Saturday, March 20, 2010

In the Glove Compartment of the Wingnut Mindset

I couldn't resist this current gem from FSTDT:

[In a review of Victor Stenger's book "God: The Failed Hypothesis"]
Victor Stenger is a physicisist [sic.] and therefore does not have the values and common-sense way of talking that me and my friends have - this angers me.
Yes, and I'm annoyed when others don't share my hobbies, politics, or favorite color. But anger? And the leap to assuming that his dedication to scientific method negates any values or accessible rhetorical style he may have? Faulty at best. Probably the poster is just trying to say that Stenger doesn't appreciate the ignorance of himself and his friends, and that's not cool.
What makes me even angrier is that Victor seems to think that just by knowing "stuff" he can show that the gospels are wrong and there is no God.
Oh, the pointlessness of actually "knowing stuff"!
He should be more humble and admit that me and my friends are 100% right that God exists and that science cannot explain mysteries such as thought or how birds fly.
Er, no - it's the person who thinks he's 100% right who is actually in need of humility. You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
Only through the eyes of faith can we really understand that Stenger doesn't know what he's talking about, because by believing in Jesus we strengthen our beliefs that we have the answers and Stenger and secular humanists should stop dissing us - this is a Christian country and they are guests.
Oh, I get it - by believing, you strengthen your beliefs that you're right, which gives you more to believe, and believing in those enhanced beliefs even further strengthens your beliefs...damn, I have a headache.
Also, do not think that the false guess of evolution is true, because Charles Darwin thought of that while on opium and never practiced good science like Jesus and the apostles did.
Hey! The New Testament is now a science book, apparently. Though I don't remember the passage on "And if the poor have not a Bunsen burner, provide your own unto him, for he who shares not his scientific apparatus shall not pass into MIT..."
If evolution were true, Jesus would have told us about it, since he didn't Darwin was wrong and animals have always existsed the way they do now (except dinosaurs- people photoshopped pictures of them and fooled everyone and they never existed.)
Look at all that is false around us! Jesus also never mentioned television or the iPod or drive-thru super-sized meals or miniature golf or skateboards or microwave popcorn! Mind-blowing, isn't it? I'd text you about it right now except Jesus never told us about texting.

The poster also seems to think that dinosaur fossils, reconstructed skeletons and artists' renderings didn't exist before Photoshop. Someone telex this poor wingnut a clue.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Er, no - it's the person who thinks he's 100% right who is actually in need of humility. You keep saying that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

______________________________

This may shock you (not) but I have been accused of this myself. I admit I don't have much patience with what I perceive to be nonsense though I will admit that I have looked back at some of my own past beliefs and came to the conclusion that they too were nonsense.
_______________________________

This may be off topic but in the not to distant past I have spent my time finding others on these internets who I did not agree with, especially from a political point of view and gotten into a war of words with them. I am coming to the conclusion that such and act is a jolly waste of my good time.

I would rather surround myself with a few good people than a lot of trash for the purpose of a good net war.

My next trick is too not get drawn in when the trash comes looking me. Not saying I won't ever quit saying wow you are a fucking moron when such a statement is warranted but I won't debate it.

Anonymous said...

Oh and FSTDT is a marvelous site. I can;t say that enough.

et said...

Oh, I don't disagree, Count. There are plenty of people out there with whom debate or even mere conversation is a proven waste of time.

The difference lies in what they (fail to) bring to the party, before foregoing all discourse, vs. what someone like you - or, I hope, like me - brings to the party. You or I or most of those who frequent this site would, I think, never begin from the raw assumption that we have a monopoly on truth and/or reality. What we do have are facts, observations and supported opinions to back up our viewpoints on any specific issue.

Someone who, as in this post, says "because Jesus didn't talk about evolution it must not exist" is not speaking from the same kind of level, logical playing field. They're just spouting blind belief, and arguing with that is a fast track toward beating your head against a brick wall forever. It just hurts your own head and doesn't enlighten the other party one iota.

What I think you're saying is that you've concluded that there's no point in engaging someone who doesn't play by the same ground rules. I heartily agree. One's true ideological family is not the one that, necessarily, shares all your beliefs...it is the one that shares the same common ground of discourse.

That's why I mock FSTDT drivel like this here rather than at the source. Been there, done that, and AM done with that.

Apart from the continuing mockery, as long as you'll let me keep it up here... :-)

Anonymous said...

Totally agree with you. And you are always welcomed here. I think you know I consider myself a believer and yet I also believe in evolution. Not sure how those things are mutually exclusive.

et said...

They're not...to a nuanced mind. I don't think many of them are to be found at FSTDT.

I am not a Christian, or in any way Biblical, believer by any stretch, but I have never felt that acceptance of evolutionary theory in any way negated or superseded the notion of a Creator of some kind.

I mean, to suggest that would be to say that it's absolutely impossible that nobody EVER put the SeaMonkeys into the fishbowl...how the heck to the SeaMonkeys know, eh?

et said...

I meant "do" at that last. Geez, it's late...

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