The new Jesus and Mo strip is called “Worthy,” and I needn’t add any gloss:
Note that there’s a new Jesus and Mo book out just in time for C*ristmas: Wrong again, God Boy.
Jesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ Respect
December 9, 2015 • 7:00 am
Why Evolution is True is a blog written by Jerry Coyne, centered on evolution and biology but also dealing with diverse topics like politics, culture, and cats.
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Opinions just like that other thing — everybody has one.
You have to respect that.
Perhaps better than having to inspect one.
Many people assert that they have two opinions on a matter. On the third hand, geologists specialise in having at least three opinions on any question sprung on them.
When religious people agree that their beliefs are “opinions,” they usually aren’t using the term in the usual sense. When it comes to matters which touch on their faith in God or Spirit, an “opinion” is “a well-tested predictive explanation or model which has been repeatedly confirmed through observation, reasoning, and experiment to such a high degree of reliability that denying it — while possible — would be considered perverse.”
As usual, you have to know the special language code in order to translate properly.
You almost make it sound like science and I know you do not mean that.
Yes, I’m joking that some religious people get their concepts mixed up. When they claim that evolution “is only a theory” then the word theory is the same as “opinion.” It’s just a sloppy sort of wild guess.
But if they talk about their religious beliefs being “opinions” they seem to think that these opinions have been tried, tested, and established in the way we mean when we’re dealing with scientific theories. Word play. Ask how sure they are about their “opinions” and they act like they can no longer even conceive of any alternative.
Deontology on tap.
I like the circle the comic creates. Read the last frame first, then read the first frame. Delicious. 🙂
That worked rather well…nice observation.
“You have to respect that.”
One of the most annoying aspects of religion that religious people get away with. They all assume they get a free pass on respect. How has it become ingrained in society that religious people should be respected for their unsubstantiated beliefs?
Perhaps centuries of inter-religious slaughter “sociologically selected” for the doctrine of mutual respect. Nonbelief probably played no role whatsoever.
I think this is quite weak, unlike most of his work. In my experience Christians never answer “How do you know?” by saying “That’s my opinion” or “You have to respect that”, which are both defensive positions. They are more positive. They appeal to their own spiritual experience, or answered prayers, or the arguments of apologetic authors such as C. S. Lewis.