From: Dr. Blake Nelson (bnelson301@yahoo.com)
Date: Sun Apr 27 2003 - 15:33:42 EDT
I would also point out that atheism is a business for
some people. I don't think, for example, Dan Barker,
has a job outside of atheistic evangelism. Likewise,
there are plenty of folks who make money off of
promoting atheism not least of which Richard Dawkins
(who got quite a nicely endowed "couch" as professor
of public understanding of science in part because of
his atheism -- the person endowing the chair viewed
his militancy about atheism favorably), and other
minor academics like Quentin Smith, who generate
royalties and appearance fees. Of course, whether or
not some people make money off of promoting atheism or
theism has nothing to do with what the truth is.
The sad thing I find about most atheistic evangelism
is that it has a fair amount of severely misinformed
evangelism (if not downright deceitful evangelism).
Jim E. is a good example of this (the severely
misinformed variety). Jim wants to say Christianity
is X, and to be the most charitable, only a small
percentage of people professing Christianity in fact
believe X (if any at all). When presented with the
fact that Jim's interpretation of this part of
scripture or that is either not commonly held or
simply a wrongheaded misunderstanding, he blithely
ignores that. One, I suppose, has a right to be
willfully ignorant, but Jim, you shouldn't make such
sweeping pronouncements which are completely wrong.
Likewise, sweeping statements about causality -- e.g.,
Europeans are not christians because they understand
science -- are easily testable hypotheses. And
frankly, the data do not support the assertions, which
is just another example of willful ignorance or
intentional distortion.
I still remember Jim suggesting that everyone who did
not believe that Genesis amazingly tracked modern
science was in peril of damnation or just plain
ignorant. I suppose zealousness must find its outlet
somewhere. Now Jim can be a zealous, if not
particular well-informed, advocate of atheism. But
seriously, Jim, most well-educated atheists, realize
that science has nothing to say about Christianity
vis-a-vis its truthfulness.
I will do my best to resist replying to Jim's polemics
in the future since there isn't much dialogue or
information that takes place and it only encourages
more ill-informed posting.
> In a message dated 4/27/03 9:55:14 AM Eastern
> Daylight Time, jeisele@starpower.net writes:
>
>
>
>
> There are no atheist churches, Debbie. Atheism is
>
> not a business. But information can be obtained
> from
> the internet. I expect that will take
> Christianity
> down for good. Who knows how long it will take.
> Some people cherish their superstitions, and there
> is
> still (by my perception) some social acceptance in
>
> being a Christian. The truth about Christianity
> isn't
> known to everyone. In Europe, though,
> Christianity is
> basically finished. We Americans are pretty
> ignorant
> about science matters. This list is a good thing
> in that
> area.
>
> Anyway, look at Gen 3:19. The mythology is that
> the
> cause of physical human death is sin.
>
> Jim
>
>
>
>
>
> Dear Jim,
>
> The Jewish people are the most intelligent, the
> most materially successful and genetically most long
> lived people in the world. They maintain their
> traditions found in their holiest books of the
> Torah. Their most orthodox communities are in
> palestinian territory daring the world to remove
> them and the world has not been able to do that. If
> you are selling atheism, you've got to explain to me
> why the Jews who follow those "cherished
> superstitions," are doing so well.
> As for the superstitions, you obviously don't know
> that the Biblical writers intentionally wrote in
> allegories. You probably also don't know that
> scientists have found religious behavior
> evolutionarily adaptive. Have you read the
> evolutionary psychologist MacDonald on Judaism? Have
> you read David sloan wilson on the adaptive nature
> of religious groups? Your atheism is a dead end.
> You're short of the grail, Jim, and yes - there is
> one, if you know what to look for. You are pretty
> ignorant about science matters.
>
> What's with genesis 3:19? Of course man now had to
> work. Pastoralism and agriculture both figure
> strongly in genesis and both are a step beyond
> hunting and gathering which only supports small
> populations whose size matches exactly the
> availability of God's bounty from season to season.
> With the appearance of pastoralism and agriculture
> we can support artificially high populations through
> concentrated labors (the sweat of your brow),
> populations which are subject to rapid decline due
> to man's pastoral and agricultural mistakes.
>
>
> rich
>
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