Scientology

Scientology is not as popular as the celebrity blogs would lead you to believe.

Atheism vs. idolatry

Pierre Bayle, the 17th-century French Enlightenment philosopher, wrote a book called "Pensées sur la comète" which starts with comets but very quickly switches to what he really wants to talk about, which is the connection between religion and social order. The book is an attempt to stop talking about the superiority of Christians over atheists (an argument Bayle knew the atheists couldn't win) and start talking about the superiority of atheists over idolators. (Idolators here are defined as anyone who is fanatical, superstitious, or follows the wrong religious.)

Here's Bayle's brillant analogy: a husband prefers that his wife be indifferent to all men rather than succumbing to both him and to another man, while the Gallant is fine with her loving both her husband and him. Similarly, God might prefer us to be atheists rather than subscribing to the wrong religion! A clever twist on Pascal's wager.

Jerry Falwell and Christopher Hitchens

Sometimes, when I might be feeling a little down, or when my ability to judge others seems to be wavering, I'll watch this video.


Even on a casual news program, Hitchens' word choice is awesome. 'Chaucerian frauds'. And some quotes:

I think it's a pity there isn't a hell for him to go to.

People like that should be out in the street shouting and hollering with a cardboard sign and selling pencils from a cup!

--Do you believe he believed what he spoke?
Of course not! He woke up every morning pinching his chubby little flanks and thinking, I've got away with it again!

If he read the Bible at all, and I would doubt that he could actually read any long book--at all...

And then after about my 20th viewing I began to notice his stumbling over words; in this part in particular he is clearly drunk:

L- lots of people are going to die and are already lea- leading miserable lives because of the nonsense preached by this (beat) man.

Awesome!

Politics in Utah

This Slate article suggests that politics in Utah are getting more moderate. As a former resident, I very much doubt it. Oh so they have bars now? Very progressive. As long as a religion has verve and vigor in it, it will be conservative; and the LDS Church, one of the fastest-growing religions in the WORLD, shows no sign of dying out.

In fact, I'm worried that people will come to think that this is a healthy and tolerant version of religion. Mormons, with their polished image, happy families and charitable ways, are more camera-friendly than the guy with the Southern accent shouting that God hates fags; but they are just as religious and, deep down, just as exclusive. In fact, Mormons, at least in Utah outside Salt Lake, get to live in their own isolated communities; where a 21-year-old single woman is considered an old maid; where a person can live his whole life without meeting anyone who believes in evolution--and for that reason, Mormonism is significantly more dangerous for the rest of us than traditional Evangelical Christianity, whose believers are less isolated and more likely to encounter people who disagree with them.

A church will tolerate dissent as much as is convenient for it; let's not think that constitutes real open-mindedness.