[FoRK] More faith-driven insanity: kill the teacher!

[Jeff Bone]

On Nov 30, 2007, at 1:36 PM, Sat N wrote:

>> Religion doesn't cause all violence, that's certain;  but religion
>> *inherently causes* even more (a) non-rational thought, (b)
>> intolerance and cultural exclusion, (c) hatred, and (d) xenophobia
>> (and hence xenophobic violence) than would otherwise exist.  Further
>> it "immunizes" those infected against the very kinds of rational
>> discourse and persuasion that could counter those tendencies.  And it
>> is, indeed, infectious.
>
> Prove it. Use your scientific principles to prove it - anecdotes are
> not sufficient for a proof.

BTW, the problem with this challenge is this:

Those who need convincing of this and related propositions are not  
likely to be convinced by any sort of "scientific" or rational or  
academically rigorous attempt to support the assertion in the first  
place.

And those who would be convinced by such an attempt are not likely to  
need convincing in the first place.

So, instead, it seems to me appropriate to confront the religious  
with the kind of dogmatic, insistent, normative rhetoric that they  
offer --- in an attempt to "shock" them out of their usual stance, as  
usually encouraged by social deference and sensitivity to their  
religiousity --- than it would be to engage in some academically  
rigorous exercise.

--

So to that end:  do we all share an understanding of what is  
happening in the teacher situation?  These are people who believe  
that their God and their belief system would justify the murder of a  
teacher for allowing students to name a stuffed animal a name that  
happened to be shared by their prophet.  Can you find it within  
yourself to call that what it is --- i.e., COMPLETE MADNESS?  (Never  
mind the fact that some number of those kids in that class probably  
share that very name;  are their parents equally guilty of  
dishonoring their religion?  I mean, this makes no sense at all, even  
if you attempt to put yourself in the context of the true believer.   
It is INSANE.)

jb