Re: A word about science (was Re: Invitation To Islam)

Camilla Cracchiolo (camilla@netcom.com)
Tue, 10 May 1994 01:06:37 GMT

My newsreader didn't have the original post this was a response to
on it. I'm certainly not trying to pick on Mr. Stewart. However,
I sure would like to know just where this wonderful society that
has discarded all it's old superstitions and irrational beliefs is.
I will go immediately and live there. Wherever it may be, it's
sure not the USA. Why we have people who believe in the literal
interpretation of the Bible censoring science classes in our
public schools. Or just head on over to sci.skeptic or alt.folklore.urban
for some of the more entertaining posts on ufos, the grey aliens,
and healing with crystals. Not to mention the current fundamentalist
Christian hysteria over things like little kids celebrating Halloween,
listening to heavy metal music, and we won't even talk about what
these folks think of organized Paganism! Surely a tool of Satan
if ever there was one. Oh yes, let us not forget all the people
railroaded into jail on charges of 'Satanic Ritual Abuse', of
whom Kelly Michaels is maybe the best known right now.

I get the impression that the original poster was taking aim
at Islam for it's fundamentalist interpretations currently popular
in certain countries right now. I suggest that before anyone
in the US lambasts Islamic countries, we make sure that we're
properly dealing with the 'Creation Scientists' and 'Flood
Geologists' in our own back yard. I doubt that anything any
Islamic Fundamentalist regime does is worse than what certain
Fundamentalist Christian sects would do if they got political
power in this country. And don't kid yourself about these
people's political aspirations *or* current power. We already
have had both a president and a vice president who believed
that the Rapture was going to come from nuclear warfare and
Dan Quayle (one of the above) is being dragged out as a
serious presidential candidate in 1996. Scary thought,
someone who is actively looking forward to a nuclear war
having control of the US nuclear arsenal, isn't it?

William R. Stewart (wstewart@milner.mitre.org) wrote:
: As I have no disciplined education in anthropology, I would like your
: opinions on the following discussion.

: In article <ZLR1Lc2w165w@sys6626.bison.mb.ca>,
: Mad Prophet2 <mad2@sys6626.bison.mb.ca> wrote:

: > All primitive societies have their god(s), as a convenient way
: >of explaining what's going on around them, and as such alleviating their
: >fears of their environment. There are no "savage" atheist tribes.

: Do we know that all primitive societies had/have deities as part of
: their belief structure?

: >The
: >reason we developed past primitive African tribes is BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE
: >TO DISCARD BELIEFS!

: Has western civilization not had religion as a major attribute of its
: culture until relatively recently? Are the only advances made in
: science, art, and culture the result of efforts by atheists?

: >Further development requires keeping an open mind
: >instead of blindly adhering to cultural values that have been brainwashed
: >into us.

: A topic certainly covered in anthropology :-)

: Regards,

: --
: Will Stewart -- My own thoughts, questions, requests, ....

--







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