Comments | scarlettina: (Good natured) Letters from the culture wars

scarlettina

(Good natured) Letters from the culture wars

Nov 23, 2009 16:16

Scene: Local 7-11. I'm at the counter to pay. My purchases: 2 cans of cat food, one candy bar, latest issue of National Geographic sporting the headline and subhead, "Are We Alone? Searching the heavens for another Earth ( Read more... )

science, religion

Comments 9

irrationalrobot November 24 2009, 01:05:51 UTC

Nicely handled!

e_bourne November 24 2009, 02:17:17 UTC

Excellent.

twilight2000 November 24 2009, 02:28:08 UTC

Poor guy - imagine saying that to a Catholic who reads the apocrapha (ow -sp)? The odd thing about that convo is that he initiated it at his place of work - one usually tries not to "go there" with the customer as it's at best 50/50 that you'll piss them off and by extension, piss off your manager...

But nicely handled on your part!

mcjulie November 24 2009, 03:48:54 UTC

It sounds like he wasn't being obnoxious about it, but that sort of "I don't believe in it because it's not in the Bible" attitude gets my hackles up. In the church I saw it used so often to try to argue that things like rock music or women's rights or fantasy novels were evil.

You know what else isn't in the Bible?

Automobiles. Viruses. Television. Electrons. A movable-type printing press. Chocolate. The English language. Rocket ships.

You know what is in the Bible? Rape, murder, incest, torture, drunkenness, sorcery and deicide.

"In the Bible" just doesn't mean what people act like it means.

Although, on a side note, the old In Search Of TV show always suggested the visions in Ezekiel might have been space aliens. "Ezekiel saw the wheel..."

scarlettina November 24 2009, 04:05:55 UTC

No, it wasn't obnoxious. He didn't appear to be looking for an argument or to make some kind of political statement.

I agree that "in the Bible" doesn't mean what people act like it means, no question. When someone says "I don't believe it because it's not in the Bible," my usual reaction is to try not to look at them funny because it just seems to me to be so...bizarre. Because...look around: None of the world we live in today was in the Bible. It becomes an existential thing: Are we living in some weird-ass pagan illusion? Happily, I don't actually say that sort of thing.

I feel like I was pretty quick on my feet tonight. No rancor, but a point was made and, possibly, thoughts got moving.

stephen_dedman November 24 2009, 04:45:42 UTC

You know what else isn't in the Bible? America!* You'd think it would've been worth mentioning at some point, if only in Revelation.

(Oh, and Australia, of course, but we're used to being overlooked.)

* Yes, I know Identity Christians believe otherwise, but as the saying goes, you can fool some of the people all of the time.

ironymaiden November 24 2009, 04:11:51 UTC

i'm glad you found a pleasant resolution.

i'm fascinated that you live so close to a conservative christian college and haven't had many of these exchanges. i overhear a hardcore neocon or fundamentalist conversation on the local 17 about every third time i ride it. (admittedly, i don't ride it that often. maybe i'm a magnet for this stuff.)