Comments on: The godless North http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:29:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: A. S. Nathan http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12651 A. S. Nathan Wed, 08 Mar 2006 04:48:59 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12651 As somebody who obtained my advanced degree in Vancouver, I can testify to the relatively reduced orthodoxy on religious matters in B.C. and Canada. Those numbers make sense now, as I had qualitatively arrived at the same conclusion. Expanding on some of the comments above, it is useful to note that religions especially God belief of the monotheistic kind (Christianity and Islam) have been the least tolerant and have shed a lot of blood. (Crusades then and Jihad now). Missionaries continue to "save" heathens at great cost to the local culture in poorer nations. Mother Teresa seems to be just as guilty of this type of aggressive proselytism. Sorry, my early Catholic "education" has left me somewhat disillusioned. Curiously, the non-theistic, polytheistic and pantheistic ones were the most tolerant. Ultimately, we are all "theologians" of some sort (msg #15 above) but surely experimentalists are on better ground... As somebody who obtained my advanced degree in Vancouver, I can testify to the relatively reduced orthodoxy on religious matters in B.C. and Canada. Those numbers make sense now, as I had qualitatively arrived at the same conclusion.
Expanding on some of the comments above, it is useful to note that religions especially God belief of the monotheistic kind (Christianity and Islam) have been the least tolerant and have shed a lot of blood. (Crusades then and Jihad now). Missionaries continue to “save” heathens at great cost to the local culture in poorer nations. Mother Teresa seems to be just as guilty of this type of aggressive proselytism. Sorry, my early Catholic “education” has left me somewhat disillusioned. Curiously, the non-theistic, polytheistic and pantheistic ones were the most tolerant. Ultimately, we are all “theologians” of some sort (msg #15 above) but surely experimentalists are on better ground…

]]> By: Count Iblis http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12650 Count Iblis Sat, 04 Mar 2006 14:16:15 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12650 Health Care Information, it would have been more appropriate to post a spam message with a link to cheap Canadian drugs :) Health Care Information, it would have been more appropriate to post a spam message with a link to cheap Canadian drugs :)

]]> By: Kevin Barron http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12649 Kevin Barron Fri, 03 Mar 2006 09:28:00 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12649 Sean, as a backstabbing atheist Canadian, I have to confess the smiles are all a facade as you suspected. But as a friend of Tommy Douglas (see the Mouseland clip above), I can tell you that he started out as a Baptist minister and went on to be one of the most effective leaders in Canada. Not only did he create Medicare, he was also responsible for the 40-hour work week, and a bill of rights which preceded the UN version, and more. But what I remember most vividly was his sense of humour -- nicely captured in this quote: "I don't mind being a symbol but I don't want to become a monument. There are monuments all over the Parliament Buildings and I've seen what the pigeons do to them." Sean,

as a backstabbing atheist Canadian, I have to confess the smiles are all a facade as you suspected.
But as a friend of Tommy Douglas (see the Mouseland clip above), I can tell you that he started out as a Baptist minister and went on to be one of the most effective leaders in Canada. Not only did he create Medicare, he was also responsible for the 40-hour work week, and a bill of rights which preceded the UN version, and more.
But what I remember most vividly was his sense of humour — nicely captured in this quote:

“I don’t mind being a symbol but I don’t want to
become a monument. There are monuments all over
the Parliament Buildings and I’ve seen what the
pigeons do to them.”

]]> By: Plato http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12627 Plato Wed, 01 Mar 2006 23:15:18 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12627 Strange for a man who if dead, should be consumed by, "where his bones should lie." Puzzling. Strange for a man who if dead, should be consumed by, “where his bones should lie.”

Puzzling.

]]> By: Kaleberg http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12648 Kaleberg Wed, 01 Mar 2006 19:02:37 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12648 "The Bechrians", answered Autolycus, "have these peculiarities: They speak the truth, are monogamous and faithful to their wives, do not make war on their neighbors and, being wholly ignorant of the existence of any gods or godesses , spend their lives without fear of retribution for their sins. They believe that when a man dies, he dies utterly, and therefore are unafraid of ghosts. Their land is also free of the fevers which plague their neighbors, and as fertile as one might wish. I have often considered settling among them; only that, when I came to die, my bones would remain unburied, which would be a terrible thing for a Greek as religious minded as myself." from Hercules, My Shipmate by Robert Graves - p 245 “The Bechrians”, answered Autolycus, “have these peculiarities: They speak the truth, are monogamous and faithful to their wives, do not make war on their neighbors and, being wholly ignorant of the existence of any gods or godesses , spend their lives without fear of retribution for their sins. They believe that when a man dies, he dies utterly, and therefore are unafraid of ghosts. Their land is also free of the fevers which plague their neighbors, and as fertile as one might wish. I have often considered settling among them; only that, when I came to die, my bones would remain unburied, which would be a terrible thing for a Greek as religious minded as myself.”

from Hercules, My Shipmate by Robert Graves - p 245

]]> By: Jenn http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12647 Jenn Tue, 28 Feb 2006 04:11:56 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12647 'backstabbing Enlightenment hedonists'?? Nah, without formal religious ties, we've just got nothing to be hellbent about... ‘backstabbing Enlightenment hedonists’??

Nah, without formal religious ties, we’ve just got nothing to be hellbent about…

]]> By: Alejandro Rivero http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12625 Alejandro Rivero Mon, 27 Feb 2006 12:13:14 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12625 (hmm was re #22) (hmm was re #22)

]]> By: Alejandro Rivero http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12626 Alejandro Rivero Mon, 27 Feb 2006 12:12:39 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12626 Re #23 we have a say, "I do not believe even in the Catholic religion, which is the only true one". Re #23 we have a say, “I do not believe even in the Catholic religion, which is the only true one”.

]]> By: Count Iblis http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12624 Count Iblis Mon, 27 Feb 2006 00:42:01 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12624 Hmmm, only 2 secular schools???? Hmmm, only 2 secular schools????

]]> By: Ruth Ellen http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12620 Ruth Ellen Sun, 26 Feb 2006 18:25:54 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2006/02/25/the-godless-north/#comment-12620 "Remarkably enough, despite have only two Jews, Vancouver BC seems to support some 13 synagogues." As well as two secularist organizations/schools: http://csjo.org/pages/affiliates.htm#canada “Remarkably enough, despite have only two Jews, Vancouver BC seems to support some 13 synagogues.”

As well as two secularist organizations/schools: http://csjo.org/pages/affiliates.htm#canada

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