(no subject)

[johnny9fingers]

As an update Prof Jones discussed the problems he comes across when teaching students with Islamic backgrounds. 

"To a man and to a woman, there are parts of science they will not accept. 
That means that, in their early lives, they have been told deliberate lies by people who, I'm sure, know they are deliberate lies. I don't care how charming they are, I don't care how pleasant they are, these people are evil."

Now to my mind, these islamic folk ain't the only ones who can't belive in science either. Vide fundamentalist Christianity, who also go around inculcating their kids with nonsense in the name of faith.

Comments

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

The Hindus have never had the belief that the world was created (according to the Bible) in 4004 BCE, in fact they positied that the world was millions of years old well some two millennia before the West.
Moslems (like Christians and Jews) are all tied to the same general idiocy, whether they come to doubt or not. That Book tells 'em all the same story.
I'm beginning to think of That Book as the cause of most of our troubles. And also the bringing of light of Mercy to the world in small measure, but....

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

"The good book is also the baaaaddddd book" - The Resident

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

I don't think you're getting your religions mixed up. Hinduism has so many different and varied beliefs it's quite likely that some folk do believe the world is carried through space on the back of a giant turtle. Very Pratchett. I keep returning to the NT myself.

[winterlion.livejournal.com]

My message to those students:

I have listened to Islamic holy men describe how there is no conflict between science and faith - science is "merely" an exercise to better understand Allah's works.
To close one's eyes to reason and evidence is to close one's eyes to Allah and to open one's heart to Shai'tan. (arbitrarily picking a spelling)

Amusingly there actually IS passage in the qu'ran covering this. it will take me a great deal of time to investigate though....
Better to be tested and stand, than to turn away and be blind. An untested faith is an unsure one.

unlike the Christian Fundie doodieheads, these people have NO excuse for their blindness. And - like the Christian fundies - these people are abandoning the works of their ancestors at better Understanding.

That's my thoughts on this matter :)
(I was preparing to possibly convert to Islam a couple of years ago... I was starting to study Arabic to read the Qu'ran properly as well as a number of other changes... and then life ... switched. Ihn sh'Allah *grin*)

Similar madnesses

[(Anonymous)]

Mr first (very, very intelligent) boyfriend converted, after I dumped him, to fundamentalist Catholicism after seeing god wlaking towatrds him across the waves (a bottle of vodka was involved). Best part of this? Despite an unshakeable belief in the literal truth of Genesis he carried on studying, and later found work in, his chosen area of academia. Which was paleontology.

I never understood how he did it.

M

Re: Similar madnesses

[johnny9fingers.livejournal.com]

You can't be a true Catholic and believe in a literal interpretation of Genesis. Pope Benny has (thanks to clever Jesuit theologans) pronounced on evolution and found it to be 'good' (or at least the best explanation we have at present).
I wonder how he'd cope with that. A new level of turbo-charged cognitive dissonance to deal with, no doubt.
Em, you sure as hell pick 'em. Let's examine the list....(better not)
You only got sane about chaps when you started stepping out with Nick. (Well...I may just have had some small influence, but I'm not claiming anything.)
Dearest Love to you and N.
Am working tomorrow and Sunday so will not be about, alas.

Re: Similar madnesses

[(Anonymous)]

I like to think I got sane about chaps the last time I dumped someone.

I think he picked and chose somewhat as to what he believed in - he spent a large amount of time with a set of monks in Melbourne (can't remember what flavour) but was also influenced heavily by his professor, who was a Mormon. Classic example of someone who was desperately looking for something. And believe me - he was clever enough to deal with any sort of cognitive dissonance.

See you Friday, I hear?

M