Sunday, October 08, 2006

On notice!





Proximate link: Jack Bog.

Ultimate link (and set-up-your-own site): Here.
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , ,

6 comments:

Alison said...

Dare I ask what the beef is with Madagascar?

October 8, 2006 8:45 AM
TeacherRefPoet said...

I hate them. They're part of the international conspiracy against me.

October 8, 2006 9:37 AM
Anonymous said...

Off topic, but here is an article on the education needs of MSP I thought you'd find interesting... http://www.startribune.com/562/story/726472.html

You may have to register, but it's a good article from the newest school board members on what is needed to improve the system.

October 8, 2006 5:31 PM
tommyspoon said...

Because I fear I may fall into the catagory... would you mind providing your definition of a "fundamentalist secularist"? And how have they (we?) pissed you off lately?

October 10, 2006 8:12 AM
TeacherRefPoet said...

Spoon--

Fundamentalist Christians adamantly believe that everyone must believe as they believe. If you believe even a hair differently, you are hopelessly lost, and they will tell you so to your face in a fairly spiteful manner.

Fundamentalist secularists are the same.

One might say things like "Damn Christians! I hate them so much." (One would never, of course, say that with the word "Jews" or "Buddhists," of course. And in the next sentence, they will likely brag about how tolerant they are.)

One might mistakenly say that my wedding was in a Catholic church, and when I correct them, they might say "Catholic? Episcopalian? They're all the same." (One would never, of course, say the same about Sunnis and Shiites, because they believe they're so damn tolerant.)

One might say this to me: "If you were more intelligent, you would not believe in God."

There is no significant difference in my mind between a fundamentalist secularist and Jerry Falwell. I throw them on the same pile for the same reason.

What have they done to piss me off lately? Well, for starters, they've said the above three things to me. Yes, really--right to me.

And, I could argue, they've cost my Democratic Party the last two elections. If we are to beat the Republicans, it's going to be with the help (and, I would argue, with the leadership) of the Christian Left. Insulting them repeatedly makes a huge difference in close elections like 00 and 04.

Spoon, while I have many loved ones I would call fundamentalist secularist, I do not put you in that category. You've never been anything other than respectful and tolerant of my beliefs and all others, I assume. 'Preesh.

October 10, 2006 10:25 PM
tommyspoon said...

Thanks for the clarification. Thought that's what you meant.

I just have little patience for "absolutists" of any stripe: "That's not art." "That's not real chili." "That's not how we do things around here." "That's not appropriate."

Whatever happened to "Live and let live", you know?

October 11, 2006 8:27 AM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)