Prohfx, I'd appreciate it if you'd address my actual comments, and not some dramatic and fallacious interpretation that you've constructed in your own mind. I expect more intellectual honesty of a fellow atheist. But then, I suppose the application of the label "atheist" doesn't necessarily guarantee a level of skill in critical thinking.
First, when and where did I dispute the value and importance of freedom of religion? Of course Mr. Whitman is free to believe whatever he wants, as we atheists are free to not believe. As an atheist you should understand that granting people the freedom to believe a religion doesn't grant them them freedom from criticism, and it certainly doesn't preclude the asking of questions. Your opening point is irrelevant and misleading. Should we not question FGM because...freedom of religion?
Second, how exactly am I making "extremist" claims, prohfx? Re-read my comment. I make no claims of any sort.
1) I state a number of facts: Mr. Whitman is a Christian. Mr. Whitman believes certain stories in the Bible to be true. Mr. Whitman doesn't require evidence (I've had conversations with him in which he literally stated this) in order to believe in the Bible's factualness.
2) I then raise questions about the confidence his constituents can have in such a person's decision-making logic.
I ask a question that logically follows from certain facts. This you label as extremist behaviour?
Third, to extrapolate my question about a devout Christian to women and homosexuals is a fallacy of relevance, a straw man. It's dishonest and misleading, again. My entire point, I will say again, is that people may have reason to not be confident that Mr. Whitman's decisions are based on logic, reason, and evidence, because--now here is the key part--he has already proven himself to not value evidence and reason in much of his decision-making. Why would this have ANY relevance or implication for my opinions on women or homosexuals? Have these two groups of society likewise proven themselves to not value evidence and reason? This is the worst kind of example of a straw man, and it's intellectually dishonest, prohfx. Muslims? Of course the same questions I have of Mr. Whitman would apply to a devout Muslim, or any person who admits they believe extraordinary claims without extraordinary evidence.
Lastly, what's "shameful" about raising questions about the logic of religion and its followers? Why, prohfx, is it shameful to ask if people can fully trust the decisions of a person who has already demonstrated irrational behaviour in their decision-making?
Prohfx, in your effort to come off as politically-correct you seem to be sacrificing intellectual honesty. You might want to work on that.
That Matt Whitman is vocal doesn't much bother me. But am I the only one concerned about his Christian faith?
I like to think that running a city is a rational operation, with decisions made based on evidence. You see a challenge? You react with a solution that solves that challenge. A study examines the pros and cons of multiple ways forward? You take the path with the evidence backing it up. Can we trust Matt Whitman to act this rationally?
Mr. Whitman is only too happy to admit that evidence isn't always meaningful or important to him. I don't know if he believes the earth to be 6000 years old, or man and woman to have been wished into existence, but he is a vocal Christian. He's apparently quite content to believe that a man named Jesus once performed miracles and then died to absolve all humanity of sins that would otherwise send them to hell for all of eternity. He believes this...just because he chooses to. No evidence needed thank you.
Can we be confident that someone who chooses to believe in magic and fairy tales in his personal life will find real solutions to real problems in his professional life? His constituents need evidence-based solutions. But they're working with someone who literally worships a supernatural entity based on nothing but "faith".
Yes, to some degree it's refreshing to have a public official who speaks his mind honestly. It's also unnerving that this person puts stock in a book that instructs us to kill disobedient children (Deuteronomy 21), raped women (Deuteronomy 22), homosexuals (all over the place), and all nonbelievers (Deuteronomy 17).
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First, when and where did I dispute the value and importance of freedom of religion? Of course Mr. Whitman is free to believe whatever he wants, as we atheists are free to not believe. As an atheist you should understand that granting people the freedom to believe a religion doesn't grant them them freedom from criticism, and it certainly doesn't preclude the asking of questions. Your opening point is irrelevant and misleading. Should we not question FGM because...freedom of religion?
Second, how exactly am I making "extremist" claims, prohfx? Re-read my comment. I make no claims of any sort.
1) I state a number of facts: Mr. Whitman is a Christian. Mr. Whitman believes certain stories in the Bible to be true. Mr. Whitman doesn't require evidence (I've had conversations with him in which he literally stated this) in order to believe in the Bible's factualness.
2) I then raise questions about the confidence his constituents can have in such a person's decision-making logic.
I ask a question that logically follows from certain facts. This you label as extremist behaviour?
Third, to extrapolate my question about a devout Christian to women and homosexuals is a fallacy of relevance, a straw man. It's dishonest and misleading, again. My entire point, I will say again, is that people may have reason to not be confident that Mr. Whitman's decisions are based on logic, reason, and evidence, because--now here is the key part--he has already proven himself to not value evidence and reason in much of his decision-making. Why would this have ANY relevance or implication for my opinions on women or homosexuals? Have these two groups of society likewise proven themselves to not value evidence and reason? This is the worst kind of example of a straw man, and it's intellectually dishonest, prohfx. Muslims? Of course the same questions I have of Mr. Whitman would apply to a devout Muslim, or any person who admits they believe extraordinary claims without extraordinary evidence.
Lastly, what's "shameful" about raising questions about the logic of religion and its followers? Why, prohfx, is it shameful to ask if people can fully trust the decisions of a person who has already demonstrated irrational behaviour in their decision-making?
Prohfx, in your effort to come off as politically-correct you seem to be sacrificing intellectual honesty. You might want to work on that.
I like to think that running a city is a rational operation, with decisions made based on evidence. You see a challenge? You react with a solution that solves that challenge. A study examines the pros and cons of multiple ways forward? You take the path with the evidence backing it up. Can we trust Matt Whitman to act this rationally?
Mr. Whitman is only too happy to admit that evidence isn't always meaningful or important to him. I don't know if he believes the earth to be 6000 years old, or man and woman to have been wished into existence, but he is a vocal Christian. He's apparently quite content to believe that a man named Jesus once performed miracles and then died to absolve all humanity of sins that would otherwise send them to hell for all of eternity. He believes this...just because he chooses to. No evidence needed thank you.
Can we be confident that someone who chooses to believe in magic and fairy tales in his personal life will find real solutions to real problems in his professional life? His constituents need evidence-based solutions. But they're working with someone who literally worships a supernatural entity based on nothing but "faith".
Yes, to some degree it's refreshing to have a public official who speaks his mind honestly. It's also unnerving that this person puts stock in a book that instructs us to kill disobedient children (Deuteronomy 21), raped women (Deuteronomy 22), homosexuals (all over the place), and all nonbelievers (Deuteronomy 17).