Today’s Jesus and Mo strip, called “nonsense,” once again shows the Divine Duo chastising the barmaid for exactly what they’re guilty of themselves:
Jesus ‘n’ Mo ‘n’ nonsense
October 26, 2022 • 8:45 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.
Some people elevate angels beyond a simple aspect of a religion, and turn them into a full-on religion. These are people who want to feel like they are constantly being watched over and protected. If you haven’t met anyone yet who considers angels/angelology/angelism to be their religion, please find someone. It’s fascinating, and it seems like they make it all up as they go. It’s also funny to watch followers of more mainstream religions denounce them as crackpots.
Excellent as always – thanks!
And yet I can’t help but wonder if the barmaid believes some of our modern religious tenets. Girls can become boys. Men can get pregnant. Biological sex is a spectrum. White racism is the only possible explanation for differences in group performance or behavior, and white supremacy pervades our society. The Maori…
Since the barmaid is an avatar of “Author”, I suspect not. But you’re right that many who consider themselves sceptics and rationalists do seem to.
Many religious people consider the basics of religion — a moral universe which focuses on and/or responds to human concerns — to be “common sense.” There are multiple intuitions from mind/body dualism to anthropomorphism which feed the supernaturalistic mindset which then feeds the religious mindset.
Brain studies of atheists have reportedly shown that we too leap quickly to childish interpretations but then override them with rational evaluations. That sort of thing goes on in humans all the time (sudden anger AT an object that doesn’t work turning into anger THAT the object doesn’t work.) We just apply it to religion.
You don’t believe in teleology, a moral universe designed for humans, dualism, or the supernatural? Such was the view of that most evil Spinoza, whose 390th birthday approaches.
As a staunch atheist, I’ve gotten used to religious people contending that G*d guides my hands. It is a hermetically closed argument. It is just training and decades of experience that makes me skilled, of course. I just answer I don’t believe in Takaloosies (Tokolosh, a big thing here), but it is a lost argument. I won’t go into an argument with a nice little old ‘ouma’. That would basically be unconscionable. But if they ask do I believe in …. (rarely asked, but not never) I say ‘no’, I don’t. My religious nurses (all of them are) are a bit confounded. They also think G*d guides my hands. As my co-workers, they are well aware of my out of the closet, positive atheism, but they still think G*d guides me. Go ask, no way to change their minds. I’ve given up years ago.
Skilled hands are all that matters. And if those hands perform “miraculous” feats, so be it. You have a good attitude about it all. Religion always seems to taint the work environment (especially from an atheist’s pov). The medical field seems rife with religious overtones, especially in America (I think you’re in South Africa, but from your anecdote, it seems prevalent there, too), it will always be a “spiritual” area, I suppose. At least for now, in most countries, that’s what the customer wants. Caveat emptor, I say.