The Other Michael

Yesterday the San Francisco Chronicle reviewed the movie "The Magdalene Sisters" which is based on some of the horrors the Catholic Church inflicted on Irish women.

Things were going fine until I got to a comment I thought a good example of the pervasiveness of the idea that without God/salvation people are immoral monsters, so I just fired off a letter to the editor as follows:

I'll let you know if it gets published.

cheers,
Michael

Enlighten Me

Way to go! We have to keep chipping away at the assumption that the "fear" for one's salvation provides the basis for an ethical and compassionate life....

The Other Michael

I recall a bumper sticker (it may have been local to San Francisco) that some of the AIDS activists put out that said: "Silence=Death".

While that's a bit extreme for our situation, I think that getting the occasional letter to the editor in print can be worth the small effort it takes. Considering how much verbiage many of us are able to put out here on IIDB, firing off a short LTOE shouldn't be a problem, especially now that many newspapers will take letters via email.

The Chronicle has had some articles on atheists and pagans that were at least mildly positive, but we still need to watch for the odd bit of subconcious bias that will creep in to even the most aware writer's work, and call them on it (in a civil fashion) when it happens.

cheers,
Michael

Ronin

Exactly...qui tacet consentit.

:notworthy

FoE

I fear those people that slavation does provide the basis for an ethical and compassionate life. What if i deconvert one of them and he stabs me and steals my car?

Ronin

I have heard this argument several times from two of my long time friends who are, admittedly, not really believers in the organized religious model...but go through the motions under the concept that society would somehow fall into chaos without the threat of the 'all seeing eye' and punishments of a sky tyrant.

As a law enforcement officer and violent crimes detective for over a decade I have not seen evidence that this would occur.

In fact, my personal experience, current world events and religion statistics of jail population indicates that the opposite is more accurate. The excuse of 'God' gives some the justification to act brutally and horrifically under the 'only God can judge me' umbrella.

With greater wisdom, comes greater compassion and real understanding of both human joy and despair...and the means to act accordingly.