The thread was interesting, in that the believers generally felt uneasy about the classroom exercise, and the unbelievers said there was no problem.
If that reflects the reactions in a classroom, then the lesson is not "Why are we all so affected by symbols?" but "Why are those religious people so oversensitive?", which is different and not exactly evenhanded.
If they wanted a universal symbol, why not use a US flag, which would keep religion out of schools, as seems to be the custom over there! But I suppose that might offend ...
Randal Rauser made the same suggestion about using a U.S. flag....Hmmm, he's Canadian, you're a Brit...is there a pattern here? Some subconscious anti-American hostility?
If there is, it's an indicator that such exercises aren't quite as pure and dispassionately academic as the educationalists pretend.
But here's another consideration: names and symbols only have some kind of actual significance in a non-materialist worldview. In Christianity Jesus is "the Word" and it is his "name" which has power over demons and at which every knee will bow.
To a materialist, "Darwin" is just a label and a flag, at most, an emotional association. So there is more substance to symbolism itself to the religious and hence it's a discriminatory exercise.
As C S Lewis knew in the crucifix-trampling scene in "T^hat Hideous Strength".
4 comments:
The thread was interesting, in that the believers generally felt uneasy about the classroom exercise, and the unbelievers said there was no problem.
If that reflects the reactions in a classroom, then the lesson is not "Why are we all so affected by symbols?" but "Why are those religious people so oversensitive?", which is different and not exactly evenhanded.
If they wanted a universal symbol, why not use a US flag, which would keep religion out of schools, as seems to be the custom over there! But I suppose that might offend ...
Randal Rauser made the same suggestion about using a U.S. flag....Hmmm, he's Canadian, you're a Brit...is there a pattern here? Some subconscious anti-American hostility?
Some subconscious anti-American hostility?
If there is, it's an indicator that such exercises aren't quite as pure and dispassionately academic as the educationalists pretend.
But here's another consideration: names and symbols only have some kind of actual significance in a non-materialist worldview. In Christianity Jesus is "the Word" and it is his "name" which has power over demons and at which every knee will bow.
To a materialist, "Darwin" is just a label and a flag, at most, an emotional association. So there is more substance to symbolism itself to the religious and hence it's a discriminatory exercise.
As C S Lewis knew in the crucifix-trampling scene in "T^hat Hideous Strength".
Yes, I was reminded of that scene in Lewis's novel. I think I see your point that the exercise is more discriminatory to the non-materialist.
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