Thursday, April 24, 2008

The one in which I support the Christians...

So evidently Florida is looking to make a available a vanity plate to those wanting to make a statement of belief AND who would also spend the extra cash for the privilege. Apparently the ACLU has got its proverbial knickers all in a twist over the idea.

Here's my view over this whole brouhaha. In and of itself this plate doesn't bother me in the slightest because it is optional and you have to pay for the damned thing. If the state were compelling all motorists to have this plate then we'd have a BIG problem. The simple fact is Christians do make up a large portion of the population and if the state wants to sucker a few of them into buying this preposterous thing and use the money to state projects, so be it.

Where Florida needs to be be careful is what they are going to do with the money they will reap from this thing. They ARE supposed to be neutral in matters of religion so using said funds to support some sort of religiously based program... well then we have a problem.

Most human matters are not black and white and this situation is very much in the gray as it were. If my home state of Massachusetts were to make available some sort of plate extolling the virtues of free-thought I don't think I'd acquire one. I can see through it as nothing more than the State trying to fleece a little bit more of my ever dwindling supply of cash.

Additionally my thoughts are generally more complex than anything than can fit on a license plate anyway...

R.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Check mate...

Some may note that I have been extremely quiet about the release of Expelled over the past weekend. I had felt that I'd commented enough about my feelings regarding this little piece of creationist drivel in my past postings. Admittedly those postings were based upon the observations of those who had attended private screenings of the celluloid mess before its official release. Perhaps, as some have indicated, it was unfair of me to make such judgments before I had personally seen the film. Fair enough. But what to do? In no way did I want to risk contributing to the coffers of the 'Disco' Institute or any one else who MIGHT make the ludicrous argument that Darwinism begets Holocausts. Oh the consternation...

All I will say is that using a little ingenuity and a bit of intrepid legerdemain I have indeed seen this piece of dishonest propaganda.

I saw this disingenuous piece of filth over the weekend and it is even worse than I imagined! Words can't describe the anger this sorry piece of shit* evoked in me. Ben Stein has absolutely no clue what Darwin's theory says or how it is understood today. Any thinking person with a modicum of critical thinking skills upon seeing this film would should blush at the idiotic arguments that are made. Such a person as one who would buy fall for these arguments is at the very least desperately in need of a remedial course in 'critical thinking'. Blaming Darwin for holocausts is akin to blaming Newton for airplane crashes!

I have neither the time nor the inclination to waste any more of my precious time further reducing to charred waste this film that is nothing more than a testament to the duplicitous nature of the people responsible for making said film. I consider it beneath me to further honor it with the privilege of my attention. Besides that plenty of reviewers have done just that in ways far beyond my limited means. My personal favorite is located at MSNBC. So in short if you are looking for a serious well thought out indictment of Darwin's theory that you can use against those who accept Darwin's insight... you won't find it at the few theaters dumb enough to be showing this film.

R.

*As a general rule I try not to be overtly profane in my posts but sometimes my emotions get the better of me and in this case I feel I am justified.