Do science, get reported to the government as a terrorist

[qizmoduis]

"Swiftboating", a standard conservative political tactic, is becoming even more prevalent:

http://www.pandasthumb.org/archives/2006/04/forrest_mims_cr.html

Apparently, religious right-wingers are getting even more desperate as the rack up an impressive list of loss-after-loss-after loss in the courts and in public opinion. Since they apparently have been unable to manipulate the courts into pushing their religious and anti-science agenda unto students, they've instead decided to attack science at it's source. Basically, if a scientist says something you don't like, report him/her to the Department of Homeland Security as a terrorist.

 

[bushidomartialarts]

cute article. i especially liked the phrase "credulous, braindead moonbats".

i wonder how unbiased the report is, however, given his rhetoric.

 

[qizmoduis]

Uh...so what you're saying is that Dr. Pianka is a terrorist and should have been reported to the government. Perhaps the flood of death threats against him and his employer from god-fearing christians is just a silly frat prank?

Maybe NASA should rehire George Deutsch. We can't let that SCIENCE get out into the public, you know. People might vote the WRONG WAY if they know the facts.

Right-wingers really need to stop throwing around accusations like this when they don't get their way. They're getting to sound more and more like whiny, petulant 3 year-olds.

 

[Cryozombie]

Yeah but on the opposite side of this, if science, athiests, and other anti-christain rhetoric slingers would back off... it might not be such a problem.

Ya'll just feed into each other too much.

 

[qizmoduis]

Yeah but on the opposite side of this, if science, athiests, and other anti-christain rhetoric slingers would back off... it might not be such a problem.

Ya'll just feed into each other too much.

You can't be serious. That has to be one of the sillier things I've read in this forum.

 

[Flatlander]

You can't be serious. That has to be one of the sillier things I've read in this forum.

I'm going to ask, please, that if you are willing to call a member's comment 'silly' that you at the very least explain why you think so. Otherwise, you end up appearing as though you are attacking the poster, as opposed to presenting a position. Thank you.

 

[Cryozombie]

You can't be serious. That has to be one of the sillier things I've read in this forum.

Absolutley.

The anti-christian rhetoric and venom crowd expresses their "opinions" and it spurres idiotic reactions from the Right Wing Fundamentalists.

The Fundamentalists and their radical ideas on what they believe the bible actually says make the aformentioned group respond with idiocy about how dumb christians are.

If you cant see that feeds the problems on both sides, you are calling the wrong poster silly.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Uh...so what you're saying is that Dr. Pianka is a terrorist and should have been reported to the government. Perhaps the flood of death threats against him and his employer from god-fearing christians is just a silly frat prank?

Maybe NASA should rehire George Deutsch. We can't let that SCIENCE get out into the public, you know. People might vote the WRONG WAY if they know the facts.

Right-wingers really need to stop throwing around accusations like this when they don't get their way. They're getting to sound more and more like whiny, petulant 3 year-olds.

Actually I think he was saying that the phrase "credulous, braindead moonbats" isn't exactly something a legitimate reporter uses.

 

[Marginal]

Absolutley.

The anti-christian rhetoric and venom crowd expresses their "opinions" and it spurres idiotic reactions from the Right Wing Fundamentalists.

So they're merely victims of bullying.

 

[Cryozombie]

So they're merely victims of bullying.

*Sigh*

Sure, why not.

Since you only quote 1/2 of what I say AND that puts it out of context, I'm not gonna ****ing argue with you. Believe what you want.

 

[bushidomartialarts]

wow. things got interesting while i was away.

to clarify my position, i think the situation is ridiculous. that somebody would be persecuted for their ideas is horrible under any circumstances. our society was founded on the notion that people should be able to express and pursue any thought or idea, no matter how repulsive others think it.

i also think the article this thread linked to is a terrible way to try and broach the subject. the writing was unprofessional, loudmouthed rhetoric, as likely to lose supporters as to gain them. funny writing (i laughed), but not a winner in the 'spread the truth, brother' category. it was the kind of thing you'd expect to see in the old pogo cartoons, or from mr. elmore here in our own pages.

and is anybody else giggling a bit watching two people attacking each other here because they disagree with one another's stance on how important it is to be able to express your ideas?

