tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3440192082393796739.post1086018142429552451..comments2023-12-26T00:17:07.726-08:00Comments on Everyday Thoughts on Life: On The Odd Apparent Disconnect Between Religiousness and IntelligenceSilas Reinagelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11467988372248107657noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3440192082393796739.post-56938684630605191262011-08-15T23:48:14.639-07:002011-08-15T23:48:14.639-07:00Operation Mafia has now added a custom feature tha...Operation Mafia has now added a custom feature that allows you to go on Missions. This was a time intensive fully customized feature that utilizes many existing OM features.Mafia Missions Games Bloghttp://omafia.net/blog/om-missions-and-quests/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3440192082393796739.post-2620455136673766152010-07-13T17:15:02.064-07:002010-07-13T17:15:02.064-07:00Samson, heartily agree with you about Canada. I&#...Samson, heartily agree with you about Canada. I've seen the same thing (I'm in BC). Refreshing really.<br /><br />On my last visit,I told some American Christians (at their asking), I was a geology major. The responses ranged from total ignorance (uhhh, what's that?) to abject derision (as it's a salvation issue whether one is an old or young earth creationist). Being Canadian was even a salvation issue for some, no joke. Something to do with taxpayer funded abortions.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3440192082393796739.post-10689206479777174402010-07-06T19:05:14.375-07:002010-07-06T19:05:14.375-07:00Not a religious person myself, but....
I observe ...Not a religious person myself, but....<br /><br />I observe that "intellectualism" as it operates today is much more of a claim to social status than anything about actual knowledge and intellectual interests. There are many people with advanced degrees from "elite" institutions who have amazing gaps in their knowledge and amazingly little interest in filling them.<br /><br />I also observe that those who assert hostility to religion on grounds of their superior intelligence are more likely to have degrees in soft & squishy subjects than in anything really rigorous. You're more likely to get sociology majors (of the non-mathematical sociology variant) falling into this category than physics majors or electrical engineering majors.David Fosterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15464681514800720063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3440192082393796739.post-9892701985101751742010-07-04T18:37:04.126-07:002010-07-04T18:37:04.126-07:00@Xamuel:
I feel like I say this to folks online f...@Xamuel:<br /><br />I feel like I say this to folks online far too often, but have you ever met any evangelicals from other countries? Because when you give anecdotes like this:<br /><br /><i>Her eyes get all big, "You can study mathematics and be Christian??"</i><br /><br />I wonder whether we live on the same planet. I've never met anyone like this. My Campus Crusade group way back when included a whole crew of science majors, including myself. As far as I've ever experienced – in real life, not in the media or wherever else - Christians have held exactly the view that Hestia expresses below: that learning about the natural world is a wonderful way of exploring God's creation, and by extension, God himself.<br /><br /><i>Unfortunately, a lot of "Christians" today do a terrible job of that (cf. Republicans)</i><br /><br />Well, again, up here in Canada, the conflation of faith and conservative politics isn't nearly so entrenched as it is in the US. My wife worked in a US state for a period of time before I knew her (in the biblical sense or otherwise...), and she recollects not infrequently feeling a bit distant, or at least cautious, around Christians she met there. Why? Because of exactly the sort of thing you imply – that American Christians are often too wedded to the Republican party. In contrast, up here a lot of us looked askance at Bush even if we held conservative positions in general.<br /><br />Perhaps none of this is news to you; I don't know.<br /><br />@Hestia:<br /><br /><i>I also firmly believe there is great misunderstandings in certain pockets of the Christian community when it comes to science. I was a chemistry major and had similar experiences to Xamuel when sharing my major with Christians.</i><br /><br />Again – that is simply bizarre to me. Before I had read the comments, I wasn't planning to bother replying to Silas' post because the "you seem so smart - how could you POSSIBLY be religious?" trope is generally a yawner. But if anti-intellectualism is really as rampant in certain circles as you guys make out, maybe it's more forgivable.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3440192082393796739.post-75635549916323411352010-07-03T06:16:37.004-07:002010-07-03T06:16:37.004-07:00The modern Christian community may be anti-intelle...