P.Z. nails it too.
P.Z. Myers is one of the best known "extremist" evolutionists on this side of the Atlantic who is antagonistic about religion, but his posting makes one thing very clear: he understands the value of religious freedom, and can distinguish between the criticism of religion and the oppression of religion. Opponents of atheistic secular humanism may want to paint us as being oppressive and close-minded as fundamentalists, that accusation is almost always absolute bullshit.
The defense of both open inquiry and religious freedom ideologically go hand in hand in a free secular society. The right of individuals to practice any sort of ridiculous and irrational superstition they want (as long as it does not interfere with the right of other people to live their own lives) is as important as my right to openly make whatever insensitive and politically incorrect observations on those beliefs that I might want to.
I don't think that a mosque should be built at the World Trade Center, or anywhere else...the same goes for churches. I think we should be building hospitals and rehab centers and orphanages and libraries and museums, and other things that enhance human knowledge and the quality of human life, and encourage people to care more about each other than what an angry and judgmental imaginary friend who lives in the sky might think. But that is beside the point. The universe does not revolve around me and what I want. I don't think that a mosque should be built at the World Trade Center site...but I think that Muslims should be able to build one there if they want to.
Or to put it another way...
LNJ
P.S. "Softer World" also has the world's best t-shirts.
And this helps. It really really helps.
I have a plan for faster-than-light travel now
2 hours ago
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3 comments:
Why repeat the disinformation? It's not a mosque (exclusively nor primarily) and it's not at the WTC site. It would be a Muslim community center at a former Burlington Coat factory. To the extent that it will function something like a YMCA, it won't just be a waste of space and money dedicated to worshipping an invisible friend.
Skeptics should stick to factual discussion, not shorthand media spin.
That said, I see the religious freedom as essential to maintain democracy and a culture where rationalism and humanism can compete for mindshare.
BJN,
Your comments are entirely justified. I did not have my facts staight, and am somewhat mortified as someone who dislikes media shorthand as much as anyone, and has bitched about it on this blog.
That being said, I do think it is worth pointing out that this doesn't change much. It will be an Islamic community center in which prayers are held (sort of like in a mosque). Being Islam-themed, I am guessing that it will not contain a Protestant Church, and it is still only two blocks from where muslim extremists killed about 2,700 people. While the facts always matter, the only point I am trying to make is I doubt the corrected particulars really change a whole lot about how either will view the debate.
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