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

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Did anyone suggest this would be a good thing?

Also, it is very subjective on your part to think that losing faith in your particular God concept would be something negative for others.

az

I'll second that. Nobody should be bullied, and children should not be ridiculed (though adults who choose to believe ridiculous things are fair game).

And why would losing your faith in God be "A Bad Thing"?

Noggin

I ought to get out more, I missed the start of this thread, but here goes:

>> You might as well compare a Jew or a Buddhist to a paedophile and ask what the difference is. (Good_News - Post 34)

Um. No. Neither Judaism nor Buddhism is evangelical, they do not seek converts, nor do they seek to impose their beliefs on those they come across. Paedophiles, on the other hand, do impose their beliefs (that the child enjoys sexual encounters with adults) on to the children that they abuse. The outcome of this is that they damage the children's sexual and emotional lives into adulthood.

Hoo and Alfster are arguing that teaching creationism in schools is imposing various views about science on to children, and that this damages their educational and intellectual lives into adulthood.

In other words, Hoo's and Alfster's analogy stands up, and your counter-analogy does not.

Sorry, G-N.


>> You cannot read a book or look at evidence and turn into a child rapist.

Um. Yes you can. Why otherwise do we ban child pornography? I'll answer it for you: it is because there is a demonstrable progression from using mild pornography to lusing more extreme pornography, to acting out what you have seen. This is true of pornography depicting, say, oral sex, and it is true of child pornography too. So you *can* read a book and turn into a child rapist.

Sorry, G-N


>> They object to children being taught evolution as a fact as they believe (as do many scientists) that it is not a proven fact.

No. But based on the evidence available, it is the best working hypothesis. One of the reasons for teaching evolution is to teach children how to evaluate evidence.

Sorry, G-N


>> A person can read a book or look at evidence and turn into a Creationist.

Look at evidence? Sure. But not evaluate it. As demonstrated.

Sorry. G-N





>> Yes but can you not unlearn religious stuff and discover your own way of how the world works? (Alex, post 42)

Only if you have the awareness to understand what was done to you, and the self-respect to unpick it in adult life. This is obviously equally true of the victims of sexual, mental and emotional abuse.




>> Imposition of beliefs (true or false) is detrimental to any society , much like communism and elected representation both effecting every person on this planet .[but controlled by the few] (ltp, Post 46)

Here hear! I have always drawn an analogy between the Bad Missionaries who imposed Christianity on the 3rd world and the Democratic Powers who are seeking to do the same. Both groups believ(ed) in the virtue of their actions. I could go on. I won't.




>> I said that if you teach evolution as a fact to children then you will make them lose faith in God. . (Good-News Post 60)

Um. No. I was taught evolution in science, and creationism in RE, and have since read a reasonable amount of material for lay people on Darwinianism and neo-Darwinianism, (or whatever its called). I do however believe in a god. Schroedinger's god, which both exists and does not exist, admittedly. But a god, nevertheless.

*waves to everyone*

Ben

*waves back*

Hi, Ben. Welcome, and thankyou for you reasoned contributions.

"You did something similar to JTB, and he is also waiting for an apology"

You are durn tootin' I am, Kiteman.

Alternatively, if GN can produce a single child that I have made lose his or her faith in God, I will apologise to GN.

It's not so much the allegation that P's me off, it's the demonising of the opposition as a debating tactic. It is fundamentally dishonest. According to GN, I'm also demonised by being evil and having a "black" heart - whatever that is. A transplant? I don't know.

The wean.