Re: [asa] Dawkins is at it again (giving the devil his due)

Hi John,

"Good grief. Why would anyone take issue with these simple observations
below?"

Because I am striving to be intellectually honest. Teaching a kid to commit
suicide is not only abuse, it is worse than that - it is murder. As for
snake handling, it sure sounds odd and exotic to me, but I'm asking where is
the evidence that this is abuse?

"Are you defending all religion all the time?"

No. What I am demanding is a high level of evidence to support any attempt
to broaden the "child abuse" accusation, especially when the accusation is
associated with a socio-political agenda.

"The point was that Dawkins is at least somewhat justified in pointing out
that some religious practices can have detrimental effects on people,
especially kids. Take YEC for another example. Will you defend that as
 well?"

Dawkins did not claim "some religious practices can have detrimental effects
on people, especially kids." He claimed that calling a child 'Christian' or
'Muslim' is child abuse. He claimed that subjecting a child to the Church's
teaching about hell is worse than physical and sexual abuse. As for YEC,
yes, if someone claims that raising a child to believe YEC is worse than
physically or sexually abusing that child (is this next in line?), I will
point out the folly of the accusation.

Why would anyone who values science and intellectual honesty take issue with
the manner in which I have refuted these accusations?

- Mike

> Good grief. Why would anyone take issue with these simple observations
> below? Are you defending all religion all the time?
>
> The point was that Dawkins is at least somewhat justified in pointing out
> that some religious practices can have detrimental effects on people,
> especially kids. Take YEC for another example. Will you defend that as
> well?
>
> John
>
>
>> Hi John,
>>
>>
>>
>> "It is child abuse to teach a kid to strap on a
>> suicide vest and blow
>> himself and a bunch of innocent people up because they are
>> infidels"
>>
>>
>>
>> No, that's better described as murder.
>>
>>
>>
>> "and it is child abuse to teach a kid that handling
>> poisonous snakes is a
>> sign of their faith."
>>
>>
>>
>> Here, you sound like Dawkins. Do you have any evidence
>> that a such activity
>> is child abuse?
>>
>>
>>
>> - Mike
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> > On Dawkins' chid abuse charge, you have to give
>> the devil his due. Some
>> > religion is child abuse.
>> >
>> > It is child abuse to teach a kid to strap on a suicide
>> vest and blow
>> > himself and a bunch of innocent people up because they
>> are infidels and it
>> > is child abuse to teach a kid that handling poisonous
>> snakes is a sign of
>> > their faith.
>> >
>> > John
>> >

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Received on Sun Nov 9 19:16:27 2008