About time too. Talk about mixed messages!
Its interesting that one of the RS Fellows and Nobel laureates, Harry Kroto, who wrote to the Society asking for the sky-pixie fan's removal stated his opinion that if Reiss had been an atheist his comments would have been acceptable. This suggests that under certain circumstances Reiss's comments might be acceptable.
Well they're not. Religion is nonsense.
Just because some people choose to ignorantly or wilfully attempt to mix science and religion doesn't mean that religion can be brought into science lessons. Quite, quite the opposite. What should be happening here is that science should be deployed in religious education lessons to quash all the farcical mumbo-jumbo that religious people hold to be true. Walking on water, an afterlife, miracles, visions, natural disasters as evidence of some god's wrath, religious proscriptions. All of these and many more need to be put into the context of our society and laws. Islam prescribes death for apostasy- this is illegal in this country. Christianity proscribes adultery but there is no law against it in this country. Your relationship might not last too long if your partner finds out but its not illegal. Paedophilia features heavily in Abrahamic religions but that doesn't make it any more acceptable than hammering a tent peg into someone's temple (Judges 4:17-24 NLT)?
Rich Dawkins- another RS Fellow, wrote in to New Scientist to weigh in on the argument and suggested that, rather than resign as Director of Education for the Society, Reiss might resign his clerical Orders instead. Its certainly a scenario that I would love to see.
Edit:
Thanks to Rossinisbird who pointed out that I had written that Islam proscribes death for apostasy when in fact fundamentalists believe it prescribes it (as usual the evidence and arguments for and against a specific interpretation of sky-pixie literature are irrational and opaque).
Well they're not. Religion is nonsense.
Just because some people choose to ignorantly or wilfully attempt to mix science and religion doesn't mean that religion can be brought into science lessons. Quite, quite the opposite. What should be happening here is that science should be deployed in religious education lessons to quash all the farcical mumbo-jumbo that religious people hold to be true. Walking on water, an afterlife, miracles, visions, natural disasters as evidence of some god's wrath, religious proscriptions. All of these and many more need to be put into the context of our society and laws. Islam prescribes death for apostasy- this is illegal in this country. Christianity proscribes adultery but there is no law against it in this country. Your relationship might not last too long if your partner finds out but its not illegal. Paedophilia features heavily in Abrahamic religions but that doesn't make it any more acceptable than hammering a tent peg into someone's temple (Judges 4:17-24 NLT)?
Rich Dawkins- another RS Fellow, wrote in to New Scientist to weigh in on the argument and suggested that, rather than resign as Director of Education for the Society, Reiss might resign his clerical Orders instead. Its certainly a scenario that I would love to see.
Edit:
Thanks to Rossinisbird who pointed out that I had written that Islam proscribes death for apostasy when in fact fundamentalists believe it prescribes it (as usual the evidence and arguments for and against a specific interpretation of sky-pixie literature are irrational and opaque).
Word! Imagine kids in Sunday School questioning creation because of evolution.
ReplyDeleteBut I thought Islam prescribed death for apostates?
I think children should be allowed to speak German or Spanish in French classes. The theory that states French people speak French is only a theory after all!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think if children want to discuss Harry Potter in their English classes when they should be learning Shakespeare, that should be encouraged. There are authors other than Shakespeare, and the idea that he wrote the greatest literature in the English language is only an opinion, after all!
Poe's Law.
ReplyDeletehttp://rationalwiki.com/wiki/Poe%27s_Law
RB- my spelling bad :~(
ReplyDeleteLoving the rationalwiki.
ReplyDeleteHeh! It rocks.
ReplyDeleteCheck out Gillian McKeith's entry.
http://rationalwiki.com/wiki/Gillian_McKeith
I fucking HATE Gillian McKeith!