Mr Henderson-
While I found your “open letter” interesting in a sort of adolescent, college sophomore kind of way that I would have found entertaining 25 years ago, I also found it tiresome, conceited, and immature.
Stipulated:
-I majored in biology in college and I am a working scientist.
-I believe that life evolved on Earth pretty much the way Darwin and his philosophical descendants say it did.
-I do NOT believe that the Bible (or any other religious tome) is a scientific text regarding the mechanics of how life became as complex as we see it today
-I do not want the book of Genesis to be taught as the mechanics of how life came to be on our planet.
All of these things stipulated – I was offended as an American and a human being by the sneering, self-important, and condescending tone, tenor, and implications of your web site. Grownups don’t find humor this way.
I guess I must have missed all the other college-sophomore sarcasm infested websites you created mocking creation mythos of American Indians, African tribes, etc., and bemoaning the way that secular humanism has become the de facto established religion throughout much of the public education industry in the U.S., in defiance of the establishment clause of the First Amendment. You did make those sites, didn’t you? No?
Your statement that you have nothing against Christians is patently deceitful and dishonest. I’m trying to imagine your type finding huge humor in mocking creation mythology of Indian or African tribes in some similar context, but I’m guessing that you would be aghast, offended, and firing off accusations of “xenophobe”, “racist”, “Western exceptionalist”, “antidiversity”, etc. OK to have a snide and insensitive laugh at the expense of your cherished Christian bogeyman, but do the same thing to anyone else, and you’d be horrified, right? “Piss Christ” is cutting edge, funny, and a deep social commentary but “Piss Buddha” would be a hatecrime in your circles, no doubt. Not much intellectual consistency or progressiveness there.
As I stated above, I don’t agree with any of these creation mythologies – Abrahamic or otherwise. However, there are light-years of difference between my attitude towards them and yours. In you mind, you have made these fundamentalists into the ultimate evil and stupidity ever produced in the universe. I do not presume that they are either evil or stupid for their beliefs, but respectfully disagree. That’s what “diversity” really means – or perhaps you feel, in an Orwellian way, that some forms of diversity are more equal than others?
I fail to see the problem with being open-minded about the POSSIBILITY that the evolution which produced today’s plethora of life was the result of some entity or force instead of a completely random process. That this possibility frightens you to the degree apparent in your web site, or that you lack the philosophical or intellectual ability to be able to give it fair and even-handed consideration, says a great deal more about your own (ahem) intelligence, personal deficiencies, and insecurities than it does about those you attempt to lampoon.
Nonetheless, I think that it’s important that you and your type continue to publish as much superior-minded, look-down-you-nose stuff like this as possible, in as many places and as publicly and frequently as you can. While you’re at it, don’t forget to post maps of “Jesusland” and other graphics and words denigrating anyone who is stupid and ignorant enough to have devout religious belief, Christian being of course the worst of the lot.
See how it advances you and your agenda at the ballot box.
Cheers
Rob Thompson – Removed per his later request –
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Rob changes his mind. And I am highly skeptical about the “threats”.
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Mr Henderson-
I challenged you to post my letter to you and you did. Thank you.
However, I have been deluged with people who are frequenters of your site loading my e-mail box with all sorts of things, including solicitations and, unfortunately, threats.
I will therefore request that you remove any mention of my e-mail address from your website immediately, before something terrible happens to me or my family.
I thank you in advance.
Rob Thompson