[Vision2020] Re: Religion and morality

[lfalen]

I don't dispute the data that you sited nor do I wish to defend religion, however, I don't think there is necessarily a correlation between religion and a decline in morality. This reminds me of a story that That Dr Christian used to tell about graduate student thinking. " Dr Finglebind is a patent in a mental institution. He decides to do a study on the response of fleas to voice command. He tears of a leg and commands the flea to jump. After all the legs are gone, the fleas no longer jumps. His conclusion is that fleas with no legs cannot hear. All the facts are correct, but the conclusion is wrong"
-----Original message-----
From: Ralph Nielsen nielsen at uidaho.edu
Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2005 13:04:19 -0700
To: Vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Re: Religion and morality

> If we had less religion and more morality we would have fewer  
> derelicts, winos, wife beaters and thieves among us, which is just  
> what the study demonstrates. Our prisons are filled to overflowing  
> with Christians but have very few atheist inmates. The highest  
> proportion of divorce, murder, etc., is found in the southeastern  
> states, where Christianity is at its strongest.
> 
> As for individuals, I just finished reading that George Dubya is now  
> hitting the bottle again, even though he was "saved" by none other  
> than Billy Graham, in person.
> 
> And the other day I received this from a friend over in Great Falls,  
> Montana: "And yes, I am still a faithful follower, and have still the  
> skepticism which I have from meeting you. A gift most graciously  
> acknowledged. I believe, Lord; help mine unbelief. As I embrace both  
> and thank you and anyone else present or otherwise for my deliverance  
> from fundamentalism."
> 
> We met 10 years ago at a regional meeting of The Society of Biblical  
> Literature (real Bible scholars) in Great Falls. At that time he was  
> was under the influence of both mental and physical drugs. For some  
> years now he has been free of both.
> 
> Ralph
> 
> 
> 
> [Vision2020] Religion and morality
> 
> heirdoug at netscape.net heirdoug at netscape.net
> Wed Sep 28 10:49:58 PDT 2005
> 
> Ralph Nielsen tries to present organized religion as the culprit for  
> the ills of society, I have one question.
> 
> How many derelicts, winos, wife beaters and thieves have been changed  
> from the inside out by anything that he or Nick Gier ever produced,  
> written or spoken? Give me the name of just one individual that has  
> changed from shipwrecked to saint.
> 
> I won’t hold my breath.
> 
> lemeno, Doug!
> 
> 
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