Grizz writes:
I understand; however, Myers is a prominent figure at the forefront and people are watching. He is also an established academic with a pofessional reputation to uphold. Those with opposing views are looking for anything they can possibly use to portray atheists, agnostics, and humanists in a negative light. They enjoy potraying athiests as angry fanatics who do not make productive, responsibile and respectfull members of society. Stuff like this just gives them all the ammunition they need. It also does a bit of damage to his personal reputation in the eyes of even some who support him.
This stance is the enemy of truth.
So what would have happened in history had Spartacus been concerned about being "portrayed in a negative light" before leading that slave revolt? Should Galileo have denied that there were moons orbiting Jupiter so as not to offend the Pope? Should Garrison been more sensitive to the plight of the slave owners before publishing that abolitionist newspaper? Perhaps Eisenhower should have been nice to the German people and not forced them to provide the victims of the concentration camps a proper burial.
Need I go on? I can provide literally thousands of examples including whether Jesus should have checked with those Pharisees to ensure his message was politically correct.
Anyone who tears out the pages in the Bible concerning the Sermon on the Mount and uses them as toilet paper as in defending pedophile priests or issuing death threats over a cracker deserves to be exposed for what they are - the enemy of Christianity and Civilization.
One cannot call for a society guided by reason and rationality then fly off the handle in public like this. This just looks really silly. This has nothing to do with free speech. It's about how the public views you. If the goal is to gain respect and acceptance this is not the way to do it. This type of public expression is totally beneath a man of his stature -- inflamed or not.
Death threats have everything to do with free speech. Death threats are what kept abolitionist sentiments out of the South. The threat of death is what keeps Mugabe in power. The threat of death is what makes good people do nothing in the face of evil.
Thank God there have always been individuals who stand up for what is right in the face of death threats, from Solon to PZ Meyers.
I once heard an African American talk about the problems minorities faced in the professional work force. He said one has to always dress twice as sharp and always maintin your public apperance and composure, regardless of the circumstances. People are always watching and always trying to find something to judge you by.
That strategy may apply to some who prefer to accept the world as it is, fair or unfair. However, it does not apply to anyone who has made a positive change in the world despite the discomfort of the masses. Need an example - try Malcolm X.
I have many more should that example prove unsuitable.
The same reasoning, I believe, applies to those who hold a minority worldview. One can never put on a public face that reinforces any negative stereotypes. You just can't do it -- suck it up and move forward. There are many ways to get a point accross.
There is no way to just "suck up" injustice and lies without it damaging your psyche. The world requires brave and honest people to fight for truth and equality regardless of 'political correctness.'
Edited by anglagard, : Gospel on the mount? glad I caught that one quick
Read not to contradict and confute, not to believe and take for granted, not to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider - Francis Bacon
The more we understand particular things, the more we understand God - Spinoza
™ Version 4.2
