I have a headache after watching this video:
No mention of the fact that the “Christian” United States and its ultra-capitalist system is what got the recession rolling in the first place. No mention of the complete contradiction inherent in the argument that people shouldn’t wait around for the government to help… they should just wait for God (who’s about 5000 years overdue – any day now though…). The only voice of reason got sandwiched in between the moron host and the more moronic priest who somehow manages to make arguments on both sides of his own point. The host’s final statement made me chuckle: they could have put something newsworthy on, but instead we talked to a priest who knows less about economics than he does about secularism (or Christianity, it seems – Jesus was definitely a socialist; “render unto Caesar” and all that…)
Secularism doesn’t make you poor, secularism makes you make decisions that are based on what is good for others rather than what it says in a religious tome. Can that socialist instinct take you too far? Absolutely. But right now we’re all living through what happens when capitalism allows to go unchecked.
I’m not smarter than these people because I’m an atheist; I’m an atheist because I’m smarter than these people.
I think atheism isn’t necessarily a symptom of being “smarter” – just wiser or luckier; e.g. maybe you had a more logical upbringing, rather than a rigid brain-washing, and so on. I think religion often ‘happens’ to people because of an emotional need.
There’s a big difference between “smart” and “wise” – not to mention other qualities, like “insightful”, “educated”, etc. which are part of a wonderful salad that people have been getting even less of in recent times. Sometimes I think our education systems should include a major ‘logical thinking’ component, which would evolve with the age group, so that graduates could analyze both their own personal impulses as well as what’s going on in the world around them.
You’re absolutely right, Pat. I knew it was a dick thing to say when I wrote it, but it’s frustrating to have to be subject to the whims of people who either have not bothered to, or refuse to, turn the same critical processes we use on EVERY part of our lives to the most important questions in life. My seeming arrogance is borne of frustration at how little work it takes to at least BE REASONABLE.
I’m not saying everyone must be atheist, but to go on a news program and insist that capitalism and Christianity are inherently moral without a SHRED of evidence or logic to support your position is beyond toleration.
Personally, I think critical thinking is the ONLY thing we should be teaching in schools. Everything else comes from that. Well… maybe we should teach art and literature too. But I’d rather have a bunch of critical thinkers who can’t identify a Kandinsky from a Tolstoy than a bunch of “free thinkers” who can’t tell truth from fabrication.
Thanks for commenting
Couldn’t agree more — except don’t forget the logic of math 🙂
By the way, I save up all my foul language for those wonderful nights when John Stewart lambastes Fox News – then I spew forth! My husband and I watch most evenings in hope of just such an event (husband gets even angrier than you!)…
Keep up the good blogging, Crommunist!