h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've just realized this delightful project, and sorry I did not sooner than three days before it is over, as it looks quite interesting, and a good opportunity to show my ideals, I suppose I could write a quick something, but it would seem rushed, and all of the good subjects are taken, oh well, let me know if you write a revised edition

Actually I would love you to write something. I should have approached you directly, I am not entirely sure how you slipped below my radar.

As you say, a lot of the tasty entries are already done, but there are some major gaps:

We are very light in the area of belief and politics. Zagreb has said that he may not be able to do me anything on the differences between political and religious fervour, and I would love something on political convictions compared with religious convictions. Then there is the old adage that if someone is not a liberal when they are 21 they have no heart, and if they are still a liberal when they are 41 then they have no brain.

And something about the orthodoxy of political correctness would be cool. The differences and similarities between political and religious schisms, or the the differences and similarities between political and religious expulsions. Of course there is the debate of our time - political beliefs (ie democracy, momma, apple pie and the american way) versus religious extremism. And there are the links and differences between religious and political fundamentalism. We could sling the abortion debate in there for good measure. (On second thoughts, better not...)

If you don't fancy politics, and if you do know anything at all about eastern religions, then you might fill another glaring gap - we have nothing comparing eastern religions with monotheism, or why Buddhism and Tao are philosophies and not religions, and why they are thought to be religions and not philosphies.

What else is missing? The future of religion. The difference between religion and science. The ethics of raising a child in a specific faith. The ethics of raising a child with no specific faith. The functions and form of religious practice. The place of religion at pinch points in our lives, such as during berevement or persecution. The list goes on and on and on.

There is loads and loads of it.

To be honest, it will take GTB a while to sub the ones we have so far, and I for one will sponsor something which is good, so long as it comes in time for him to sub it.

So go for it.

I don't suppose you could do the entry that Hoovooloo didn't do on baiting bigots for fun and profit in the privacy and freedom of your own home?

Well, maybe not that one!

Let me know what you want to do, though.

B

To be honest, what's eating up a lot of mah time is that I'm finally getting around to reading the Bible, and since I'm an Atheist, I feel it will both sharpen mah debate skills on religion and give me an equal feel on both sides of the equation, so until then, when I'm finished, I'm on a hiatus from writing h2g2 entries or finishing up mah Douglas Adam's books. But I might get energized to do it some time...

Damn!

Oh well, you can't blame me for trying!

Tell me, what would you write about, if you felt able to write about something?

B

The ethics of raising a child in a specific faith sounds most appealing to meh. I have always included that in everything I write about belief and religion. (I used to have a different username) I just have a lot of opinions on it... oh well

"suffer little children..." eh?

Have I ever told you my solution for learning the language of dolphins? It is immoral, but it would work. Take a 2 month old child, teach it to swim, (babies are natural swimmers), get it fostered by dolphins while keeping a careful eye on it to ensure that it does not drown, then 10 years later you have a person who is bi-lingual in dolphin and human. Effective, but as I said, immoral. If only dolphins had hands we could teach them Ameslan...

The ethics of raising a child in a specific religion... Tempting isn't it? It would add a new dimension to the project, because all of the entries are about adult responses to religion. The two which touch it most closely are mine on the stages of religion, and Z's which is based to some extent on his experiences being raised within the TM movement.

Can I tempt you? No need for the beauty parade in PR. Just put it in the WW when it is done, and let me know about it so we can include it in the project. I have to like it (though I don't need to agree with it, I disagree with more than a couple of the entries we have so far), and the Italics still have to approve it, but no waiting to catch the eye of a scout...

Go on! You know you want to!



B

I wrote a short little thing very quickly, I don't expect you to use it, but I did a basis for an article you can edit. http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A947946?s_fromedit=1

sorry, it's http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/alabaster/A947946

Wow! That didn't take long - and nicely GMLed too!

The entries still have to adhere to the Writing-Guidelines so no first person, which means there will need to be some recasting of the entry.

In the first paragraph you say that religion is under attack by science, particularly genetics, and then you go on to talk about the social perils of atheism in (what is presumably) an actively christian community. So the logic of the entry gets pulled about a bit.

What do you see as the issues with raising a child in a particular faith?

Brainwashing?
Social awkwardness among a peer group?
Medical/ethical issues? (Eg - no abortion even for raped 14 year olds, no medical treatment, no blood transfusions, different groups inflict different constraints on their medical practitioners and their children).
Limited choices of educational establishment?
Dietary constraints? Kosher / Halal / Vegetarianism


What are the benefits?

A clear set of moral and ethical guidelines which may well survive the specific faith?
A safe peer-group for the child as it grows up?
Leading into a social-life of similar-thinking adults?
A clear knowledge and understanding of a way of thinking and being which the parent has found useful and supportive?


Is it actually ethical to bring a child up contrary to one's own beliefs, since you are older and presumably wiser than the child?

There is a lot in here which is really good. I loved the 'Dental' issues, I loved the second best way to start a fight, I loved the point about pastors children (being one myself). I am sure that this can be pulled into something which will work well in the project, and which will fit in with the EG Guidelines.

I look forward to the next version.

Ben

I'm a little weary of using the term, brainwashing, after falling under a little fire from a few of my friends, but I'll certainly revise it, it should be revised by the end of the day

Use whatever terms seem right to you! You are right - 'brainwashing' is perhaps an overly strong term - especially as it refers to some very specific techniques.

B

2nd draft finished, I'm done for today, I referenced you as a researcher for all of those ideas, I'll elaborate tommorow.