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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: E who wrote (11665)	4/17/2001 12:21:19 PM
From: epicure	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

There is a nation of beneficial bacteria in your hand(and some nasty ones too). But people without knowledge of microscopes would never believe you. I believe you, if that's what you were talking about. Except for that thing about making pizza. My beneficial skin bacteria have never made pizza for me. Maybe I am not treating them right.

To: E who wrote (11665)	4/17/2001 1:16:36 PM
From: Lane3	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

And there is, too, a nation in my hand. I am outraged at your narrow minded atheism on this subject. There IS. Well, maybe it's swimming in your coffee cup. (I wouldn't want to cause you any suffering by my disbelief.) But it does matter that people, on the basis of their sheer certitude about related matters, enact laws that oppress others and increase suffering. To correct an undesirable situation, we first have to analyze it to zero in on just what the problem is. We have to target our disagreement/displeasure/outrage/whatever at the essence of the problem, not just aim in the general direction of the problem. There's nothing inherently problematic about people believing whatever they believe in, no matter how risible (to use Steven's favorite word) it may seem to us. Yeah, you could do away with the problem if you could just do away with religion, but that's not very feasible, at least not in a time frame to help all those suffering people you're worried about. By attacking religious beliefs, you also risk a backlash against atheists or undercutting your message by appearing to be a crackpot. I don't see the utility in that strategy. Besides, religious beliefs can serve to reduce suffering, too. I wouldn't want to get between a suffering person and relief. It's not the believing that's the problem. It's not even the certainty that's the problem, although that certainly fertile ground for problems. Lots of religious people, including lots of Christians, are generous of spirit and want us to all get along. I don't see any benefit to poking them in the eye. We should be supporting them and striking out against those behaviors of other religious, those that are mean spirited, that don't know the difference between the Bible and the Constitution, that discriminate inappropriately, and that seek to impose their religion on the rest of us. Maybe mellowness does appear to give some aid and comfort to the enemy but I think that strategic targeting is more likely to zap the real enemy, which is not people's personal spirituality. It is the aberrant behaviors that sometimes derive from religion and the political movement that encourages them. Karen