The Problem with Religious Moderates

[Lacipyt]

114. Three Things

1) The mindset of religious believers is not uniform in its approach to all matters public and personal. I don't doubt some feel the way you describe, but others do not. Rarely can a group be so easily categorized. I can answer your questions about my beliefs, but you would be better served speaking with someone whose beliefs match up more perfectly with you views of them.

2) The reasons for holding a belief do not, in and of themselves, make the viewpoints invald. This is what I tried to convey. If Bush did cut federal funding for ESCR, as you say, because God told him to, that does not mean it was be default the wrong choice. Is that a bad decision-making process? Horrible. But you bring up issues assuming everyone agrees with you and your position. Some abolitionists opposed slavery for religious reasons, were they nosy busybodies who should have stayed away from social issues? Shoudl Daniel Berrigan, who destroyed draft records to protest Vietnam, have kept his collar on and avoided poltiics? You've brought up the RCC, and I'm sure you were equally miffed about their role in helping get debt reduction in Africa, as was atested by many of the leaders of that issue becaue, you know, religion has no role in public life. You strike me as being a knee-jerk liberal, who reacts rather than contemplates and responds. As Noam Chomsky once said, "When dealing with religion, it's best to avoid cliches - the world is far too complicated."

3) Eugenics. How do you know of its adherents, "many of who are also religious?" Do you have some statistical data on this I can see? The point of eugenics, and perhaps I'm kicking against the goad here, is you seem to think we've learned our lesson and it can't happen here. That the scientists and experts who supported the "progress" it would enable were misguided but that we, as present people, are incapable of such mistakes. You've clearly made up your mind about issues, but don't seem to have the sightest interest in examining those of others except to tell them how wrong they are.