Papua New Guinea: Woman tortured and burned
to death for sorcery http://borneobulletin.com.bn/index.php/2013/02/08/png-woman-tortured-burned-alive-in-sorcery-case/
Pakistan: Man stoned to death by order of tribal council http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/Pakistan/Pakistani-man-stoned-to-death-on-orders-of-jirga/Article1-1025685.aspx
Bangladesh: Atheist bloggers arrested http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/showthread.php?t=175703 Crowds call for their execution for crimes against Islam http://borneobulletin.com.bn/index.php/2013/04/07/calls-to-execute-atheist-bloggers-in-bangladesh/
USA: Four states considering laws that
challenge the teaching of evolution
The Problem in a Nutshell
Indoctrination and dogma, in any aspect of the human condition (and especially religion), is undoubtedly one of the greatest evils still to pervade human society.
I was recently provoked into writing the following, after
reading an article about a woman from the Maldives. She had been sentenced to
100 lashes for being raped by her step-father.
“When will religion be denied its perverse status in human society?”
We are constantly bombarded by reports of unbelievable,
shocking, even laughable official decisions. Decisions that in any other
context would be considered nigh-on impossible. So what makes such decisions
possible? The answer is simple, someone can legitimately stand-up and say “It’s
my religion”.
Why Educators must Defend Truth, Reason, and Freedom against Religious Zealots
We have all read histories of authorities deciding what is
truth and acceptable, indeed we still suffer it today via our media streams.
The Spanish Inquisition is infamous of course. In England, prior to the dawn of
the modern age in the 1700s, believing anything that was not sanctioned by the
church, would land one in very serious trouble. Rome regularly persecuted those
who challenged ‘accepted doctrine’. For example, when it was suggested the
Earth orbited the Sun.
One of the foreseeable, but largely overlooked, consequences
of an increasingly connected world is the ability for people to connect and
organise with those of a like mind to undermine the scientific method and seek
to replace it with beliefs (religious) that belong in the dark ages.
Such beliefs include:
1. Any
challenge to, or dis-belief in, the religious doctrine, should be met with
capital punishment.
2. People
who do not subscribe to the accepted religious ‘wisdom’ are not permitted to
practice as teachers
The second point being of particular concern to educators of all kinds.
In our increasingly inter-connected world ‘educators’,
especially in the west, are increasingly likely to encounter such attitudes.
One does not need to travel far. Four American states (see link above) are
considering laws that challenge the teaching of evolution. For rational people,
such a possibility would ordinarily be considered laughable.
Such laws could see our children being taught the
universe is really 10,000 years old, despite the fact a tree in Scotland is
between 5,000 and 9,000 years old. This would mean everything that existed prior to the creation of trees, was created in as little as 1000 years. It is possible Darwin was not completely exhaustive
in his proposition for evolution (his world was so much smaller than ours), but
it has withstood the test of time and scientific rigour. Far more than can be
said for the suggestion some deity, created every
single thing in existence by hand.
I am increasingly concerned by the almost imperceptible
attacks on learning and scientific rigour, launched by extremists of various
hues. The sum of the parts is clearly increasing. I hear many platitudes of the
like “the majority are reasonable and moderate people”. This point is in fact completely
irrelevant. The majority are, to all intents and purposes, silent, and may as
well not exist.
“For evil to prevail a good man need simply do nothing”.
The
voices of extremism are becoming increasingly loud and forceful.
Such religious fanaticism seeks to re-establish the
mind-set of pre 18th century societies (European). It has been estimated that
if it were not for religious dogma, human society would have advanced an
additional 3-500 years. An unimaginable loss. We have already paid a heavy (albeit unknowable)
price.
Educators do not simply have a duty to be good
teachers and pedagogues (in the classical sense), they have a duty to defend truth,
rigour, learning, and most importantly, the freedom to learn.
What to do?
This blog does not offer solutions to this relatively infant phenomenon,
other than to be aware of its gathering momentum, and not to join the silent moderate
majority.
Perhaps you have considered this matter, and have already taken action. If so, please share your experience.
Stand fast. The consequences will be trivial compared to the return of a pre 18th century mentality.
Perhaps you have considered this matter, and have already taken action. If so, please share your experience.
Stand fast. The consequences will be trivial compared to the return of a pre 18th century mentality.
