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Korean Job Discussion Forums "The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
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Sergio Stefanuto
Joined: 14 May 2009 Location: UK
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Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 7:50 pm Post subject: |
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| caniff wrote: |
Sell Out!!! Yaaaaahhhh!!!!
C'mon, though, you don't see a very slippery slope there? I could envision a repressive society (it's not hard to do) that completely controls all communication.
You would rather live like that as long as you were personally secure with some loot to spend? |
Would I live in a prosperous totalitarian state? I do live in one!  |
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Gwangjuboy
Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Location: England
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Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 4:26 am Post subject: |
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| Fox wrote: |
| Things like education, economic prosperity, and so forth seem to increase the chances of people being able to make that leap, and if you were able to keep an entire society educated and prosperous for long enough, I think it's entirely possible you'd end up with a fairly atheistic society. |
I would agree with this, although it is evident that you can be educated, prosperous and religious. I think the key here is distinguishing between the ability to think critically and being educated. A disproportionate number of educated religious people lack the ability to think critically.
Take Christians and Muslims for example. A great number of them are simply incapable of seriously questioning the plausability of the miracles or that Mohammed spoke to an angel in a cave. If you can think critically, then it's just easy; you know that these events are as improbable as L Ron Hubbard's claims. Of course, it doesn't mean these people aren't educated, because they may be able to read and write and even work in the professions, but the emotional stake they have in these beliefs is a barrier to a period of intellectual introspection.
Incidentally, I recall an exchange between Richard Dawkins and a member of the Catholic clergy from the US. It was incredibly civil and intellectually enriching - the latter was the most reasonable religious person I have ever encountered. He was about as close to being agnostic as a member of the clergy could be. If only there were more religious figures as tolerant of athiesm as he was. |
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