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From: barry@ames.UUCP (Kenn Barry)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Logic based on ...(bigotry)
Message-ID: <954@ames.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 22-Apr-85 22:30:58 EST
Article-I.D.: ames.954
Posted: Mon Apr 22 22:30:58 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 24-Apr-85 04:31:43 EST
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Organization: NASA-Ames Research Center, Mtn. View, CA
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>> = me
>  = Rich Rosen

>> I share your dislike
>> of those who would defend repression as "God's will", but I find it no more
>> attractive when the defense is "historical imperative" or "manifest destiny"
>> or "the will of the people". It's all a cop-out.
 
>Yes, it's but one of a number of "techniques" and excuses.  You'll find though
>that such excuses are more often than not TIGHTLY COUPLED with "god".  (Why
>is it our manifest destiny?  Because God said so!---or go back and read Don
>Black if you need further clues)  Maybe such people who have inferiority
>complex problems that lead them to make such claims about manifest destiny
>and such will find some other excuse in the absence of a belief in a god.
>Removing this avenue and showing it for what it is will at least remove IT
>from the pool of excuses.  Without the ability to claim that it's "willed
>by god", where would they turn?

	Probably to politics :-). Honestly, if the only effects of
religious belief were to foster this kind of herd mentality, I'd agree
with you. But to blame "religion" for the abuses done in its name seems
no different to me than blaming "government" for the abuses of the
Communists, Nazis, or Corporate America. The anarchist does just that,
in fact. However, just as there are many who work for, or otherwise
support governments, but who don't want to persecute anyone, so are
there people who find much of value in religion who don't want to
persecute anyone. Since you apparently see no purpose to religion, it
is understandable that you would feel that the best answer to religious
intolerance is to dispose of religion, entirely. But to those who see
religion as a valid attempt to come to grips with the mysteries of
existence, your solution throws out the baby with the bathwater.
Worse, actually; the "bathwater" (the ability of people to convince
themselves that doing evil can serve a noble purpose) is left behind.
Those who need the excuse of higher authority for their evil actions
won't be stopped by the elimination of one rationalization among many.
The central fact of religious bigots is not their religion, but their
bigotry. Take away the religion, and the bigotry will just find new
rationalizations.

-  From the Crow's Nest  -                      Kenn Barry
                                                NASA-Ames Research Center
                                                Moffett Field, CA
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