Dangerous ideas

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My lovely friend Pamela (of Frogblog fame) brought this item from Illinois to my attention.

"Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) interrupted atheist activist Rob Sherman during his testimony Wednesday afternoon before the House State Government Administration Committee in Springfield and told him, "What you have to spew and spread is extremely dangerous . . . it's dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists!" "This is the Land of Lincoln where people believe in God," Davis said. "Get out of that seat . . . You have no right to be here! We believe in something. You believe in destroying! You believe in destroying what this state was built upon.""

Eric Zorn who wrote about this in the Chicago Tribune noted wryly "Apparently it's still open season on some views of God". He also noted that apart from on his blog "Davis' repellent, un-American outburst received no attention whatsoever"".

Now this is all fine, and I had the reaction that Eric had and that Pam knew I would have to the item (and to another one about Monsanto's activities, but that is another story), yet another example of the intolerance of the religious believer. But on second reading the thing that jumped out at me was the phrase "it's dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists". It didn't take long before I knew why this seemed so familiar. It is the attitude of the Saudi Arabian authorities to Christian converts and missionaries - kill them, jail them. It is the attitude of the North Korean or Pol Pot governments to any dissent from the party line. It is the attitude of Catholic authorities towards any heresy. The attitude of Hitler towards communists. The attitude of Stalin towards private entrepeneurs. The attitude of the French revolutionary government towards any deviation. The attitude of Joe McCarthy on HUAC. The attitude of creationists to evolution (that dangerous idea).

And it is the current attitude of the US government towards Cuba and Venezuela and Nicaragua. In all cases the approach by political, economic and religious fundamentalists is not simply to claim that their way is the best. Not simply to think that people will choose their way because of its demonstrated superiority. Not simply to engage in a free market place of ideas. Not simply to debate, to allow free discussion which evolves towards either a consensus or a diversity. No, the opposing view must be prevented from existing, indeed it must never have existed, must be declared an un-idea, expunged from history books, photoshopped out of photos. Children prevented from learning that there are alternative religions, and indeed an alternative non-religion. The public must not be allowed to know that there are alternative economic philosophies to unregulated capitalism.

A strange view of democracy to be held by a Democrat.

But not a strange view to be held by someone so uncertain of the validity of her own beliefs that she does not want to know, does not want it to be known, that any other belief is even possible.

The Watermelon Blog explores all kinds of ideas and has no intention of testifying before the House State Government Administration Committee in Springfield.

Comments

[Dap]

Dear Dr. Horton,

Good looking out, especially all the way from down-under. Thanks. Agape.

[jackdav]

As for Rep. Davis, how about her constitutents recalling her and removing her from office? That ignorance has no place in public. Atheists are a tiny minority in America, but nonetheless have as much rights as anyone else. That someone could have such dark thoughts toward their fellow Americans in 2008 really depresses me, not just as an atheist but as an American citizen.

[derw]

The problem with that idea is in three parts.

1. No contest in November, as in she has no opponents to beat thus getting a free pass. (source: elections.il.gov)

2. No recall provision in Illinois law. Right now, they're working on one, and fortunately it's already passed her chamber, but it's unlikely to be acted upon by the Senate, meaning we probably still won't have one.

3. She's a hardcore machine girl in a machine city. Barring a miracle, she'll probably die in that seat.

[Ajita]

Just goes to show democrats can be as clueless about the constitution as the republicans.

[LeftRight]

Same stupid idea as banning books because kids might get "ideas" out of them!

[Wilson33]

Well Mr. Horton, if I didn't know that this post was about the intolerance of religious people, I would have thought that you were talking about liberals and atheists and how you liberals are constantly trying to take God out of everything. And the only open season left is for believers, they are the only ones that still can be bashed on a regular basis and no one says anything.

So, the question to you is, why are you and your fellow liberals constantly trying to eliminate God from everything in America? Why is it that you liberals constantly try to rewrite history by telling people that our Founding Fathers did not believe in God when they reference him frequently in their writings?

If anyone is intolerant of others, especially religious people, it is liberals and always has been. Your comparisons to Hitler, and Pol Pot and others leaves out one big fact, they killed non believers, all Mrs. Davis did was yell. BIG DIFFERENCE THERE MR. HORTON, don't ya think?

[RozmarijaGrauds]

Mr Wilson, atheists do not want to "get rid of god". All we can hope for is Separation of Church and State. Isn't prayer a private matter? Why can't the religious be happy in their places of worship (I support their tax free status) and in their homes and among friends and in their hearts? Why push mostly Christian prayers in tax supported government venues where citizens of other philosophies are present? Personally I have no opinion of god/s, not part of my life. Churches don't bother me, I could live next to one. But when I was in school, there was no "under God" in the Pledge. These things are squeezed in by the religious with an agenda of proselytizing. It is the religious who are the aggressors. Also, there is still anti-Semitism in this country, not only hatred of innocent atheists.There is still racial prejudice - how Christian is that?

[Pigliacci]

Believers in whose god?

I doubt that either you or Ms. Davis is terribly concerned as to whether Allah, Ganesh, or the Goddess are offered appropriate reverence and generous subsidies by our government. Of course, you and Ms. Davis have discovered the One True Faith, right? Which denomination is that?

BTW, you might be startled to learn that some of those scary liberals are sitting the next pew over.

[ceu]

"Your comparisons ...leaves out one big fact, they killed non believers"

Ummmm, no. They silenced and/or killed people who believed differently than they did. BIG difference!

[LeftRight]

It's not that we're trying to eliminate god from America, it's that we're making sure that god doesn't become all that there IS in America!

Our founding fathers did believe in god, but they believed STRONGLY that the relationship with god was a personal one, and not to be dictated by ANYONE, especially not the state!

And for what it's worth, Mr. Horton is correct. Read the words, and then compare them to the people cited, you will find a common thread throughout the WHOLE conservative world!