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PATH: BS | Edumakashun
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Sam Harris' Top Ten Myths About Atheism
Posted by Pile
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[Edumakashun] |
 Several polls indicate that the term "atheism" has acquired such an extraordinary stigma in the United States that being an atheist is now a perfect impediment to a career in politics (in a way that being black, Muslim or homosexual is not). According to a recent Newsweek poll, only 37% of Americans would vote for an otherwise qualified atheist for president.
Atheists are often imagined to be intolerant, immoral, depressed, blind to the beauty of nature and dogmatically closed to evidence of the supernatural.
Even John Locke, one of the great patriarchs of the Enlightenment, believed that atheism was "not at all to be tolerated" because, he said, "promises, covenants and oaths, which are the bonds of human societies, can have no hold upon an atheist."
That was more than 300 years ago. But in the United States today, little seems to have changed. A remarkable 87% of the population claims "never to doubt" the existence of God; fewer than 10% identify themselves as atheists — and their reputation appears to be deteriorating.
Given that we know that atheists are often among the most intelligent and scientifically literate people in any society, it seems important to deflate the myths that prevent them from playing a larger role in our national discourse. |
READ MORE | 2 comments since 2007-05-21 11:44:41 | Comment on this Article |
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It would seem that the National Park Service (NPS) isn't really SURE how old the Grand Canyon is. Despite vigorous protests from both Park Service scientists and leading geological societies, a book approved in 2003 for sale in National Park bookstores--which takes the somewhat unscientific view that the Grand Canyon was created by Noah's Flood--is still available despite an official promise to perform a high-level policy review of the issue. Apparently three years was not long enough to accomplish such a review, or even to begin one or make a formal internal request for one. (Hmm, sounds a bit like those "studies" of global warming that always need a follow-up study, except that those studies at least actually take place.)
An enterprising group of Aussies have asked the question: What have we learned from history? Specifically in the case of the Trojan War, where the Greeks managed to get their army past the gates of Troy.
Emblazoned with a picture of George W. Bush (who graduated from Yale in 1968), Lakehead University in northern Ontario has set up a web site which states, "Graduating from an Ivy League university doesn't necessarily mean you're smart." as part of their new recruitment campaign.
Recognize the book? Maybe from your childhood? Well depending upon how old you are you might notice some differences between the 1963 version of "The Best Word Book Ever" and the 1990s version, namely the elimination of any reference to native indians, the old west, or other colorful characters, the complete androgonization of pronouns and career titles, and dad doing the dishes. There's a neat web site that details the changes this revered children's book has undergone in the last few decades.
As the world prepares to mark the 60th anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Saturday, some American media experts see uncomfortable echoes between the suppression of images of death and destruction then and coverage of the war in Iraq today.
Juan Cole, Professor of History at the University of Michigan, has a very insightful photo essay about the history of the creation of Al Qaeda, the Taliban, America's training of Bin Laden, support for Saddam Hussein's gas attacks on Iranians, Saudi involvement and much more. It's a concise time-line of how the United States created the very enemies that are attacking us. One year these people are "Freedom fighters", the next they're "terrorists." One minute the U.S. is funding them; the next they're making back-room deals with their former allies' enemies and leaving them to die. Very interesting stuff. This isn't editorial -- these are the details that are regarded as factual issues leading up to the current situation.
