"...I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me..." [Deuteronomy 5:8-10]

Friday, May 13, 2005

Correspondence with Bonnie Alba

Dear Bonnie

Thank you for your mail.

I'm very sorry that you feel the way you do. I shall add you to my
list of religious fundamentalists that are unable to provide any
rational basis for their beliefs and actions. Fair enough?

You apparently think is moral for Christians to lie to non-Christians.

You think it is moral to promote the teaching of 'Intelligent Design'
in public schools when a Fellow of the Discovery Institute, the
primary promoter of ID Theory, admits that 'Intelligent Design' offers
no alternative theory of biological design to that of standard
evolution.

You think it is moral to equate evolution with atheism, when over
3,000 Christian Pastors - along organisations representing more than
half the worlds Jews and Christians - state that there is no conflict
between the theory of evolution and their religious beliefs.

You pray that I will 'find the truth of' my 'own individual quest',
and implore me 'please do not stop at the walls of the box.'

By that I can only assume that you wish my beliefs not be bound by
logic and reason.

Then how can you justify your beliefs over those of Islamic
Fundamentalist suicide bombers? You do not say.

I did not call you a 'liar', Bonnie. I said that you were bearing false witness.

In the hundreds of words that you have written to me, you have made no
attempt whatsoever to defend the statements you made in your article
entitled 'Intelligent Design - What Do the Naturalists Have Against
It?'

Instead you have questioned repeatedly my actual *right* to have opinions.

When I sought to defend my arguments, you retreat to patronising
platitudes about prayer and your family.

Recently, a fundamentalist Christian - who contacted me uninvited -
said this: "One thing is for sure, within 100 yrs. you and I will both
know who was right."

I don't think that is necessarily so.

But I do fervently believe that if God does exist, I will be able to
stand before him on the day of judgement and say that I acted morally
and rationally and with good will to all mankind... And that I did not
bear false witness against my neighbours or anyone else.

Clearly you will not be able to say that.

You will continue to write articles that are at odds with reality. You
will continue to bear false witness. And you will continue to offer
"prayers" for those who seek, with the best of intentions, to correct
your errors.

Pity me all your like, Bonnie... But save your prayers for yourself.
Whether God exists or not, I think you will need them.

Kind regards

PTET


You can see the complete record of my correspondence with Bonnie here.

1 comment:

William Hudson said...

She appears to be accepting the new fundamentalist post-modern deconstructionism. "What's "true" for you may not be "true" for me", etc.

Willful ignorance is always so sad.