I haven't read enough of the work of those you name to agree or disagree with you, but I think those of us fortunate enough to live in places where religion does not dictate law often fail to appreciate just how hard the battle can be for Americans who would rather maintain the separation of Church and State as a reality. I don't mean to justify any cruelty or lack of compassion on their part, just to suggest that living in a country where evolution is still regularly outlawed from school curriculums or kept only with a fight, the Religious Right manages to persuade the American government to stop contributing to the UN Population Fund, and a gay man faces an easier time getting elected to public office than an atheist, might tend to make one a bit defensive at times. Yes, tolerance would be a better and more effective approach, but tolerance is difficult to maintain when it always seems to go one way.
Well Dawkins is an Englishman and teaches here, so what is his excuse? They anoy me so much, these peope because Science is so important (even to those of us with faith), but these people demean it with such poor arguments. I think they do more harm than good in the battle against Intelligent design for example by becoming such gross charactures. They make it easy for the religous right!
no subject
Date: 2004-04-26 02:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-04-27 08:24 am (UTC)They anoy me so much, these peope because Science is so important (even to those of us with faith), but these people demean it with such poor arguments. I think they do more harm than good in the battle against Intelligent design for example by becoming such gross charactures. They make it easy for the religous right!