Squidman,
I wish I could say I agree with your decision, but I cannot. I wrote a column against Intelligent Design and have penned one or two angry letters against Creation 'Science' a lot in my day. Yet, yes, I have a religious faith about which I try my hardest to be respectful. Those aspects, religion and science, of my life are separate, and I choose the way I keep them both in perspective as a deeply personal thing.
You do have a point about how we on the TONMO board can get loose sometimes, and how we can inadvertently (and purposely) insult people and their beliefs. I, myself, am very guilty of firing off one of the nastiest posts on this site on an unrelated matter and I still feel bad about that. Thankfully, Tony had a clearer head than I. I will say I'm sorry if you ever felt that we insulted your faith. I really doubt that was ever the intent.
No one here is insulting your faith. My frustration personally comes from the use of Christianity as a weapon in the idolatry known as the “culture wars” in the U.S.. The faith has great meaning, and its foundational philosophy of “Love one Another” is a great, world-changing thing. But religions, being a human thing, have a nasty habit of being warped by those in power to hold onto that power. Scientists for ages have faced oppression by churches for their works, even when the benefit may have come to humanity as a whole. I have a bad feeling that the roots of any anti-Christian prejudices stem from this and the following reasons.
I call the “culture wars” (or as I prefer - “kultur wars” - WW1 reference) idolatry because I don't believe it's really for the benefit of our society. Religious fanatics with very dubious agendas are trying to seize political power and control over our lives and that has historically been a bad idea. Many horrors have come from so-called 'religious' people taking power and using their faith to do this. I don't want to see another rise of evil, anti-religious madmen like Torquemada, Hitler, and Saddam Hussein. You want a great example of evil? Slavery. Yet, there are 'anti'-Christians here in the U.S. who are still pushing that it was the 'will of God' that many black people were stripped from Africa, chained, beaten, and outright murdered to 'spread the word'. Considering that Christianity's philosophy is “love one another”, these were obviously anti-Christian acts committed by those who believed that they were following the faith. Well, they were wrong, and amoral morons to boot.
All this had lead to a backlash against the faith. People are quick to hop on a pendulum, and religious prejudice is most often the result. It's rampant. Christians who hold to the ideas of love and peace are outright hated now, both by people prejudiced against Christianity and so-called 'conservative' and 'liberal' Christians who hold more to political allegiances rather than the foundations of their supposed belief.
So I'm outed as a Christian. BFD. Live with it, people.
So why don't I agree with your decision? Sometimes you need to hold your own. Sometimes you need to say something and counter. I would have loved if someone at school wrote a counter argument about Intelligent Design to illuminate the debate. I would have enjoyed some level of rational discourse. But there was none. Nothing. People just didn't care. I think you're shooting yourself down. I feel that you're hiding in the dark when you could be shining in the sun. Truth is, the reason I don't post on that thread much anymore is because I think I have said most of what I want to say, and I have been pressed for time as of late. Start your own threads. Stay and keep the conversation lively. Oh, and as far as the subject of your faith being a problem with the scientific community? Well, yes. It will be at times. I'm sorry to say, but you will have to learn to live with it, as I have, if you plan to exist within that community.
This goes to all you lurkers as well: post! Say something! TONMO thrives on insight and interest, and you all deserve respect and an ear. I, for one, besides welcoming our new cephalopod overlords, also welcome insight and communication. Best of luck to everyone. Hope to see you soon, Squidman.
Sushi and Sake,
John