Letters to the Editor
Malusinka
Published Letters: 368 Editor's Choice: 50
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Atheism is on an upsurge
[Read the article: Dogma days ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The pendulum is swinging back and lots of people are starting to realize the mess that religion has brought to the world. Dawkins, Hitchens, etc have given new life to the atheist movement.
And, BTW, I'm an atheist. I've never known what a 'secular humanist' is. It always sounded like gobbledy-gook to me.
Further, the claim that religions inspired great art is silly because there was a time when the church was the main patron of artists and religious art was all that was acceptable. In the 15th century, when the King of France wanted a topless picture of his mistress, she was painted as the Virgin Mary because that was the only acceptable pose that exposed her breasts. It's not great art. Maybe it would have been if the artist had been able to paint a semi-nude woman instead shoe-horning in an awkward baby Jesus.
In era when all art had to have religious content, of course, the best paintings do. Past generations produced lots of crap art. Most of it has disappeared or is in the dungeons of the world's museums -- not fit for their shelves. In the due course of time, the crap that this generation produces and calls art will be forgotten and the worthwhile stuff remain.
And how can anyone endure the sort of fake piety that all the presidential candidates trot out? It makes me gag. Even Putin, who before the fall of the Soviet Union wouldn't have been caught dead in a church, unless it had been turned into a tractor factory, makes his ritual for-the-voters church visits seem more genuine.
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Frail, pretty and Virginal?
[Read the article: Lose pounds, pad your paycheck?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]What drugs are you on? You want a high paying job, you have to look like a competent professional.
A friend of mine was hiring a director of HR and the best candidate was a woman of 25. The problem? She looked frail, pretty, and virginal -- she looked like she was 15. I was absolutely appalled that he thought this was an issue. He hired her and she turned out to be a great HR director. But I suspect she had to work harder on projecting competent professional than the average woman.
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Nothing's more tedious than slow jerky video
[Read the article: 2007 Book Awards: Literary detective fiction]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]CAn you turn this into an article? I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks
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Running mates
[Read the article: The last Iowa debate (Thank God!)]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Depending on the ability to get along, I'd expect the also-rans in the process to become VP candidates. Just think what Biden would do for Obama's candidacy. Edwards, if he loses hope early enough in the race might add some charisma to Hillary's candidacy. No one's going to touch Kucinich, regardless of how fond of him Salon readers are.
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You know, people change their minds, it's not a crime
[Read the article: What the Post didn't say about Obama]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I have a daughter and becoming the mother of a growing daughter has changed my mind about parental notification laws. I'd want to know. When my perspective was one of a daughter (who had the option of choosing to inform her parents), my views were different.
Being able to change your opinion in the light of new perspectives is good. I haven't seen Obama do the kind of shift Romney did between winning the Governorship of Mass and trying to pander to the Republican party's right wing.
Jumping on minor inconsistencies risks forcing every candidate into a series of slippery half-statements that don't take any position at all.
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The thing stinks
[Read the article: Financial Freedom: We didn't sell that reverse mortgage]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]But, I'd think good journalism would look up the ownership of these companies and see if they are the same (they sound like different entities of the same group.)
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The problem with McCain is his age
[Read the article: McCain wins early newspaper primaries]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]After all Reagan was suffering from Alzheimer's before he finished his presidency. And all his aides hid it. Plus, let's face it, by how many years does his life expectancy exceed his term in office? Not by a comfortable margin.
I'd far rather have Mr. Flip-flop. Romney's willingness to abandon his convictions left and right makes me think that his faith will not interfere with his overweaning ambition. What king said, 'the throne is worth a mass'?
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The NYT knew the age of the model
[Read the article: Child porn or edgy art?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Because under 18s can't legally make contracts. The modelling agency knew and the NYT people who contracted for the girl's services knew.
We have to draw a line in the sand. Age is clear cut. You are either 18 and over or not. That makes a lot more sense than trying to create fuzzy rules like 'does she look like an adult?'
Would you say that kids can join the army if they 'look over 18?' Are mature? If other countries (like the UK) have under-18 soldiers? After all, an almost 18 year old is close enough.
And if you allow some 17 year olds in, why not all of them, and then an almost 17 year old is close enough, etc. Hey presto, we're the Congo!
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Reasons to believe in God
[Read the article: The atheist delusion]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Without faith there is no hope or reason to be moral. That sounds like a reason to perpetrate a helpful myth on the unwashed masses. It's good for us.
(Let's just conveniently ignore a long history of religious warfare.)
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Faith versus Science
[Read the article: The atheist delusion]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Haught says "The idea that science alone can lead us to truth is questionable."
But when I look at religion, I see no path to discovering the truth. Let's examine religion.
There are so many logical inconsistencies in the bible and established religion. Not only about scientifically proven facts, but about morality. For example, the bible says nothing against slavery. The slave trade in the Christian world would have been outlawed if it was clearly prohibited in the bible.
So, if the bible and established religion can't be relied on to guide us to the truth, we are left with God is whatever I feel him to be. God is whatever our society at this time thinks he ought to be. And let's remember, the Muslim world has their own idea of what God is.
And this is the process that Haught thinks is going to bring us to the truth?
In fact, the opposite is true. Faith helps believers be convinced that whatever they feel is true, is true. Investing wishful thinking and plain old ignorance with the sanctity of the "truth".