Btw, my Cambridge advisor Mary Hesse, one of leading philosophers of science of the last century, was a devout Anglican. When I expressed ridicule for the theory of American philosopher Donald Davidson that most of anyone's beliefs must be true as a sort of a priori condition of understanding them at all, she said to me, That's one area where Christians and Marxists can agree. (It took me a minute to realize that she was talking about original sin.)
I don't call myself a Marxist anymore, btw.
I think you are drawing on an unrepresentative pool. Most people in this country, including most educated and intelligent people, are religious, and specifically Christian. And blacks more than whites by a significant margin. The poll data will support me on this, I think, right, Doug?
Anyway, don't be disingenuous. You were not making a statistical remark that was neutral about what people ought to believe. You were implying that if you were smart and well-educated, you would not be a Christian because anyone with half a brain can see that it's a crock of superstition -- Christianity is for the stupid and ignorant, you suggest. And you believe it too, I bet. If you don't, better watch how you talk -- it will be misinterpreted.
jks
--- Luke Weiger <lweiger at umich.edu> wrote:
> I'd thought that a Marxist would be willing to fill
> in my enthymeme. These
> days, smart educated folk tend (I'm judging
> anecdotally) not to be
> Christians.
>
> -- Luke
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "andie nachgeborenen"
> <andie_nachgeborenen at yahoo.com>
> To: <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
> Sent: Sunday, November 07, 2004 12:47 PM
> Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Barack Obama
>
>
> >
> > Yeah, only morons like Augustine, Aquinas, Anselm,
> > William of Occam, Duns Scotus, Dante, Descartes,
> > Leibniz, Newton, Kant, and Hegel are Christians.
> >
> > --- Luke Weiger <lweiger at umich.edu> wrote:
> >
> > > Well, you do have to wonder if people as smart
> and
> > > well-educated as Clinton,
> > > Gore, Obama et al. are actually all Christians.
> > >
> > > -- Luke
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "andie nachgeborenen"
> > > <andie_nachgeborenen at yahoo.com>
> > > To: <lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org>
> > > Sent: Sunday, November 07, 2004 9:35 AM
> > > Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Barack Obama
> > >
> > >
> > > >
> > > > If you find that sort of statement unsettling,
> you
> > > > Yhave to get out and meet people. Barak Obama
> is
> > > an
> > > > extremely liberal U of C constitutional law
> > > professor,
> > > > not a no-brow Texas fundamentalist. Like most
> of
> > > this
> > > > country, excluding people on this list, and
> > > especially
> > > > like most black people, he's also a believing
> > > > Christian. That doesn't mean that he's gonna
> go
> > > out
> > > > and smite the infidel in the name of the Lord.
> My
> > > > black friends say things to me like, Have a
> > > blessed
> > > > day, and they mean it, like Jesus should bless
> me.
> > > And
> > > > they know I'm a commie Jewish atheist. People
> > > here
> > > > have to learn to get out some. Find a
> Christian
> > > and
> > > > have her or him invite you to church services,
> it
> > > > would not hurt. Listen to people talk about
> their
> > > > faith (without arguing).
> > > >
> > > > jks
> > > >
> > > > --- ravi <gadfly at exitleft.org> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Michael Perelman wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > m I the only one who was not particularly
> > > > > impressed by him? He seemed nice. He had
> > > > > > a nice story. He had nice credentials.
> And
> > > maybe
> > > > > he was good in Illinois politics?
> > > > > > I don't know.
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > i must admit that his "we worship an awesome
> > > god"
> > > > > bit scared me a bit...
> > > > >
> > > > > --ravi
> > > > >
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