This thread (and the reference to the column by George Monbio<http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/28/us-education-election-obama-bush-mccain>t, prompted me to post the following on my blog<http://russabbott.blogspot.com/> .
*Is religion good or bad?* Obviously that's much too broad a question. And when it is asked, people usually respond by pointing to the good and bad things people do in the name of religion—e.g., like helping those in need (good) and the crusades (bad). But I think there is a real answer. A column by George Monbiot in The Guardian<http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/oct/28/us-education-election-obama-bush-mccain>reminded me why, in general, I think religion is bad: at its core religion teaches people to favor faith over reason. One can probably stop there. Is it ever a good idea to encourage people not to think for themselves? I doubt it. Even when people come to incorrect conclusions by thinking for themselves, one at least has a chance with them if they are open to the idea that one should think things through. Religion closes that door by closing people's mind. It encourages a perspective in which a given opinion is to be accepted no matter what—because it is God's will or God's word, for example. The point is not whether some particular position is or is not "God's will" or "God's word." The problem is with the idea that one should decide something by asking whether it is "God's will" or "God's word." That sort of thinking allows people to let themselves off the hook of taking responsibility for their own actions and decisions. It's a lot easier simply to go along with the crowd or to do whatever one's religious leader says. That's true whether one is religious or not. But the problem with religion (and any cult) is that it encourages that sort of behavior. By its very definition, one of the fundamental teachings of a faith-based religion is mindless faith. I'm finding it difficult to express how deeply angry I feel about this. A country whose citizens are trained to be meek (and sometimes not so meek) followers of their religious leaders will inevitably become a backwater of ignorance and stupidity. That's what religion is doing to this country, and I hate it for that. -- Russ Abbott _____________________________________________ Professor, Computer Science California State University, Los Angeles o Check out my blog at http://russabbott.blogspot.com/ On Fri, Oct 31, 2008 at 2:31 PM, Steve Smith <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Doug > >> >> */Well, that would depend on what the definition of the word "is" is, >> wouldn't it?/* >> >> ;-} >> >> One of the more blatant Democratic lies ever uttered. Its echos are still >> reverberating. >> > Nahhh... that wasn't a /Democratic lie, /that was a horn-dog lie, caught > like a deer in the headlights. > > I didn't care much for Bill (but compared to George I and George II even > more, he was a saint), but this question (never mind the stupid answer) was > totally inappropriate (but hugely effective). > > > > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org >
============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
