What a shocker, religion only stays relevant when it it cherry picks. I hate that civility in our species history isn't about giving up on bad claims. It adapts to stay relevant and cannot stand new data passing it up.
But lets not make this a label issue. Our species always does this politically and religiously. A pattern gets developed in a given society, and when their dirty laundry is aired, they back peddle instead of scrapping the bad data.
I blast Sam Harris for his Buddhism stuff, but I agree 100% that this cherry picking by liberal and moderates only serves to let a bad idea fester long term in human evolution.
I will give Pat some credit. At least he sees now, maybe having a change of heart in his old age facing his mortality, that if one were to take ANY holy book literally, you would have to become a monster.
So this cherry picking to me is a double edge sword. It does have the benefit of seeking civility, but it still comes at the cost of protecting bad claims. It is always the skeptic and the questioner that pulls, not only they fundies, but the moderates as well, kicking and screaming into the future. Cherry picking is merely a way to save face when you know the book you buy is bullshit, but are in love with an idea.
But lets not make this a label issue. Our species always does this politically and religiously. A pattern gets developed in a given society, and when their dirty laundry is aired, they back peddle instead of scrapping the bad data.
I blast Sam Harris for his Buddhism stuff, but I agree 100% that this cherry picking by liberal and moderates only serves to let a bad idea fester long term in human evolution.
I will give Pat some credit. At least he sees now, maybe having a change of heart in his old age facing his mortality, that if one were to take ANY holy book literally, you would have to become a monster.
So this cherry picking to me is a double edge sword. It does have the benefit of seeking civility, but it still comes at the cost of protecting bad claims. It is always the skeptic and the questioner that pulls, not only they fundies, but the moderates as well, kicking and screaming into the future. Cherry picking is merely a way to save face when you know the book you buy is bullshit, but are in love with an idea.
