tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25444336.post6513512842498303608..comments2023-11-30T05:21:22.162-05:00Comments on A Good Choice . . .: Green Religion: Doing the Work of the DevilSamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06170045314784937027noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25444336.post-76936768264803178722009-11-19T21:45:54.844-05:002009-11-19T21:45:54.844-05:00Yes, but the UN Convention on the Rights of a Chil...Yes, but the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child, if adopted, would undermine parental rights to effectively teach their children according to their own beliefs. (As if this hadn't been done enough by our own politicians!) The cap and trade bill would further financially strap parents the ability to pay for private schooling by giving them a huge tax increase. There is a legitimate connection, even if the author didn't explain it very well.Matthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06350789459459006763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25444336.post-48232456353301720102009-11-17T08:46:44.804-05:002009-11-17T08:46:44.804-05:00This is, by adult standards, an incoherent rant. I...This is, by adult standards, an incoherent rant. If one of my students wrote something this disorganized and disconnected -- no matter what the subject -- he would get a very bad grade indeed. No degree of grammatical correctness can make up for writing with thought that lacks coherence and connection.<br /><br />First, this starts out making up a new term of its own "green religion" -- without explaining or defining or offering any argument to support this idea. Then it immediately veers away from religion to, of all people, Al Gore. Then it veers randomly through the brainfolds of the author into his bad memories of pea soup. Then we jump to some article from some rightwing source about the United Nations.<br /><br />No real connection between these things is established at all; in fact, no attempt is even made. Indeed, no justification, explanation, argumentation or evidence is ever offered: just stream-of-consciousness zip-zapping. Instead of argumentation, we get guilt-by-association. Except the only association or connection that is ever made is in the author's head; it's all about the author's random brain-firings.<br /><br />The rest of this "article" continues in the same fashion. The rightwing source quoted is so extremist as to be laughable: "If the United Nations has its way, Jesus won't be found in church anymore..."! This sounds PRECISELY like the PARODIES of rightwing extremism I have encountered now and then. In fact, I very seriously suspect that it IS a parody, or at best a slanderous fake article planted by someone who wants to make the religious right look febble-minded and childish. <br /><br />Yet the author presents this as if he has no idea how laughably silly and wacko such an idea is for rational, moderate adults! And again, he does so with no context, no explanation, no attempt at actually arguing for such a weird idea is even attmepted. Just simple declaration. After all, if God directly beams "the Truth" into your mind, I guess you don't need to explain yourself -- or even speak in rational terms.<br /><br />After that, we randomly veer into church bells (church bells?!) and swing around some more ranting and end up with -- of all things -- cap and trade marketplace (vs. strict regulatory) approach to environmental control. Again, nothing prepares us for this. What possible connection there might be between cap-and-trade proposals, Jesus, pea soup and church bells is never laid out. Again, there is no attempt even at connection, evidence, argumentation. <br /><br />Just ranting. Nothing more.kwickerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08154087476080027111noreply@blogger.com