Religion

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45. I Would Welcome Anything to Relieve the Level of Religious Ignorance

Wed Mar 19, 2014, 03:44 PM

Mar 2014

The version of Christianity depicted on DU is not only unrecognizable. If corresponding statements were made about Jews it would be, in Rachel Maddow's terms, "hair-raising." Some of the silliest damn charges routinely get laid at the feet of Christianity without anyone batting an eye.

When Oscar Wilde was taking his oral exam in classics, he was asked to translate the portion from near the end of Acts in which Paul is shipwrecked. When the professors told him he had translated enough, Wilde quipped "Oh, I wanted to keep reading and see how it turns out." Everyone laughed -- there was no need to explain that Acts ends inconclusively in media res. It was scarcely a devout group, but religious knowledge was so much more common it was taken for granted.

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I'm an atheist. But I've got faith in Religious Studies [View all] cbayer Mar 2014 OP

I could agree with this, but a lot of religious education for children that I have seen is not djean111 Mar 2014 #1

And that is a significant difference that merits close attention. cbayer Mar 2014 #7

My caveat, too. Feral Child Mar 2014 #19

I think we might see more diversity in general. cbayer Mar 2014 #20

Agreed Feral Child Mar 2014 #35

What the hell does 'painfully atheistic' mean? AtheistCrusader Mar 2014 #2

Just more of the recurring meme of how horrible atheism is... trotsky Mar 2014 #5

You would have to ask the author. cbayer Mar 2014 #12

Comparative Religion in Catholic HS HockeyMom Mar 2014 #3

Always a damned good idea (so to speak). longship Mar 2014 #4

"One cannot be a credible non-believer unless one is educated about that which one does not believe" djean111 Mar 2014 #13

I am not saying learning religion. I am saying learning ABOUT religion. longship Mar 2014 #15

Then your post must be directed to those who argue against religion. djean111 Mar 2014 #17

Irrelevant to this discussion. longship Mar 2014 #23

I haven't seen any objections, per se, and certainly not from any particular groups. cbayer Mar 2014 #14

I think you've hit the nail on the head. longship Mar 2014 #16

I would also strongly advocate for the inclusion of atheism as one of the cbayer Mar 2014 #18

Well, any discussion of religious history should include that, too. longship Mar 2014 #25

Given that it is given no importance at all? longship Mar 2014 #22

Perhaps not understanding the difference is one of the roadblocks that cbayer Mar 2014 #27

That's the danger. longship Mar 2014 #29

I agree that there is a risk, but I also think it could be done. cbayer Mar 2014 #31

What we are hopefully seeing with science education? longship Mar 2014 #32

I was referring to the attempts to standardize science education so cbayer Mar 2014 #33

I can see the point Feral Child Mar 2014 #24

I completely disagree with you and would equally object to the goal of cbayer Mar 2014 #28

I did qualify Feral Child Mar 2014 #34

Got it and thanks for the clarification. cbayer Mar 2014 #37

Thanks for the welcome. Feral Child Mar 2014 #39

Love it. Me, too. cbayer Mar 2014 #42

"I'm an atheist but I think religious studies are good" trotsky Mar 2014 #6

It seems to be the only way to get an editorial with an atheist slant published... Act_of_Reparation Mar 2014 #8

EVEN DAWKINS?!? trotsky Mar 2014 #10

I believe he has a misplaced confidence Feral Child Mar 2014 #26

Good point. I encourage it as well. AtheistCrusader Mar 2014 #9

Learning more about my religion (and others) is what led me to atheism. trotsky Mar 2014 #11

As a devout cradle Catholic, I was still given a wide education in comparative religion, IrishAyes Mar 2014 #21

That's a great story about the kitchen gods. cbayer Mar 2014 #30

I used to call myself an atheist, but I was wrong Uben Mar 2014 #36

Fascinating POV and one shared by others. cbayer Mar 2014 #38

Well, it's all about perspective... Uben Mar 2014 #40

So basically you don't understand evolution and have substituted a fairy tale about Warren Stupidity Mar 2014 #41

Everyone has an opinion Uben Mar 2014 #44

Making things work so that your brain will accept it is something we all do. cbayer Mar 2014 #43

So if I were to say that blacks were inferior to whites Goblinmonger Mar 2014 #47

We all have to live with ourselves Uben Mar 2014 #52

+1 goldent Mar 2014 #55

I think we benefit from trying to make others more tolerant. trotsky Mar 2014 #56

Very true skepticscott Mar 2014 #57

I Would Welcome Anything to Relieve the Level of Religious Ignorance On the Road Mar 2014 #45

Can you be more specific? skepticscott Mar 2014 #46

You can start with cleahippie's two OPs on mental illness. rug Mar 2014 #53

Two Things Goblinmonger Mar 2014 #48

And it doesn't seem to matter how often or how many people cbayer Mar 2014 #49

The alternative explanation skepticscott Mar 2014 #50

Indeed it isnt as if biblical literalism homophobic bigotry and misogyny were taught by mainstream Warren Stupidity Mar 2014 #54

Apparently you can't be more specific skepticscott Mar 2014 #58

So is it the case skepticscott Mar 2014 #51