This meshes nicely with, and much improves upon, my recent post (re-post, actually) about atheism and labels.
Neil deGrasse Tyson, with his enthusiasm for life, for education, his brilliance, his humor, is one of my heroes (although it's not a term I ever use).
Never say ever Doc! But I get your drift and I use his techniques to avoid messy situations! I used to say I was just a non-practicing Catholic! Try that one!
ReplyDeleteI believe ex-Catholics comprise on of the larger denominations around. The current pope worsened matters considerably, and that was before they tried to bring the nuns to heel.
ReplyDeleteAs to the larger point, there are two approaches to establish Truth. One is to cite the holy scripture of one's choice, as interpreted by the clergy of one's choice. Inevitable conflicts tend not to end well.
The other, of course, uses one's experience of the natural world together with reason. Science, in short. Much better outcomes that way. And as much as the religious zealots would like to claim the Founders as their own, they were products of the Enlightenment.
Now we'll see if revanchists succeed in rolling it back.
Well said. Please note my request for some sort of identifier, so I can tell one anonymous from another. It doesn't require a login; just an initial or moniker at the end of the comment. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteSorry. Realized my oversight as soon as I hit "publish". Not as sharp as I used to be, I'm afraid.
ReplyDeletePainless