God V Science (again)

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nigelswift N
nigelswift Sep 17, 2008 16:54:21
Replying to vince

Creationism is a big deal down here in the deep south

Hi Vince. I can see Darwin's old stamping ground, Shrewsbury, from my window. Creationism isn't a big deal there, or in a lot of the States I guess. His ideas have had 150 years to soak into the soil in most of the world and were confronted and resolved by your and my gt grandparents probably. Yet creationists seem to act as though the ideas are new and a danger to society. I suppose they ARE scary if your world view is dictated by one small part of a two thousand year old manuscript.

It crosses my mind to ask a simple question - why should they care so much? If God flicked the switch why is it an assault on his prestige to suggest how things developed thereafter? He's still the Creator.

Then it comes to me..... what they really don't like is the Book being disrespected because that makes their belief in it's literal nature look stupid. It's all about them....

H handofdave
handofdave Sep 17, 2008 17:37:16
Replying to nigelswift

nigelswift wrote:
Then it comes to me..... what they really don't like is the Book being disrespected because that makes their belief in it's literal nature look stupid. It's all about them....
Yep. It's the doctrine of the house of cards.
Amazing, isn't it, that they are so insecure about their own faith as to think that even one 'error' in the Bible might call into question the whole thing? What sort of all-or-nothing jive is that? Even the vast majority of agnostics, or even Dawkins & Co will agree that there is value in the Book, specifically in regards to certain historical and ethical subjects.

This insecurity is also seen in the riots that followed the cartoon depictions of Mohammed. Why all the rage? Is Islam so wobbly that one little poke from outside is perceived as a mortal insult, and a threat to the Muslim faith?

I would think if a religion were mature enough, it'd be able to brush off these external criticisms calmly. But that's where the ugly truth comes out... there are elements within these religions that react like snarling dogs the second someone steps on their lawn. Which is probably inevitable, tho I don't see the wiser elements in these religions working very hard to quell the extremists. And that just brings up the truth that no religion has a monolithic cohesiveness, not even the Papists. There's just as much squabbling inside the ranks of a religion as there are criticisms coming from outside them. Which is something secular society forgets, sometimes.