"good framing" - PZ Meyers, on the following

[acroyear]

Mike the Mad Biologist : Another Fight About Framing and Evolution: Can I Play?:

The other thing we evolutionary biologists don't do enough of, and this stems from the previous point, is make an emotional and moral case for the study of evolution. Last night, I concluded my talk with a quote from Dover, PA creationist school board member William Buckingham, who declared, "Two thousand years ago someone died on a cross. Can't someone take a stand for him?"

My response was, "In the last two minutes, someone died from a bacterial infection. We take a stand for him."

Comments

[katrinb.livejournal.com]

And as I recall, Jesus of Nazareth was not dying on a cross for the sake of the sacred principles of creationism. I suspect he'd've been more concerned with the person dying of a bacterial infection too. (Of course, if what is said about him is true, he could have healed them with a touch. But he's not here, so antibiotic treatments adapted to fight infection based in part on the scientific understanding of evolution will have to do.)

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

you're kinda missing the context of Buckingham and the others who took the stand in Dover. They all suffer (thanks to bad preaching by bad "theologists") from Christian Persecution Complex.

[katrinb.livejournal.com]

No, I get their context - they're missing the entire context of their religion's founder. And of the ideals this nation was founded on.

[acroyear70.livejournal.com]

well, I'm not so sure they miss it.

Jesus isn't the Founder. He's the Foundation. BIG difference.

Is the real founder Paul or Luke? then they miss *some* of that context.

Is the real founder the Council of Nicea? then they miss a little less of that context.

Is the real founder Martin Luther or John Calvin? then they miss a whole lot less of that context.

Increasingly over the last 2000 years, the message of Love has been systematically replaced with the politics of Hate, to the point to where I, as an Episcopalian, almost dread the word "Christian" as a label anymore. But that's a rant for another day that's been brewing in me for the last 10 years.