29th August 2012
“We find it alarming that intelligent young people setting out to study evidence-based subjects should be perfectly willing to admit to not accepting a major theory in science, not on the basis of a consideration of the evidence, but because of an inculcated belief.”
Professor Roger Downie
August 29th, 2012 at 12:16
Then they are not “intelligent” by definition.
August 29th, 2012 at 13:27
What bothers me most about Creationism/Intelligent Design is how obviously false it is. I can hardly believe anyone would buy into it.
When I think about the Creationist Museum, with it’s amusement park style, it just strikes me as impossible that anyone would take it seriously.
Surely people can’t possibly be this stupid?
August 29th, 2012 at 14:52
Sometimes it is hard to unlearn what you have learned.
August 29th, 2012 at 16:02
ATHEIST MC is right
August 29th, 2012 at 17:27
Sorry to disagree with AMC and TH, but no, it is not that they are unintelligent by definition, it is that they have a blind spot within their intelligence, just as we each have one within each of our retinas.
If intelligence is a function of language, per Jaynes, then the blind spot in question developed because the God meme was inserted into the developing intelligence prior to the point where it would no longer make sense. The only way to overcome such pre-programming is through reprogramming, but most who have this particular meme pre-programmed do not wish to do the work to reprogram their minds. That is the shame of the situation, much as the professor stated.
August 29th, 2012 at 17:46
Sinjin – Are you saying you DON’T believe in magic?!? Burn him! Burn him!
P.S. – When having fun with missionaries, use the word ‘magic’ a lot. Irritates the shit out of them.
P.P.S – Jeff is right on here. When you see someone with Stockholm Syndrome you do them a disservice to call them idiotic when there but for the grace of God go I, so to speak. I’ll call their beliefs idiotic all day but not the person, who, for whatever reason wasn’t able to shrug it off, as I was. I’ve known many people I’d judge intelligent but for their blind spot. Hell, it was a believing Christian that drove the nail in the coffin in the Dover ID case – Dr. Ken Miller.
August 29th, 2012 at 18:37
So far, I can fit the believers I know into a couple of categories. The largest category would hold all of the “intellectually lazy” people I know. These people have the intelligence to figure it all out, they are just too lazy or uninterested. They consult Oprah to determine what books to read. Religion and god – that is what you do at church on Sunday morning… They usually claim it is so sad that god has been removed from school, but they don’t really understand that the only thing removed is the ability to force everyone to worship as they do. They usually don’t know anything about the bible, but will have a John 3:16 sticker on their car.
Next category is the people who need it. My cousin is like this – she told me she has to believe in god because the pain of being alone all the time would be suffocating. Others I know like the “god has a plan” for me. That makes certain unpleasant things in their lives more acceptable. It is all part of god’s plan – just go along with it… accept it. don’t fight it… big daddy knows what’s best for you…
They are comforted by thinking we never die and we can all be together. They like the bondage religion provides.
The self deceivers/manipulators. I put people like Glenn Beck and my sister into this category – and some of the young earth creationist. One I debated recently was an alcoholic/drug user, like Beck.. They give god as the reason for being alive or surviving the addiction. They feel obligated to believe. I think Osteen fits here and that Rick Warren guy with his goatee.
Finally there is the shit-fire crazy nut jobs…. evidently currently there is a large poplulation of these kinds in the republican party.
August 29th, 2012 at 19:40
I like the “blind spot” explanation Jeff. As “memes” becomes better understood by the population at large perhaps a space will open up whereby addressing reprogramming will be simpler?
As for R j, AMC, and TH: Then again some people still smoke. Perhaps some people are incapable?
Kittie I think you have it.
Cap’n I should be burned I mean Edward Wightman was convicted of publicly attacking Christianity while promoting the following views:
1.That there is no Trinity;
2.That Jesus Christ was not God;
3.That Jesus Christ was a mere man;
4.That Christ was never incarnate and did not fulfill the promises of salvation;
5.That the three creeds of the apostolic church were lies;
6.That he, Edward Wightman, was the promised Messiah of the Old Testament;
7.That he was the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete;
8.That to deny that he was divine was blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, worthy of everlasting death;
9.That Jesus Christ is dead and that there is no punishment for sinners in the afterlife;
10.That he, Edward Wightman, is literally the prophet Elijah;
11.That historic baptism of the church is wickedness;
12.That the Lord’s Supper (Communion) is evil;
13.That God ordained him Saviour of the world.
I promote the much of the same stuff. (Except me being god stuff). They burned Ed, so get a match.
August 30th, 2012 at 4:46
like I said – shit-fire crazy nut jobs.
(Wightman that is)