So Sayeth Brian
In the beginning...
These words begin the most read book of all time. No, not Harry Potter, but the Holy Bible. Its odd that I chose these words to begin this journey of discovery, because it is these words that have us as a country divided.
We are not a country divided between those who agree with the tomes that follow and those who don't. We are not a country divided between those who are privy to their meaning and those who are bereft of their influence.
We are a country divided by where these words belong. Do they belong in the hands of our children as they study geosynchronous orbit distances and the Magna Carta, or are they better left as a Sunday morning chore that makes Dad miss the first half of the Colts-Jaguars game?
This issue is what makes us who we are. Our viewpoints on religion's position in society decide more than our faith: they're going to decide our presidency.
I for one believe that forcing your faith, your religion-based values, on those with a doctrine not congruent with your own, is a recipe for systematic failure. Just as you can't make a Jewish person eat a pork chop, you can't make an atheist believe that stem cell research kills babies.
While there are fundamentally argumentative challenges to these statements, and there are, most of them are indoctrinated into a Judeo-Christian dialect, with statements like "Vote Anti-Abortion: Your Mother Did". It is for this reason that these right-wing cheerleaders head out on the campaign trail, bashing anyone contemplating saving the lives of millions by advancing science using that which is already dead. And for these reasons, I am saying this tonight, in my first post.
Lets all take a minute to think about something. What is your favorite movie? Home Alone? Sister Act 2? Whatever it is, lets imagine that you go to the movie theater this weekend to see a movie, and lo and behold, your favorite movie ever is showing. You couldn't be happier!
But as you settle into your seat, you notice that every other person in this theater is unhappy. They didn't want this. This isn't their favorite movie. Your favorite movie isn't theirs.
And so it is with faith. Your faith is not that of your brothers or sisters. Be respectful of this, and mindful of what happens when you ignore this truth.
So Sayeth Brian.
These words begin the most read book of all time. No, not Harry Potter, but the Holy Bible. Its odd that I chose these words to begin this journey of discovery, because it is these words that have us as a country divided.
We are not a country divided between those who agree with the tomes that follow and those who don't. We are not a country divided between those who are privy to their meaning and those who are bereft of their influence.
We are a country divided by where these words belong. Do they belong in the hands of our children as they study geosynchronous orbit distances and the Magna Carta, or are they better left as a Sunday morning chore that makes Dad miss the first half of the Colts-Jaguars game?
This issue is what makes us who we are. Our viewpoints on religion's position in society decide more than our faith: they're going to decide our presidency.
I for one believe that forcing your faith, your religion-based values, on those with a doctrine not congruent with your own, is a recipe for systematic failure. Just as you can't make a Jewish person eat a pork chop, you can't make an atheist believe that stem cell research kills babies.
While there are fundamentally argumentative challenges to these statements, and there are, most of them are indoctrinated into a Judeo-Christian dialect, with statements like "Vote Anti-Abortion: Your Mother Did". It is for this reason that these right-wing cheerleaders head out on the campaign trail, bashing anyone contemplating saving the lives of millions by advancing science using that which is already dead. And for these reasons, I am saying this tonight, in my first post.
Lets all take a minute to think about something. What is your favorite movie? Home Alone? Sister Act 2? Whatever it is, lets imagine that you go to the movie theater this weekend to see a movie, and lo and behold, your favorite movie ever is showing. You couldn't be happier!
But as you settle into your seat, you notice that every other person in this theater is unhappy. They didn't want this. This isn't their favorite movie. Your favorite movie isn't theirs.
And so it is with faith. Your faith is not that of your brothers or sisters. Be respectful of this, and mindful of what happens when you ignore this truth.
So Sayeth Brian.
posted by Brian @ 12:00 AM
1 Comments:
At 3:02 AM,
rgdavis said…
YOu interviewed a professor on Student Loans
It is not clear to me what happens when a student
defaults... can't pay the loan... is unable lets say
because no income no work..
What does the Banks do? I know the Government pays the Bank (loans) but what happens to the defaulter?
NO credit?
please explain.
rgd
phd
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