Friday, December 15, 2006

Dim wit

The sad opportunists at the MT GOP E-brief quote with apparent approval a letter to the editor (newspaper unnamed) attacking Gov. Schweitzer for his "assertion that Christians, believing in the biblical account of creation, should not be allowed to serve in the state legislature."

The letter writer may have been dim enough to think he was telling the truth. Later in the letter, he writes, "In the Governor’s view, if you are a Christian, you are not as worthy as the non-Christian members within your own or other races, and that, my friends, is racism." The writer's inability to distinguish between religious discrimination and racism can hardly be the product of a rigorous mind.

But the E-briefers surely ought to know better. The writer's apparent reference was to Schweitzer's brief run-in with Roger Koopman, who made the case for a 6,000-year-old Earth. Schweitzer supposedly said that Montana didn't need people like that in the Legislature. Koopman saw that as an attack on his religion, but he had specifically argued that he didn't believe in a young Earth for religious reasons but based on scientific evidence.

That destroys his case. Mr. Koopman is entitled to whatever religious beliefs he wants. But he can't claim a religious exemption from attacks on his scientific beliefs. By their nature, scientific claims are open to challenge. If they aren't, then they aren't science.

Mr. Koopman, and the E-Briefers, want to be able to put up any old thing they fancy as unassailable scientific fact. And they want to be label anyone who disagrees as a religious bigot. But the dishonesty of their tactics shows who the real bigots are.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree with Koopman that he earth is 6000 years old. Of course, I also believe that the earth is flat. :) Geez, I am not sure where to go with these people and their beliefs.

Anonymous said...

Well, perhaps with the departure of Chuck Denowh and his "Junkyard attack dog attitude/philosophy," the MT-GOP Brief will get back to the facts rather than the Joseph Goebbelslike propaganda he espoused. Perhaps a study of "Responsible Journalism" for a Master's Degree might benefit him!

Anonymous said...

Please, let us believe whatever we want base on how we interpret the Bible. God is a man. Women are subservient to Men. Muslims are going to hell. The earth is 6,000 years old tops, we came to this number because Methuselah was 900 years old, if he wasn’t mentioned then the earth would be 5,100 years old. Most importantly global warming (if such a thing exists) is not caused by pollution that people generate because God is on our side. Aborting a fetus regardless if it was fertilized a minute ago or 90 days ago is murder. Execution of criminals is righteous punishment for those who have sinned. War against Muslims is just and righteous. God told George Bush to start a war in the Middle East. Gays are a-moral and going to hell just like Muslims. Republicans are Gods chosen political party. The rich are morally good or God would not have blessed them with riches. Christians have moral authority on every issue because we believe in the God described in the Bible I own but not the Bible you own. In the event that you do not worship the Christian God exactly how I worship him, you are going to hell just like the Muslims and Gays.

Anonymous said...

With that many moronic statements and beliefs, it's no wonder you choose to remain anonymous rather than use your real name. I guess you're abiding by that old saying..."Better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and confirm it!"