While laughing my way through genisis...

[Patrick Degan]

Science textbooks are subjected to even greater scrutiny as far as accuracy is concerned (well, except perhaps in Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Florida, where accuracy in science is not exactly considered important).

Actually, it is possable to get a decent high school science education in Texas. I Did. Of course, I had to go to (of all places) a catholic school to get it. Go figure.

That does not surprise me at all. Having been a graduate of Catholic prison camp myself, I will testify to the quality of education you get from them as opposed to Fundie Thought Reform camps.

You see, in the Catholic church, a sharp intellect is valued because it can be honed as a weapon for theological combat, so its training has always been important. And also, the exact word and accuracy of the Bible has never been that high a premium among the Catholics, unlike with the Fundies. Since for most of its history, the Mass was said in Latin and in the Middle Ages most persons either had no opportunity to become educated in Latin or were forbidden to translate the Bible from Latin, the Church could interpret Biblical doctrine in any way it was convenient. The Protestants were the first to translate the Bible into contemporary languages as a means to break Popery —until eventually developing their own mechanisms to impose ignorance and conformity, of course.

Some of the sharpest debaters you'll find are Jesuits. Now, I wasn't educated by Jesuits (indeed, in my school, it was a joke that at Jesuit, you seperated the boys from the men with pry-bars, but that's neither here nor there) but all Catholic schools do hone that mind even while bending it into the loop that locks you into the Faith. They don't care whether Genesis can be reconciled with evolution, physics, and geology or not. They don't care whether the Flood was real or that the world is much older than 6000 years and evidently took a lot longer than seven days to create.

Just so long as you can prove that angels do dance on the heads of pins and provide a population count.

[Durandal]

Indeed. The first teachers I had for Theology loved me because I could always find a way to rationalize Biblical contradictions and have God come out on top. To top it off, I was probably one of the best writers in my class, and definitely the best persuasive writer, so I'm sure they had great visions of me writing pro-Christian literature and combating the evil atheists with my wit and writing skills.

The problem of course, was that I didn't stop thinking when they wanted me to. I soon learned how to think critically in the real sense of the term (Catholic schools teach a bastardized form of logic that always starts from the assumption of God's perfection). When that happened, I turned to the Dark Side, and I took my writing skills, my debating talents and my wit with me. I'm sure that all my teachers are disappointed with what I've become. :)

[His Divine Shadow]

That religion has survived and will continue to do so.

Yes, humans are hopelessly irrational.

Actually I hope that within a century or two, most of religion will have been exterminated, or atleast turned into a minority thing.

[His Divine Shadow]

The problem of course, was that I didn't stop thinking when they wanted me to. I soon learned how to think critically in the real sense of the term (Catholic schools teach a bastardized form of logic that always starts from the assumption of God's perfection). When that happened, I turned to the Dark Side, and I took my writing skills, my debating talents and my wit with me. I'm sure that all my teachers are disappointed with what I've become.

Now take your (heavenly)fathers place at my side!

[Singular Quartet]

The Protestants were the first to translate the Bible into contemporary languages as a means to break Popery —until eventually developing their own mechanisms to impose ignorance and conformity, of course.

Actually, some protestants don't personally care what you think. I know this is true with the Episcopalians, and somewhat about the UUs, but I'm not entierly sure about the Angelicans. But then again, they're the more "loose" of the Christians...

[C.S.Strowbridge]

That religion has survived and will continue to do so.

Yes, humans are hopelessly irrational.

Actually I hope that within a century or two, most of religion will have been exterminated, or atleast turned into a minority thing.

AFAIK, in Canada the single biggest response, 'What religion are you?' was Atheist. Less than 10% go to church, and that's 5 times higher than in the UK.

At this rate, even in the US, Church attendence will drop to trace amounts by the middle of the century. Without church attendance, and the donations that go allong with it, there will be less Lobbiest, less interferance with education, laws, etc.

I think Science and Logic are winning.

[Lagmonster]

At this rate, even in the US, Church attendence will drop to trace amounts by the middle of the century. Without church attendance, and the donations that go allong with it, there will be less Lobbiest, less interferance with education, laws, etc.

When no one is paying too close attention, I just say I'm an Apatheist, like everyone else. Their question no longer matters, and their solution is no longer interesting.