 

[Xue Sheng]

Ironic...isn't it

 

[qizmoduis]

I'm going to ask, please, that if you are willing to call a member's comment 'silly' that you at the very least explain why you think so. Otherwise, you end up appearing as though you are attacking the poster, as opposed to presenting a position. Thank you.

Yes, I should have.

Basically, his comments are silly, because they are largely uninformed by reality. He carelessly copied the hoary righ-wing canard of christians and christianity itself being under attack by the vast, faceless liberal/secular/atheist/scientist conspiracy. Bill O'Reilly's "War on Christmas" publicity campaign a few months ago was a recent manifestation of this odd phenomenon. Many right-wing christians believe themselves, despite all evidence to the contrary, to be a persecuted minority in the United States, despite the fact that they control the political/cultural worlds at almost every level. It's ludicrous.

Note his assumption that the scientist in question, Dr. Pianka, was a liberal-atheist, which is completely false.

The idea that death threats against Dr Pianka and other scientists in Texas are some kind of reaction to "anti-christian vitriol" is ridiculous on it's face. There is no merit whatsoever to such a claim. Where exactly did Dr. Pianka express this "anti-christian vitriol?"

As a liberal/atheist myself who used to be a devout Catholic, my attitudes towards christians and christianity, which can occasionally manifest a bit of vitriol, are informed by experience. This is almost universally true for most of the other atheists I've met either personally or online over the years. In the US, at least, most atheists grew up religious. Our objections to religion and christianity in particular come from experience and inside knowledge. Obviously, that won't be true of everybody. This may or may not be true of the blogger in question who's site I linked in my original post.

 

[Cryozombie]

As a liberal/atheist myself who used to be a devout Catholic, my attitudes towards christians and christianity, which can occasionally manifest a bit of vitriol, are informed by experience. This is almost universally true for most of the other atheists I've met either personally or online over the years. In the US, at least, most atheists grew up religious. Our objections to religion and christianity in particular come from experience and inside knowledge.

So... your experiences on both sides of the fence make YOUR beliefs right, but mine are "silly" because I swung the opposite way?

Brilliant man.

heres a challenge for you... search MARTIAL TALK... this forum only... for the number of THREADS started claiming that science is BS and Christianity is all knowing... then go the opposite way... see which one there are more of.

Uh huh. Thought so. Bashing Christianity is the flavor of the week. Hell, look at Marginals post just above this, and how he took 50% of what I said, which removed the context of the post saying BOTH sides keep cheesing each other off... and how he turned that into me saying the athiests are the only ones at fault.

Again. Brilliant.

My initial post had nothing to do with the article in question, tho you assume it did, and had everything to do with the wording you used. My point... which is as long as this **** is presented that way will cause more uproar in the christian community... hence THIS PART OF THAT POST:

Ya'll just feed into each other too much.

Ya know... the ability of you guys to develop selective reading skills is staggering.

 

[Xue Sheng]

"Apparently, religious right-wingers are getting even more desperate as the rack up an impressive list of loss-after-loss-after loss in the courts and in public opinion. Since they apparently have been unable to manipulate the courts into pushing their religious and anti-science agenda unto students, they've instead decided to attack science at it's source. Basically, if a scientist says something you don't like, report him/her to the Department of Homeland Security as a terrorist.

I read the article "3 times" and I have seen nothing that says religion is the motive for any of this.

I have done a web search on this and there appears to be a total lack of supporting evidence on both sides.

And a couple of guys calling each other names, a report to Homeland security and a few death threats do not a crusade make.

I read a lot of name calling and although it is an entertaining read I do not see it as responsible journalism.

As for the national media firestorm it is alleged to have caused, I live in the same nation and this is the first I heard of it.

 

[bushidomartialarts]

"lord what fools these mortals be", eh?

 

[Xue Sheng]

"lord what fools these mortals be", eh?

One sees more devils than vast hell can hold

 

[shesulsa]

Let's keep this civil now, folks. If we need to take a breather or ignore certain people let's do that.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I am not arguing the point, but quoting Shakespere is being uncivil!?!?!

But the stuff previous was ok???

Actually I'm sure the bard would be proud..

Sorry, I'm out

 

[Cryozombie]

I am not arguing the point, but quoting Shakespere is being uncivil!?!?!

But the stuff previous was ok???

Actually I'm sure the bard would be proud..

Sorry, I'm out

Hey... I think that was directed more at me than you man.