Walk Away from Fundamentalism

Sam Harris has a new essay up on what should we rely upon to make good decisions about doing the right thing. And he closes with this bit of wisdom:

Wherever the issue of “moral values” surfaces in our national conversation in the coming weeks, ask yourself which approach to morality is operating. Are we talking about how to best alleviate human suffering? Or are we talking about the whims of an invisible God?

Head over to the link listed above, as he actually makes some very good points about how we decide right and wrong.

It’s been all seriousness over here at Walkawayers.org, so here’s a bit of fun. Remember those awful, trite Chick Tracts? Here’s a very funny look at why you should accept Cthulhu as your Lord: Who Will Be Eaten First?

The Guardian reports that:

A missing notebook clutched by a Shropshire lad who circumnavigated the globe, returned to Britain, and demolished the Victorian hubris that humans stood alone as the pinnacle of creation, is published for the first time today.

The notebook, along with all of Darwin’s works, are now available free for online browsing and free download, including other notebooks, diaries, and previously unpublished manuscripts.

Darwin and his discoveries have frustrated fundamentalists since publication, and now have the chance to keep frustrating them for free. It’s all avalable at darwin-online.org.uk.

From jesuswouldbeashamedofyou.com

So why do you hang your hat on that? Of all the really important things that need fixing on Earth, why do you fixate on whether gays can marry, or waste your time saving a woman who really was, it turned out, completely brain-dead? Why do you spend so much time arguing about how God created the universe, when the exact details don’t matter? You can pray in school any time you want– why force it on others? The justice system generally holds the same values as the ten commandments… why do you need it actually spelled out?

Do you think your rabid devotion to insignificant minutia really makes Jesus happy? I think he’s probably more interested in you spending that kind of time and energy on helping your fellow man, don’t you?

It’s reassuring to see the moderates and liberals working to reclaim Christianity from the rabid fundamentalists. There are parts of Christianity that do have value to the world, especially the calls in the Bible for compassion towards others. It would be a shame to see all of that lost to a bunch of nuts.

Chicago Sun-Times reporter Cathleen Falsani reviews the Jesus Camp movie, and finds it disturbing and sad. That she finds it disturbing and sad isn’t particularly surprising, as the movie documents a Pentacostal revival camp and some of the outrageous attitudes and teachings there. What’s surprising is that Falsani is a Christian, and rather than go into apoplectic fits over the film, she uses it as a chance for some self-reflection.

After watching “Jesus Camp,” I can’t help but wonder where education ends and indoctrination begins, whether indoctrination can ever be a benign thing, and what, exactly, constitutes spiritual abuse.
…
Spiritual abuse leaves debilitating scars, even if you can’t see them. There’s more than one way to walk through this life with a limp.

The entire review is well worth the read, if only to read some very conscientious musings.