Letters to the Editor
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@ JackHughes and dominionists
The dominionists are truly a scary bunch. They even have a think tank, the Acton Institute, in which they have come up with a 'theory' to support dominion called 'economic personalism.' It makes for quite a humorous read as it attempts to masquerade as 'scholarly' work. I would like to know where the bible talks about free market economy as a christian principle! Acton's well-funded 'environmentalist' group, the Interfaith Stewardship Alliance, has a truly frightening manifesto called the Cornwall Document, also worth a read if anyone wants to continue expanding their knowledge on this modern-day religious horror story.
The evangelical environmentalist 'creation care' movement, along with the NAE (formerly headed by now-disgraced male-prostitute visiting, meth snorting leader, Haggert), who now endorses creation care under its VP, Richard Cizik, are getting significant hostile criticism from fundie leaders such as Dobson. Creation care-ists, while still social and political fundie conservatives, define 'dominion' as more of a stewardship role, which threatens dominionist's 'make as much money as possible and the rest of the earth and its creatures be damned, they're here for our consumption' attitude.
Other disillusioned evangelicals are breaking away and forming 'emerging' churches. They also receive stern condemnation from the traditional fundie leaders because they ~gasp!~ sometimes implement candles and meditation and congregationists' ideas into their worship services. LIke the creation care folks, they are conservative, despite their tattoos and soul patches, but at least are open to a more Jesus-like mission of helping the downtrodden. The leaderships' criticism of these two small bands of evangelicals that are learning to think for themselves highlights the skewed priorities of the fundie coalition-- fighting homosexuals and abortion rights and making money and building multi-million dollar theme parks are more important than following the most important tenets of Jesus' example.
So that's the potential good news... there are fissures in the fundie coalition. Their lockstep groupthink is beginning to come apart at the seams (hand me the cosmic seam-ripper, please!). Since the late '70s these religious fanatics have gradually integrated into modern society and, as we have all observed, amassed great political power. Very odd how a pre-modern ideology that relies on modernist communication (language and text) is now adopting postmodern (visual) methods in order to not just win over converts, but to replace secular society and government with their narrow interpretation of morality. They are frighteningly successful to date.
I am by no stretch of the imagination an evangelical, but I research evangelical rhetoric. I figure the more I understand the better I can counteract their agenda, rather than just ridicule such a despised and easy target. The more I research the fundamentalist coalition the more severe my concern for the US becomes. We should be fighting them with all we have, unless, of course, we don't mind our democracy being replaced with a rigid dark ages theocracy. Their agenda is one of power and not godliness, and they make no bones about restructuring the US as a 'christian bible-centered' nation. They are truly Star Trek-like Borg, but I for one will not be assimilated and resistance is not yet futile! They have now integrated into every area of the mainstream. No matter how much they dress up their christianese in postmodern diguise, I am not convinced they can survive in our postmodern world if we keep exposing their hypocrisy; wasn't it Goebbels, Master of Propaganda, that stated: once propaganda is recognized as such it is no longer effective.
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Lies!
This museum is an affront and a despicable slur towards all of our most holy ancestors. The idea that a revered Lord Tyrannosaurus, he of the jaws so strong and pure, would deign to allow mutated pink rats to exist in his most divine presence un-swallowed, un-torn, or at least un-trampled is filthy blasphemy.
These defilers of the faith shall soon be coated with our white goopy fury.
That is if we can get to Petersburg, Kentucky. It is a long way from the coast.
-Pelican Pete
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Bible is a Literalist's nightmare...
It's amazing to me how fundamentalists get so wrapped up in "word for word" literal "truth" of the Bible. Six days HAS to be six "24-hour days" even though the Bible is a metaphorpalooza in its prophetic passages. In particular, the creation story is silent on so many issues of geology, geography, species diversity, etc. Scholars have been struggling with these questions since the Renaissance. Consequently, human speculation and interpretation ARE NECESSARY to support some of the conclusions presented at the creation museum.
As quaint as it sounds to have vegetarian T-rexes frolicking with sheep, it seems a pretty cruel trick for God to give them teeth unsuited for anything but a carnivorous diet. Talk about foreshadowing the "Fall."
Bottom line, the Bible is far too incomplete to offer literal answers for all of existence. Heck, even as a basis for spiritual faith, it has some issues. Fundamentalists already know that the Bible uses poetic license in some places. If they could only accept that there is room in the world for faith WITHOUT literalism, the world would be a much better place.
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"I don't know if this story is truer than Darwin's theory, but I do know it's better."
That just about sums it up.
The idiots can't see God in Darwin's Theory because they desperately need him to be some old white guy with his thumb constantly up their butts.
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Clockwork Smurf ...
Your letter (the one deploring how America teaches science backwards) was brilliant. Wish I had written it! Congratulations.
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Maybe it's in the Kool-Aid
So,if Adam and Eve were punished for eating the Fruit of Knowledge, does that mean that these people eat the Fruit of Ignorance? Sunday brunch, perhaps?
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"I think God put you here to test MY faith, dude."
"If the world is 12,000 years old, and the Bible covers it, why didn't someone bring up dinosaurs? You'd think someone would have brought that up, somewhere in the goddamn book.
"And Jesus and the Disciples walked down the path towards Nazareth, but oh, the path was blocked by a giant brontosaurus, with a splinter in his paw. And the Disciples did run a-screamin' "What a big fuckin' Lizard, Lord!"
"I'm sure gonna mention this in my book," said Luke.
"Well I'm sure gonna mention it in my book," said Matthew.
"I'm not sure what I saw," said Thomas.
Timothy nudged him: "It was a big fuckin' lizard, Thomas!"
But Jesus was unafraid, and he took the splinter from the brontosaurus' paw, and the brontosaurus became his friend...
- Bill Hicks, Arizona Bay