The Early Days of a Better Nation

Friday, July 10, 2009



Son of Orange Walking with Dinosaurs



My brother James (mild-mannered professor by day, acerbic cartoonist by night) has been inspired by the third post below to send me this. 'Couldn't resist it,' he says. 'The joke wrote itself.'

The actual views of the Orange Order on evolution can be guessed at from these fascinating sidelights on Six Counties politics. And, in the name of parity of esteem, there's always the Catholic Church taking a stand for scepticism and against superstition, especially when it comes to worshiping trees.

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9 Comments:

Both the "third post below" and "home" links are getting me a "file not found."

The holy tree stump is in my hometown. It's a bizarre experience to find myself agreeing with the Catholic hierarchy for once - "For God's sake, it's just a tree!"

Thanks Vicki - 'third post below' fixed. 'Home' I don't think I can do anything about.

Well, I guess that's my question 'third post below' answered. Basically what I thought -same as any other fundamentalists.

I have to say I somewhat agree with that bloggers view of 'Evangelical Atheists', who can be as obnoxious as the christian sort (I live in Colorado Springs CO, home of many evangelical orgs, so have seen many). I once tried watching a presentation by Dawkins (whom I haven't actually read yet) at Randolph-Macon Women's College in Lynchburg, Virginia. Attending were several students from Falwell's Liberty University, whose questions all seemed to start with "Yeah, but what about..." Unfortunately Dawkins' responses weren't the kind of answers that would get anyone to consider what he was talking about. It devolved into two sides arguing, convinced that they're right and don't bother arguing with me. I wasn't getting much out of it and changed the channel.

Dawkins' attitude seemed to come from his rejected protestantism (I'm guessing) and to lump all religions together, and to not be too knowledgeable of other religions. I tend to think religion is Mostly Harmless, so long as you keep to yourself and don't try governing with it. Except, of course, that's the opposite of what evangelicals/fundies do.

If I had a point I seem to have lost it, and ended up longer than intended. Not the first time.

Had to look up the S.E.C. on Wikipedia. Seem rather tame compared to some of the churches here.

Whatever one thinks of Dawkins' argumentative style and knowledge of the diversity of religions, his 'The God Delusion' contains a valuable bibliography, a list of organizations concerned with religion, and many interesting points. As an atheistic bookworm I've seen most of this before and did not need to be convinced that all religions are frauds. So I didn't read the book. But I own it and flip through it now and then, sometimes just for the laughs it extorts from me.

JamesPadraicR - the SEC in the caption is the Scottish Exhibition Centre, not the Scottish Episcopal Church. I think Dawkins would agree with what you say about religion, funnily enough.

Ah, well, that one didn't show up on Wikipedia -just looked, it's the SECC?. Didn't make it there when I was in Glasgow a couple years ago. Guess I confused myself and made a faulty assumption.

Thanks again.

Yes, it's the SECC. The two abbreviations seem to be used indifferently, at least informally.

I realized the other day -a few days too late- that I could have saved myself some bother and confusion if I had simply gone back and looked at the post about 'Walking With Dinosaurs' where you clearly say 'at the SEC'. If I'd remembered that, it would have been obvious what it referred to. I can't claim that the periods in the cartoon set me in the wrong direction.

Just not too observant sometimes, I guess.

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