Why shouldn't superstition be ridiculed?

[Lucia39]

In answer to the OP regarding the 'chattering classes' who 'sneer at Christianity' I would answer thusly.

If people living in the 21st century and who depend upon the advances made in science and technology to benefit their lives still desire to cling on to infantile beliefs that a big daddy in the sky is really running the show and one day he is going to make it all better for them, then they deserve everything they get.

Why can't these people put away such childish things and just grow up?

What OP? Shouldn't you have posted this on the other thread, whatever that was?

Why should anyone be ridiculed?

Laughingat people fordecisionsthey make for themselves- 'Why can't these people put away such childish things and just grow up? '

Oh its you

You really ahte Christianity don't you?

Why not? Because it's rude and ignorant.

I dont like ridiculing anyone, not very humane in my opinion.

It is a ridiculous thread to start - deliberately antagonistic!

Is it against form for me to link to another thread where OP dispalys clearly anti Christian feeling, or to even just alert people that she hs those I wonder?

Do the link!

Well, mostly because it's not very nice.

I have no great love for Christianity, or any religion for that matter, but I cannot claim to have objective truth and nor can you. So you have to be tolerant of diverse beliefs however absurd they may seem to you, and in return you should receive tolerance.

peachy

It's a free country, one may do as one wants within obvious reason.

It does come across as fairly antagonistic, but there's no law against that. I just can't really see the point - if it's all such utterly pointless superstition (even though many, many people find great help and comfort in it) why are you wasting your time railing against it?

Oh come now ladies! I don't 'hate' Christianity anymore than I 'hate' Judaism, Islam or Hindusim or any other magico-religious practice. I just despise ignorance and superstition - since in today's world there is no need for such beliefs. I also dislike individuals, like the recently re-converted Mr Wilson, who attempt to belittle those of us who don't hold to such beliefs.

The origin of religion [in the broadest sense of the term] is understandable because early peoples needed these beliefs and practices to explain a world where they were utterly dependent upon natural forces.

Science has superseded the need for big sky daddies. So why not just recognise the fact that these various inventions are no longer needed and let them fade away along with all the other outdated deities back into the realms of folklore.

Because even if you are right and religion is just a huge security blanket or an attempt to explain what science cannot many many people still do need it.

See, I'm not big on religious people being snooty about people who aren't in the least religious.

But I'm not that big a fan of the assumption that religious belief is no longer 'needed'. You clearly don't need it, and that's lovely for you.

Not everyone is the same, and some of us do need it.

Furthermore, some of us have it, and the need thing is neither here nor there.

"Science has superseded the need for big sky daddies."

Well, obviously not because religion is still with us.

There's a lot science still can't answer, and that's where religion comes in. Religion also gives people communities, traditions, rites of passage. I'm not saying I like it, but it is what it is.

Anyway, I don't think that simply replacing "big sky daddies" with big science daddies is necessarily the answer either.

For the record, I'm a strong agnostic, so think I'm pretty well placed to examine the strength and weakness of arguments on both sides.

what me link where?

If I want the right to believe in whatever choices I make then I need to respect that right in others. IMO.

On a more philosophical level...

I have many times admitted my faith ( that I rediscoverd after a break away) is in many ways a comfort blanket, not just but certainly that's part of it. Science / philosophy etc ahs nothing to offer me in the 'main' challenge that I face- coming to terms with my boys ASD. If religion does help with that why would someone want to deny it in the name 'just growing up'?

KayHarker"- if it's all such utterly pointless superstition (even though many, many people find great help and comfort in it) why are you wasting your time railing against it?"

I'm not railing [as you describe it] I am attempting to put forward the point that in a society that is totally dependent upon science it is puerile that some people still need to cling to superstition [but only in selected areas of their lives of course]. I daresay most of the devout would opt for surgery and chemotherapy for cancer over just the prayers and incantations!

My other concern is that in recent years we have seen an increase in 'faith' schools, especially those of a 'fundamentalist' nature where young people are being indoctrinated into the nonsensical superstitions held by the founders of such establishments.

I also share concerns that ID/creationism is being pushed in the maintained sector science classroom [see a recent poll from Teachers TV where out of 1200 responses one in three thought creationism should be ranked alongside evolution and 18% of those were science teachers!]

So I think it is time to point out the nonsense of holding to such childish beliefs and if people like A N Wilson get upset - then tough!

"I daresay most of the devout would opt for surgery and chemotherapy for cancer over just the prayers and incantations"

Sadly, that's where you're wrong. This story is a truly horrific tale of abuse and neglect in a funadmentalist Christian "Quiverfull" family that led to the death of a child. They wouldn't get him help for his pneumonia. I'm not saying it's right that this happens, but we do have to pragmatically approach this. Simply calling people involved in this kind of fundamentalism "superstitious" isn't going to change their minds, or circumstances.

oh fgs - that exmaple you give is rare and a minority - and there are secularists who were rather use airy fairy home remedies that seek proper medical treatment too.

She said most won't - not all

I share with you concerns about some of the academies and the teaching of creationism. I have never ever met a teacher who thinks creationism should be ranked alongside evolution, I would be interested how the question was worded.

I teach in a school that is not a church school but has many very devout Christians in key roles, including head of science who is a minister. But having discussed this topic with him he would not want to see creationism taught in science as an equal theory.

People are allowed to believe whatever they like. And if they have a belief that helps them get through life, then who the fuck are you to want to take that away from them? So you don't share that belief, so what? you don't have to. But you have no right to want to take something away from people that doesn't hurt you in any way, but that gives them something that they feel enriches their lives.

Well, yes, and as someone who has come from that kind of situation, I can assure you that ridicule doesn't actually serve any purpose except to make the person doing to ridiculing feel terribly superior.

Lucia39, you're making an awful lot of assumptions in your post there. There's nothing in most manistream religious belief that precludes the use of medicine.

And as I'm not in favour of schools discriminating on the basis of the faith of the families attending, and nor do I give a monkey's about creationism/ID teachings, I've got nothing much to add to that, if you were hoping for a good old argument about those things.

I didn't realize it was A N Wilson who wrote that article. Crikey, I've read some of his books and found him obnoxious then, so it's clearly an ingrained personality trait for him.

Anyway, like I say, you plug away at what it is you dislike about religious belief. I just don't really see the point.