Via Bookslut, I found this interview with Frank Peretti, a Christian horror novelist (strangely, that’s not meant the way I’d normally read it) about his new novel, Monster, which is about Bigfoot and evolution. Hmm, you say. Whatever could he possibly want to say about a big topic like evolution?
“My goal is to make them think about evolution,” he said. “Evolution as a philosophy makes monsters out of all us. It removes all that makes us human – morals, virtue, love, honor, self-sacrifice. All those become illusory. I’m trying to raise some questions. Who is the real monster here? I do it through a monster story.”
So, because he doesn’t understand something, he makes a horror story out of it.
American Christians—and this is overwhelmingly an American problem—are determined to be loud and proud about their ignorance. I don’t get it. Whatever happened to being interested in finding out about stuff? No no, might upset us a little; let’s crawl into our hidey-holes.
Sigh.
I think you are presuming an awful lot and I don’t think you have this quite right.
Ilona —
You need to be a little more voluble and little less cryptic for me to understand your point.
In this case, I can tell you some of my presumptions:
* Frank Peretti managed to make a statement that is both insulting and ignorant.
* Many American Christians seem to have a problem accepting the Theory of Evolution (which is a Theory like the Theory of Gravity and not a theory like here’s-a-wild-guess type of theory — if you don’t know the difference between those two meanings of theory, please educate yourself on them).
* These American Christians are simply wrong.
* How many stories have we had over the past month/year/decade on Christians — can’t think of any other group off-hand, sorry — trying to ban the Theory of Evolution from schools? I’d say that adds up to crawling into a hidey-hole rather than confronting this scientific fact.(1)
* Frank Peretti, by virtue of being a bestselling author of “Christian fiction,” is a spokesperson for this ignorant point of view.
So, what don’t I have quite right? Please explain.
(1) I quote Carl Sagan here, who has rather more impeccable scientific credentials than I do.
I’d prefer “American Christian fundamentalists,” because there are a LOT of Christians who don’t believe that rapture bullshit. It’s not mainline theology (Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, etc.)
It’s a bunch of nonsense.
Blame the fundies.
This is the oldest story in the prothelytization business.
If you can’t persuade them, use the old FUD tactic. “Well, there HAS to be a God and consquences, or we’ll all be at each other’s throats.”
Natural selection doesn’t mean random chance and that is what these goobers don’t understand.
They’re all just afraid of the initial shock of stepping into a world without God giving it meaning. Christians nowadays are like frightened little children, afraid to get out of bed and see that life can still have meaning without God.
It’s sad, and we’re the ones who have to deal with their incessant need to showcase their fear under the banner of faith.
Wow, I just happened across this site by chance and I have to say I’m flabbergasted at the rampant combination of ignorance and arrogance by your readers and webmaster here.
There are so many outrageous comments here it’d take me 3 pages of reply to sufficiently ATTEMPT to break through the blind walls of ignorance you’ve erected here.
Rather than getting involved in a useless struggle to attempt to get you to open your eyes beyond your little realm of similarly closed minded individuals, allow me to simply say the old addage, “When you point the finger at someone else, there are 3 pointing back at you.” A lot of you seem to have a lot of anger and insecurity to get over before you can objectively analyze anything. I’m a scientist, I’ve got the chemistry degree and lab time to prove it… the fact that you here are attempting to use science as your personal weapon to justify your beliefs about others, is simply pitiful. Do yourselves a favor and do a little self introspection.
Dude? I’m rather flabbergasted by your amazing combination of insults and vagueness, attempting to act superior and shake your head sadly, without, you know, actually SAYING anything.
But wow: you’re a scientist. Well, then. What can I say to that?
theory-1,a set of propositions describing the operation and causes of natural phenomena. 2, a proposed but unverified explanation
theorem-1, a statement of something to be proved
the theory of evolution has not been proved, darwin himself said it was a theory, not fact. species adapt over time to new environments,but a monkey does not become human over billions of years- they may become larger or smaller, learn to eat different things,etc. Christians are not the only ones who do not want to come out of their “hidey holes” proven by the fact that everyone is so hostile when giving their opinion. if you believe something and you feel you are right why then do you have to insult others for their beliefs? respect has to be given before it is recieved. insults and pompous attitudes gets us nowhere.
First: learn the scientific definition of “theory.” It does not mean “guess, supposition, something I made up on the spot.” A scientific theory is something very, very specific. Learn what it is.
“insults and pompous attitudes gets us nowhere.” How true. Mind telling the loudmouth Christians in this country that?
you do have many presumptions
*
“managed to make a statement that is both insulting and ignorant”
I don’t read his books myself, but the fact that you take this so personally tells me you are not willing to view the matter objectively. Within his frame of reference, is he not making a logical conclusion? You don’t say, you just get all insulted.
* “Many American Christians seem to have a problem accepting the Theory of Evolution (which is a Theory like the Theory of Gravity and not a theory like here’s-a-wild-guess type of theory — if you don’t know the difference between those two meanings of theory, please educate yourself on them).”
Again, you presume that people who don’t view things your way they are not educated. There are several forms of meaning of the theory of evolution. The one that has to do with origins is indeed “here’s-a-wild-guess type of theory”. The scientists themselves admit this, if you did the proper reading.
* “These American Christians are simply wrong.”
Unsupported generality-generally meaningless except as an ad hominem.
*”trying to ban the Theory of Evolution from schools?”
I am not aware of this, I did think that they were lobbying for inclusion of exposure to ID theory. You always have hard core platforms, but I wouldn’t say this is representative of even Conservative Christians.
* “Frank Peretti, by virtue of being a bestselling author of “Christian fiction,” is a spokesperson for this ignorant point of view.”
That is sort of funny to me- that a fiction writer is considered a spokesman for Christians…like George Lucas is a spokeman for …who? It’s entertainment, it holds worldview ideas of the writer, but people like it because it entertains them. Doesn’t necessarily speak for them.
+ Carl Sagan is speaking more as a philosopher in this context than a scientist.
+ “loudmouth”…does that mean express their views? …is that something only allowed to non-Christian now?
sure some of us are loudmouths- so are some of you that define yourselves differently.
+”Blame the fundies.” yeah. and string em up and gut em while you’re at it.
think, people.
the fact that you take this so personally tells me you are not willing to view the matter objectively
You might have noticed this is my blog. These are my opinions.
Again, you presume that people who don’t view things your way they are not educated.
If you refer to the Theory of Evolution as “just a theory,” you are not educated.
There are several forms of meaning of the theory of evolution. The one that has to do with origins is indeed “here’s-a-wild-guess type of theory”. The scientists themselves admit this, if you did the proper reading.
Specific cites, please. Otherwise, you are pulling this nonsense out of your butt.
Carl Sagan is speaking more as a philosopher in this context than a scientist.
Specific cites, please. The context in which I have heard and read Dr. Sagan’s comments was always as a scientist.
“Blame the fundies.” yeah. and string em up and gut em while you’re at it.
Have you paid any attention at all to what fundies are doing in this country?
Again, you presume that people who don’t view things your way they are not educated.
No, read it again, Einstein. She said they need to educate themselves on what THEORY means in a scientific context.
+”Blame the fundies.” yeah. and string em up and gut em while you’re at it.
That one was mine. As a Christian, I resent the hell out of what fundies are doing to the reputation of those denominations that don’t have to check their brains at the door. I never said “string em up and gut em while you’re at it.” Never intended it. But I can look at them and sneer.