Evolution

Parent Cafe
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<p>Stalin, Mao, Hitler, Pol Pot… I just <em>love</em> your blaming their atheism for their attitudes. What exactly do you blame the Crusades on? Or the Spanish Inquisition? Why was it exactly that the United States was founded on the basis of separation of Church and State? Oh, yes, I remember–because the founders were trying to avoid religious persecution in their original countries.</p>

<p>Do you really think religion can prevent genocide?</p>

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<p>woodwork - you and I agree on your last post…</p>

<p>I like that phrase, “difference without a distinction.”</p>

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<p>dmd77- nice post.</p>

<p>People will use scientific discoveries for good and bad. But science is science is science. My point was that religious teachings can be twisted and turned to fit an agenda. </p>

<p>Watching a certain medical case a few weeks ago, people were defending their religious stances by denying scientific fact. I don’t want to get into that debate again. </p>

<p>During the begininng of our country, people used religion as an excuse to kill people. It was often to take their land. You may all have a different sense of which situations to which I refer.</p>

<p>Yes science can be used for bad. But to deny science because what it proves does not mesh with religous teachings is just something I can’t understand/</p>

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<p>Dmd77, I for one, did not extract from Woodwork’s post that he blames Stalin’s, Mao’s, Hitler’s (et al) atheism for their brutal politics. Rather, I believe he was saying, that those in political power don’t need a belief in a religious absolute to believe that they are absolutely right, nor for the decisions they make based on that assumption of rightness to result in devastating consequences.</p>

<p>If you’ll re-read his post, Citygirlsmom, I believe you’ll also see that he did not argue with the virtue and value of science, but merely pointed out that science has at times ALSO been twisted and turned to “fit an agenda”, either political or social.</p>

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<p>I was unaware of having blamed their atheism–they were simply atheist’s who believed in what they were doing without the need to have religion or God endorse or ratify their horrifying acts of inhumanity. I hope that comes across clearly now. </p>

<p>I blame them—Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot and the Crusaders and those who ran the Inquisition, not their beliefs, just as I blame those who bomb abortion clinics for having bombed abortion clinics, not their God, their religion, their country, the university they attended or their parents.</p>

<p>As to the separation of church and state, you’ll have to point that phrase out to me in the constitution, as I’ve never come across it. I don’t think their should be a separation of “__________” and state for anything that is considered lawful, including lobbyists for chemical companies and high-tech defense contractors, socialists, communists, anarchists, atheists, agnostics and theists: they all bring their special brand of thinking to the table; I figure we’ll all be better for it in the long run. </p>

<p>We have an open and free government; we don’t proscribe anyone, or any idea from being involved in its operation or EVOLUTION.</p>

<p>As to the inquisition and the crusades, this was religious people killing religious people; I don’t believe many atheists would have been involved. Killing and injustice are killing and injustice, they are not committed by beliefs; they are committed by people. To the best of my knowledge all modern people condemn them, no matter what philosophy and belief they hold, just as most modern people condemn the afore mentioned leaders of officially atheistic states where there was a very clear separation of church and state.</p>

<p>I certainly didn’t mean to offend anyone.</p>

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<p>Poetsheart,</p>

<p>I would have saved myself allot of trouble if I had seen your post before I posted…You pretty much summed it up, thanks.</p>