I was going to write this and post it on one of my Yahoo groups, but decided to post it here, and make a link to it, as my groups (Dragonflies and Damselflies of the Southeast, Water Turtles, Southeastern Insects, and others) have specific raison d'être, and I did not want to interject my rant on the group or groups.
A while back, a lady, seemingly a nice one, joined one of my scientific groups, and complemented me on being a generalist, and I replied that my desire in all my life has been to be an all around Naturalist like the old time greats like Ausubon, Alexander Wilson, John and William Bartram, and Charles Darwin. She, supposedly interested in science, wrote back that she did not know of any of those people (Audubon????? OMG!!!), but thought Darwin's thinking was sloppy and just plain wrong. Eh? Well, I kind of knew where this was going, but played along, saying that many people of the Enlightenment era had had such thoughts, and that Darwin was just voicing these ideas, and put them down in book form (before his contemporary and rival Alfred Russell Wallace could publish) so that they were in a coherent form. Well, she kept writing me, making sure she copied the whole group, telling me Darwin was wrong, and how "Creation Science" explained how the Earth was only 6000 or so years old, how Evolution could never have happened, and just going on with this "Creation Science" BS, and most of the group, responsible Biologists (I had started this group for Biologists, later opening it up to hobbyists at the behest of the Biologists) stayed silent, so I asked for some help with this woman, as I am only a lowly BS myself (Bachelor in Science), and there are several PhD's on the group who have seen these specious arguments, and can refute them in their sleep. They joined in, having a discussion of sorts, until she insulted a grand old man of Biology in a major university, and I had had enough, shutting off the discussion, and eventually moderating her posts, as she had begun "testifying", though she maintained (at first) that her "Creation Science" had nothing to do with religion (BULL COOKIES!!!). She finally left, taking a few other religious folks with her (good riddance!.
Now, a few weeks ago, a lady asked for a very simple ID that any Sunday duffer should be able to get out of any field manual. Not really a problem, but this was in tiny script, and her signature file was a diatribe about how Jesus had changed her life, how she was happy, and all this sort of thing, including, as I remember, a diatribe against public schooling (for some reason, they hate public school, and want to dismantle it, and give us vouchers to send our kids the THEIR religious schools - how curious). Well, this offended me, and I wrote a message to her saying this:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion", plus see Amendment XIV.
"no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any
Office or public Trust under the United States" (US Constitution
Article VI).
And "Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely
between man and his god, that he owes account to none other for his
faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach
actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign
reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that
their "legislature" should "make no law respecting an establishment
of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus
building a wall of separation between church and State. Adhering to
this expression of the supreme will of the nation in behalf of the
rights of conscience, I shall see with sincere satisfaction the
progress of those sentiments which tend to restore to man all his
natural rights, convinced he has no natural right in opposition to
his social duties." (Thomas Jefferson)
Plus: "Adams at one point said that Christianity had originally been
revelatory, but was being misinterpreted and misused in the service
of superstition, fraud, and unscrupulous power. (!!!) (From
Wikipedia, author cited in article.)
Oh, and for you "Christians" who like to (mis)quote founding
Fathers, and who hate Public Education:
"The whole people must take upon themselves the education of the
whole people and be willing to bear the expenses of it. There should
not be a district of one mile square, without a school in it, not
founded by a charitable individual, but maintained at the public
expense of the people themselves." (Bold my doing.)
– John Adams, September 10, 1785
And, just read this; too long to quote, all from Jefferson:
http://zenhell.com/GetEnlightened/FoundingFathers/
People keep trying to say that the Founders were "Christian", but in
actuality, most were NOT (Deists and Humanists), and most feared the
injection of religion into our Government (as happened yesterday
here in NC). I find this in-your-face Christian proselytizing
irritating and disturbing, and do not think such a signature really
belongs on a list devoted to Dragonflies and kin. I do not try to
inject religion into any list to which I belong, nor try to blast
people with my beliefs; they are mine alone. If you are happy with
your beliefs, wonderful! I, however, do not need to know about it.
I respectfully ask that folks are polite, keep religious views off
the list, and respect others. I am indeed a benevolent despot, but a
despot nevertheless. Most people who think they are following Jesus
are NOT. I will direct you to Matthew 7: 22 & 23.
Now, as you can see, I do not like religion. That does not mean I am Atheist; I do not see how an intelligent person could espouse Atheism, at least not a Scientist; one cannot demonstrate the existence of an Almighty, nor can one demonstrate the absence by any empirical means. At most, a Scientist can be an Agnostic, but not an Atheist, and Atheist Scientists are espousing a religious "thing" too. No, I am intensely spiritual (I do believe in God, as I understand God, and follow much of Jesus teachings, along with some of Buddha's and others; my religion or spirituality is no one's business but mine own, or those with whom I choose to share it , and no, you so-called-Christians, I do not choose to share it with you!) Religion is responsible for the horrors of the Crusades, the Inquisition, 911, Oklahoma City, and a host of other things; sometimes the bad outweighs the good.
If you are a Christian, especially Right Wing, read this: http://www.right-wing-pseudo-christians.com/
So, what I am saying is, do not come on my lists, especially the scientific ones, and start up with religion; I will go after you. Do not come on a list and go on about Politics, as I will go after you too; I am on the Left of the spectrum, and believe the Right Wing is controlled by money and Satan (see above link), and when I look at some Right Wing politicians and preachers, I see Satan looking out their eyes. I do.
More later.....
