Kevin Smith of CFI-Canada did another “Ask the Experts” for the Ottawa Citizen – this one on the burning question, “What are your ‘spiritual’ New Year’s resolutions?”
Dam’ fool question. To be nicer to my fellow humans? To see more spooky things? To be a better dualist?
Kevin hints at a similar sort of doubt, but then gives them a reply anyway.
My motivation comes from an unlikely source: the Pope. God’s deputy has taken up Twitter, and he’s surprisingly adept at pontificating in 140 characters or less. Recently, he committed what I consider his first tweet-sin, when he charged atheists with denying human dignity. He wrote, “When you deny God, you deny human dignity. Whoever defends God is defending the human person.”
That’s a tweet-sin all right. What utter bullshit. Human dignity is not dependent on “god” and in many ways “god” is degrading to human dignity. Whoever tells humans that their first duty is to obey a hidden non-responsive deity which is indistinguishable from a deity that doesn’t exist at all, is defending slavish obedience at the expense of the human person.
But that’s me. I’ll let Kevin talk.
In the spirit of defending my humanist principles, I resolve to do the following:
I will continue my commitment to skeptical inquiry, accepting nothing at faith value.
I will continue to be an activist for the rights of my fellow human beings, regardless of skin colour, sexual orientation or gender, including the transgendered. I will speak out particularly against those who take advantage of their position of power, inciting hatred towards homosexuals solely on the basis of mythological dogma.
Oh, zing! Gotcha, popie.
I resolve to persist as an advocate for church-state separation, where one religion alone cannot influence public policy at the expense of the rights of our country’s citizens.
For many, a new year ushers in an opportunity for change. It would be commendable for those who are “spiritually inclined” to adopt such resolutions for the good of humanity.
Although most resolutions never see the light of New Year’s Day, I remain optimistic. I believe that humans have a capacity for kindness and inclusiveness, despite those who seek to divide us with hostile edicts — or a reckless tweet.
There you go, Joe! Do better next year. Not that you will, of course.
The head of a church worried about asses in pews and money in the collection plate sneers at atheists.
Hey Benny, how about supporting human dignity by doing something constructive about child raping clergy? Or is that too dignified?
And all good wishes to you, Ophelia, for the New Year.
“…[t]he Pope. God’s deputy has taken up Twitter, and he’s surprisingly adept at pontificating in 140 characters or less…”
I think it is very scary the way that the pope is using Twitter to ‘get at’ atheists. It is none other than Twitter proselytising. It was drummed into us as children at how horrible the heathens were. We spent our young lives praying for the conversion of Russia.
The RCC church said a few years ago that it was on a mission to re-evangelise the world. Well…did one ever expect the Twitter arc-angels to descend so gently and meekly upon the Twitter-sphere… to flutter about so timidly; to try to enlighten the ghastly atheists and cleanse them of their mortal sins. Be very wary. The birds of prey have arrived to try to disturb your atheistical equilibrium.
“When you deny God, you deny human dignity.”
I’ve tried reading that backwards and searching for anagrams but still nothing.
“He wrote, “When you deny God, you deny human dignity. Whoever defends God is defending the human person.”
A bit fucking strident, what?
So… a guy who thinks the one, singular, Only True Purpose of humanity is to supply a live applause track for an omnipotent dictator, forever and ever, worlds without end, amen… this guy says that to not buy into that shit is to “deny human dignity”.
Yyyyyyeah. Sure thing, your Popeness. You bet. Uh-huh.