<i>The modern Christian community may be anti-intellectual, but a true Christ follower is more concerned with righteous living than with social perceptions or the idol-worship of intellectualism.</i><br />The study of intellectual pursuits does not necessarily mean an individual is worshiping the idol of intellectualism. There exist numerous topics of study that would be meat to an intelligent Christian, providing them with profound insight about their faith and greater understanding of how Christianity has influenced the world. By this I mean deeper theological study, church history, etymological studies, and the other more 'academic' topics seldom discussed in church or spoken off in the typical lifestyle manuals marketed at believers. As atheists often bemoan, the United States is the most religious nation in the West but the most woefully uneducated when it comes to knowledge about Christianity. This shouldn't be so. <br /><br />I also firmly believe there is great misunderstandings in certain pockets of the Christian community when it comes to science. I was a chemistry major and had similar experiences to Xamuel when sharing my major with Christians. My young sister has experienced even worse as a biology undergrad and now a grad student. My husband was okay seeing as physics is out of the scope of most public debate, but many Christians have no idea the wonders and beauty of the cosmos and are missing out on the enjoyment that can be found in understand physics. Somebody with better credentials that Ray Comfort ought to be education Christians about scientific concepts. The amount of Christian scientists may be far and few between, but they do exist. <br /><br />Before I end this comment, I do hope you take comments about your intelligence to heart and see the truth in them. Your blog is one of the best I've seen from a homeschool grad and you really do break the mold of what the stereotypical Christian homeschooler might seem to be. I am not at all anti-homeschool but have personally known people who've left me frightened of homeschooling and not too impressed if you catch my drift. You're a fine example of homeschooling gone right. :)Hestiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01987917145065027448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3440192082393796739.post-62059623677762201632010-07-02T17:43:35.041-07:002010-07-02T17:43:35.041-07:00No objections to the way Jesus lived: guy was a h...No objections to the way Jesus lived: guy was a hero. He hung out with the lowest dregs of society and loved them. He physically attacked the money-changers (!!!). Forgave a thief on the cross.<br /><br />He didn't really command us to live in any particular way-- the entire point is that his crucifixion liberates us from all that! Strictly speaking, you could go on a murderous rampage, and if you accept Him as your savior, you're A-OK. Of course, a good Christian (in the real sense, not the institutional sense) ought to emulate Jesus to whatever extent is possible. Unfortunately, a lot of "Christians" today do a terrible job of that (cf. Republicans)<br /><br />What I meant about mind-changing is, you have a lot of minds to change before "Christians" will accept you as an intelligent Christian.Xamuelhttp://www.xamuel.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3440192082393796739.post-69623135462258863122010-07-02T17:08:25.548-07:002010-07-02T17:08:25.548-07:00@Xamuel: Intellectualism, of course, is not my pri...@Xamuel: Intellectualism, of course, is not my primary concern. As I stated in my post, intelligence is of little use unless used properly. <br /><br />The modern Christian community may be anti-intellectual, but a true Christ follower is more concerned with righteous living than with social percpetions or the idol-worship of intellectualism. That modern Christians are a poor reflection of Christ does not invalidate the example set by Christ and the calling that He has given, to emulate Him in word, deed and attitude. <br /><br />I know that you have quite a lot of personal objections to hypocrisy in the modern church and to unbiblical contemporary fundamentalism. <br /><br />I am genuinely curious. Do you have any objections to the way Jesus lived and commanded us to live? Precisely what mind-changing are you suggesting I do?Silas Reinagelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11467988372248107657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3440192082393796739.post-64370786366468462862010-07-02T16:53:43.671-07:002010-07-02T16:53:43.671-07:00One time in undergrad I was hanging out at some ch...One time in undergrad I was hanging out at some cheap Campus Crusade ripoff. This girl asks me what I'm majoring in, I tell her mathematics. Her eyes get all big, "You can study mathematics and be Christian??" Like I'd said I was majoring in Satanism.<br /><br />You've got a lot of mind-changing to do, my friend. Jesus was swell but the modern Christian "community" is hugely anti-intellectual.Xamuelhttp://www.xamuel.comnoreply@blogger.com