EvC Forum: Why does Richard Dawkins sing Christmas carols?

Email This Thread

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Author

Topic: Why does Richard Dawkins sing Christmas carols?

Omnivorous

Member

Posts: 3991

From: Adirondackia

Joined: 07-21-2005

Member Rating: 6.9

Normal Thread Display

Message 162 of 301 (442259)
12-20-2007 4:55 PM

Reply to: Message 159 by macaroniandcheese
12-20-2007 4:23 PM

Re: Sin, you unabashed pagan!!!

brenna writes:

you people spend so much time denouncing "christian" superstition, why not "pagan" superstition?

Pagans throw better parties.

Real things always push back.
-William James

Save lives! Click here!
Join the World Community Grid with Team EvC!
---------------------------------------

This message is a reply to:
	Message 159 by macaroniandcheese, posted 12-20-2007 4:23 PM		macaroniandcheese has not replied

Omnivorous

Member

Posts: 3991

From: Adirondackia

Joined: 07-21-2005

Member Rating: 6.9

Normal Thread Display

Message 253 of 301 (443416)
12-24-2007 10:04 PM

Reply to: Message 252 by Hyroglyphx
12-24-2007 9:44 PM

Sinister thoughts

NJ writes:

I had to pick some obviously vile to say that while it exists, it doesn't somehow mean that its existence is inherently good. Left-handedness and figure skating is generally not viewed as repugnant.

Actually, left-handedness is an excellent example.

[Let me pause to say that by picking something "obviously vile", you make your argument circular, beg the question, and appeal to emotion: I encourage you to continue these revealing fallacies.]

The Christian church aided in the persecution of left-handed peoples for millennia. It is only in recent years that being left-handed is no longer associated with being sinister. In fact, left-handed children are still frequently punished for their natural behavior and forced to use their right hand instead.

Left-handedness is perfectly natural but was reviled by the superstitious/religious for thousands of years. People who differed from the majority only by being born with a different innate preference have suffered from prejudice and persecution.

Sounds like an excellent analogy to homosexuality to me, much better than behaviors that are clearly destructive to oneself or others, or acts that are manifestly pathologies.

Like figure skating.

Real things always push back.
-William James

Save lives! Click here!
Join the World Community Grid with Team EvC!
---------------------------------------

This message is a reply to:
	Message 252 by Hyroglyphx, posted 12-24-2007 9:44 PM		Hyroglyphx has replied

Replies to this message:
	Message 254 by Archer Opteryx, posted 12-25-2007 3:57 AM	Omnivorous has replied
	Message 264 by Taz, posted 12-25-2007 7:38 PM	Omnivorous has replied
	Message 270 by Hyroglyphx, posted 12-26-2007 3:50 PM	Omnivorous has not replied

Omnivorous

Member

Posts: 3991

From: Adirondackia

Joined: 07-21-2005

Member Rating: 6.9

Normal Thread Display

Message 260 of 301 (443501)
12-25-2007 12:18 PM

Reply to: Message 254 by Archer Opteryx
12-25-2007 3:57 AM

Re: Sinister thoughts

Archer writes:

Hey. Michelle Kuan is a genius.

Sure--I just wanted (like Mod, I think) to illustrate the arbitrariness of declarations of "obviously vile."

quote:
Skating away, skating away, skating away
on the thin ice of the new day."
--Jethro Tull

Heathen's Greetings, Archer: skate into beauty all around you.

Real things always push back.
-William James

Save lives! Click here!
Join the World Community Grid with Team EvC!
---------------------------------------

This message is a reply to:
	Message 254 by Archer Opteryx, posted 12-25-2007 3:57 AM		Archer Opteryx has replied

Replies to this message:
	Message 262 by Archer Opteryx, posted 12-25-2007 3:26 PM		Omnivorous has not replied

Omnivorous

Member

Posts: 3991

From: Adirondackia

Joined: 07-21-2005

Member Rating: 6.9

Normal Thread Display

Message 265 of 301 (443584)
12-25-2007 8:20 PM

Reply to: Message 264 by Taz
12-25-2007 7:38 PM

Re: Sinister thoughts

Taz writes:

I noticed something while at my family christmas party last night. My 6 year old niece was eating with her left hand when her mom scolded her and forced her to hold the fork with her right hand. I had to bite my tongue to not say anything. Seems to me like left-handedness is still viewed as somehow wrong by many people.

Definitely. Nuns are still slapping left-handed knuckles with rulers; parents are still trying to make their left-handed kids "normal" with diverse forms of punishment and reward.

And kids all over the world are still being smacked in the mouth for innocently noting that the emperor has no clothes.

We learn to betray the truth near the cradle.

Real things always push back.
-William James

Save lives! Click here!
Join the World Community Grid with Team EvC!
---------------------------------------

This message is a reply to:
	Message 264 by Taz, posted 12-25-2007 7:38 PM		Taz has not replied

Date format: mm-dd-yyyy

Timezone: ET (US)

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Do Nothing Button

5 online now:	nwr, PaulK, Phat, Tangle, Taq
Newest Member:	ChatGPT
Post Volume:	Total: 916,901 Year: 4,158/9,624 Month: 1,029/974 Week: 356/286 Day: 12/65 Hour: 0/0