Re: [asa] Advice for conversing with YECs

Agreed. His latest reply indicates quite clearly that he is not prepared to
listen or respond to the points I made, and that it is pointless trying to
continue the conversation, which he started (slating Obama) and which is
completely off topic anyway. There is only a certain amount you can do to
challenge unreasonable behaviour, after which you have to move on. I have
also put the auto-delete on all future emails from Moorad.

It is a shame that one has to take this kind of step against a fellow
Christian believer. But there are some things that anger me, especially
the kind of speculation and prejudice that Moorad is indulging in. It is
better for me and the whole community if I don't get to read these things
that cause me to stumble in the first place. There are one or two others
who are on my auto-delete list ... and there are some who hover
dangerously close to it. There is a lot of intellectual dishonesty in some
of the discussions here - I have often found what I said twisted or used out
of context to suit the other person's pet point.

Iain

On Sun, Oct 26, 2008 at 6:13 PM, Steve Matheson <smatheso@calvin.edu> wrote:

> I stopped reading Moorad's posts months ago, for somewhat different
> reasons. These most recent examples just confirmed what I had earlier
> decided: that his is a voice that is not worth considering. And today I
> took the further step of configuring my email client to auto-delete his
> messages. Perhaps by ignoring such voices, we can improve the quality of
> our email list. There is surely a better place for Moorad to make himself
> heard, and it would benefit everyone if he were encouraged to go there soon.
>
> Steve Matheson
>
> >>> "Iain Strachan" <igd.strachan@gmail.com> 10/26/08 9:10 AM >>>
>
> I can see that the smart thing to do is to add your name to my trash filter
> immediately. I'm not prepared to listen to this kind of bait-and-switch
> tactic. The issue was whether on not Obama is a Muslim, and you change the
> subject to black liberation theology. This is typical of the way the worst
> kind of YEC argues (and note in saying this I am NOT saying you are a YEC
> ... as you say you have not actually written anything that says you are a
> YEC, though you haven't actually said either that you are not.
>
> I have come to realise that the thing I abhor most in life is prejudice -
> both racist and homophobic, because I know of the absolute misery it causes.
>
> Consider yourself sent to Coventry.
>
> Iain
>
> On Sun, Oct 26, 2008 at 12:51 PM, Alexanian, Moorad
>
> <alexanian@uncw.edu>
>
> wrote:
>
>> Let us stop this nonsense about Obama. You ask yourself how many years
>> you have gone to your church. In addition, how much do you know of what goes
>> on from the pulpit while you are not in church? Well Obama went to a church
>> for TWENTY YEARS and claims he did not know the sort of messages that were
>> delivered from the pulpit while he was not there. Would you yourself make
>> such a claim? Have you thought that perhaps his wife and children were
>> there while he was absent? Obama's church is based on black liberation
>> theology-"We are a congregation which is Unashamedly Black and
>> Unapologetically Christian"
>> http://www.trinitychicago.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=27
>> <
>> http://www.trinitychicago.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=12&Itemid=27
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>> When I lived in Mexico City in the 70's, I was invited by a Christian
>> missionary friend of ours to attend a conference where many Christians from
>> different countries, especially Latin America, gave prepared speeches. There
>> was one from Cuba; BTW, I am Cuban by birth, who presented the Christian
>> faith as an appendix of Marxism. They emphasize the social aspect of the
>> Christian faith and totally forget the death and resurrection of Jesus---the
>> historical event that essentially defines the Christian faith. To the
>> amazement of my friend, I stood up and indicated that he was co-opting the
>> Christian faith for political reasons. I do not know what made me stand up
>> first and speak out, but I did. Let us not be fooled by mere sweet words.
>> You are supposed to be smart. Act accordingly.
>>
>>
>>
>> Moorad
>>
>> ________________________________
>>
>> From: Iain Strachan [mailto:igd.strachan@gmail.com]
>>
>> Sent: Sun 10/26/2008 8:13 AM
>> To: Alexanian, Moorad
>> Cc: John Burgeson (ASA member); George Cooper; asa@calvin.edu
>>
>> Subject: Re: [asa] Advice for conversing with YECs
>>
>>
>>
>> Moorad,
>>
>> What Burgy wrote totally negates what you said. How can you possibly be
>> so dishonest?? Or do you only read the bits you want to hear and
>> conveniently ignore the rest?
>>
>> You wrote:
>>
>> Those who take Genesis literally ought to be the least of our worries. We
>> have a presidential candidate who professes to be a Christian, nonetheless,
>> he said in a TV interview, "My Muslim Faith." The anchor George
>> Stephanopoulos of ABC subsequently corrected him. I ask you, what Christian
>> would ever say that, even by mistake? Imagine the damage to the Christian
>> faith if such a person becomes president.
>>
>>
>> That is a disgraceful slander on Obama. A further Snopes web page
>>
>> http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/muslim.asp
>>
>> gives plenty of evidence of Obama's Christian faith - including pointing
>> out that sometime in the mid-80's he made a public profession of faith in a
>> church in response to an altar call.
>>
>> The post Burgy sent also ended with Obama saying he finds it deeply
>> offensive the suggestions coming out of the republican camp that he is not a
>> Christian.
>>
>> I also find your post and rumour-mongering deeply offensive. Please
>> either retract them and admit that you were indulging in deeply un-christian
>> behaviour, or expect your name to be added to my trash filter so I don't
>> have to read any more of this offensive kind of stuff. You should be
>> ashamed of yourself - not least because your vicious and unfounded
>> speculations have nothing whatever to do with the dialogue between science
>> and Christianity, which is what this list is supposed to be about.
>>
>> Iain
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> -----------
> Non timeo sed caveo
>
> -----------
>

-- 
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Non timeo sed caveo
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