sluguy14 wrote:philosoraptor wrote:romothesavior wrote:Somewhat. But if I were a professor and a dominant worldview in Western society was skeptical of the Big Bang, evolution, global warming, the age of the Earth, etc., I think it would be hard to treat their views with respect in the classroom. As a philosophy major, I can tell you there are many times when people say things in class that are impossible not to snicker at or roll your eyes at. Stupidity hiding behind religious views is still stupidity.
Fundamentalist Christians (and even the majority of mainline Christians) are the antithesis of intellectual integrity, as they reject basic science and reason because they don't jive with their worldview. Of course academics are going to take issue with that.
I respect you, romo, but this is the kind of overly general, condescending attitude that drives Christians' (fundamentalist and otherwise) perception that they're being marginalized in the academy. Far too many students and professors take the fashionable stance of "Oh, you're a Christian? Clearly you lack basic reasoning skills and intellectual integrity."
I wish the right-wing, theocratic crazies would shut up just as much as you do, but most Christians I know don't share the dangerous ideas propagated by the dumbest and loudest ones. I liken what you're saying to a Christian going around telling people they're going to hell. Both are annoying and unhelpful.
This. I find it incredibly annoying when Christians attempt to impose their religion and/or values on others, but I find it equally annoying when those not of faith take a condescending, holier-than-thou (haha) approach to Christians and religion. In my experience, neither of these groups has done sufficient research, thought, and reasoning to justify their attitude.
I didn't want to turn the thread into a religious debate, and I had hoped to slink quietly out of this thread, but I wanted to respond to this.
Dangerous and absurd are not the same thing. Even if they aren't propagating dangerous ideas, their beliefs could still be silly beliefs. For example, a good friend of mine is a pre-med biology major. She is incredibly bright... a straight A-student in one of the toughest majors at our school. Yet she doesn't believe in evolution. She studies this stuff 7 days a week and still doesn't believe it... not for any scientific or evidentiary reasons, but simply because her faith doesn't permit it.
Her view isn't dangerous, and she isn't your right-wing theocratic crazy that you speak of, but her worldview is still anti-intellectual. She rejects the plain and indisputable findings of over a century of scientific inquiry. She admits that everything she has learned points her to the conclusion that evolution is valid, but she still rejects the theory because her dogma rejects it. To me, that is antithetical to intellectual integrity, and as Thomas Jefferson once said, "Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions." So I really cannot blame professors for being hostile towards people like my friend here, because her views are flat out retarded. Once again, stupidity rooted in religion is still stupidity... the religious should not get a free pass for rejecting things like evolution simply because they are religious.
OKAY!
Now seriously guys... I'm gonna drop it and hopefully this thread hijack that we are all a part of will cease. If you want to debate religion, start a thread in the lounge and I will happily join you. Or PM me and we can discuss it further. I'm sorry this thread got out of hand, and I apologize for my part in it. Let's try to keep responses within the scope of the OP.
