Editor,
In Internet-speak, there is a term for someone who tries to plant the seed of a flamewar simply for the satisfaction of getting the masses all riled up: a "troll." Mariano Grinbank is clearly a troll. His letter on "atheist-evolution" is written with so much bile and fanaticism that its desire to incite a Daily Lobo flamewar couldn't be more apparent.
So, instead of denying him the satisfaction, I will fall for it hook, line and sinker. Mariano lists a multitude of wars, which he blames, rightfully in many circumstances, on politics. But he draws a connection between these political confrontations and atheistic-evolution. Excuse me? How does atheism, and attitude about God, or evolution, a field of science, relate to politics?
What's up with the term "atheistic-evolution" anyway? Mariano uses it four times in his letter. He clearly thinks these two ideas are one and the same, despite the millions of religious people throughout the world who realize the futility of denying evolution and have found ways of reconciling it comfortably with their religious beliefs. Mariano accuses David Morin of being zealous. I would argue that one of the first signs of a zealot is making all-encompassing categorizations for the purpose of vilifying groups of people.
I loath even bringing up abortion, but since Mariano claims it is backed by atheism and evolution, I am forced to ask how he has come to such an absurd conclusion.
Mariano argues that a Christian performing an evil deed is acting against their own religion but an atheist or an evolutionist doing so is not.
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You are wrong.
A Christian who commits a deplorable act is acting precisely according to their religious beliefs as they have interpreted them from Christianity. They do not represent other Christians, but they do represent their own version of Christianity. It's time for Christianity (and all other religions) to start accepting responsibility for the actions of their followers instead of trying to dodge the bullet of accusation.
On a final note, Mariano says an atheist's religion is psychology, his gods are Freud and his professors, his textbooks are his bible and his faith is blind.
I can't speak for atheists, seeing as I am agnostic, but psychology isn't a religion. It has no concept of a God, or a higher moral law, and says nothing about the nature of the universe or the afterlife, all qualities of religion. Freud and professors aren't gods. A teacher is not, despite popular opinion, someone who fills your head with information.
A teacher is someone who shows you how to think so you can figure out the answers for yourself. Textbooks, unlike the bible, contain testable claims.
As for blind faith, atheists argue quite strongly that they have no faith.
How can a nonexistent thing have a quality such as blindness or any other quality for that matter?
You are the zealot Mariano. You ask us to reconsider our beliefs. I ask you to reconsider yours.
Keith Wiley
Computer science graduate student
