy, are ganging up on the Scientologists—I'm all for mocking all religions, but a dog pile seems a bit off when your allies are also batshit. Then I remember that they're Scientologists and that it's therefore OK anyway, right?

Last up, I've been promising various people for ages a post on markets, economics, and why I like them despite being a lot of a lefty, but while that's still on the planned list with a bunch of other stuff, Tim Harford continues his climb up my "top people" list by writing a post about why markets can at times fail, and how analysis of these "externalities" can help them get back on track and do a lot of good; "Green taxes" and similar are a method of dealing with externalities, and are generally much better than simply banning stuff.

Right, that's it for now, I have a fiancée to go snuggle for a bit before shrublette gets home...

Comments

[foxfirefey]

Well, technically they're protesting the Church of Scientology and not Scientology itself. It's a very fine distinction, true, and not all of them are making it. But there are people outside of the CoS who practice scientology, and they're not the ones getting protested.

The difference between the crazed fundamentalist Scientologist and the mild-mannered Christian is that the mild mannered Christian won't attempt to utterly destroy you if you criticize their religion. The mild mannered Christian has not been trained in bullbaiting, either.

[ginasketch.livejournal.com]

Gracias.

[foxfirefey]

Reading all the ex-Scientology stories makes me oh so sad. The two are really not even close at all.

I mean, I was raised Mormon. I'm not now. Does it cause some stress here and there? Yes. But my family still loves me and we are very close.

[ginasketch.livejournal.com]

Yeah I'm not denying other religions can cause strife, i was raised Catholic, and BOY would I rather forget that.

But it works for some people, and I got the extreme end of it at any rate. I have a Catholic friend and she's never once tried to indoctrinate me.

[thapunkprincess.livejournal.com]

No difference in terms of their beliefs was what I said.

[foxfirefey]

Yes, that's what you said. And I listed terms of belief that are different.

The Scientology believes that critics are "suppressive people" who must be stopped, destroyed, or disconnected from, at all cost.

The mild mannered Christian does not believe that because you are critical of Christianity, you must be destroyed. This means I have fruitful and productive friendships with mild mannered Christians, even though I am sometimes blasphemous.

I don't believe that because both of their beliefs are fantasies, they are equivalent. I don't think protesting the Church of Scientology because of the aggressive, abusive bullshit they pull is some kind of double standard. It's not as if the Intarnets don't pull plenty of mockdom on Christianity.

[foxfirefey]

*scientologist

[thapunkprincess.livejournal.com]

Of course they're equivalent! Sure, they have different beliefs but on the dirty brown level of bullshit neither exactly smell of roses.

[foxfirefey]

I admire the expansive width of the brush you paint with, sir.