gripping the keep
Was making a comment in response to comments on the previous post, but figured I’d make it primary content instead, since that’s kinda rare lately.
Right. What you all said. Especially the heathen part.
I guess I distill all this into a choice between accepting some authority’s version of life, reality, and ethics without question versus undertaking an unassuming sincere investigation of reality, life, and ethics. Science and spirituality at its best are on the same page in that they both are about doing the latter. Religion at its worst and despotism are both about imposing the former. Both are appropriate at times, but most authorities will be loath to relinquish their power when they are no longer appropriate.
The essence of science and spirituality is an acceptance of unanswered questions, while the essence of despotism and (bad) religion is “all questioning stops here.” It’s truth versus certainty, my favorite old charm.
So ID cuts off the investigation at the point where life begins. No more questions are allowed — it was just, you know, The Designer. That’s not a bad thing, if you personally are comfortable with that level of investigation — not everyone wants or needs to go further. But imposing that cutoff on others, and particularly on kids, is atrociously unfair.
It also happens to be dumb, economically. Here, let’s clip our kids’ intellectual wings so we can compete in the global marketplace. Brilliant!
Blah blah blah. I know I’m preachin’ to the choir here. I just like to hear myself type big words. And as the judge pointed out in his opinion, this case wasn’t a debate about reality, life or ethics at all. It was just a political power grab, using ID as a tool. Pretty ugly.
December 23rd, 2005 at 9:07 am
Uh, so of course I’m not opposed to talking about ID in school: I’m all for that!
But telling kids it’s an alternative to evolution, as if it stands on the same epistemological footing as a scientific investigation, is the “clipping the intellectual wings” part.
Commenting on your own posts is sort of like talking to yourself in public. And I’ve noticed myself doing that, too, lately. Hm.
December 23rd, 2005 at 9:17 am
haha. also “gripping the keep” sounds like a euphemism for masturbating so if i comment on my own post enough i get to claim a double entendre post title: 20 points woot! that’s really the goal of every serious blogger. there should be an award for best use of double entendres in post titles.
okay, i think i have things to do today.
December 23rd, 2005 at 3:10 pm