Uncommon Descent Serving The Intelligent Design Community

Me? … A fundamentalist?

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I had not realized that I had become a fundamentalist until several people wrote to me, wondering what had happened.

(Fell? Hit my head?)

Regular readers of this space (devout thanks to both of you) know that I am still a Catholic, and may wish to read the claim and my response, linked below.

[Update: The problem has been fixed! As a kind poster noted at the PostD, it now reads, correctly, “Roman Catholic” in the online version. Now I won’t spend years putting out fires – plus, I can send all those snakes back to Petco and get a refund before something terminally stupid happens.]

Without asking me, a Toronto Star reporter described me as a fundamentalist in a story on the efforts of the Darwin lobby to expand the intelligent design controversy to Canada.

Must the Darwin lobby go down fighting? Why in Canada, for heaven’s sake? And what about the moral problem they involve me in? I’m so much better off if they succeed but the country is so much worse off.

At some point in the spring (not this week, so I haven’t actually thought about it much yet), I must go give a talk to a bunch of small mag editors or the significance of the blogosphere.

Well, here is one significance: A publication – even the mighty Toronto Star can’t just print something like that and then tell me to beggar off. I can access the blogosphere. That IS different.

Also, today at the Post-Darwinist

Here’s a link to a nice review I did of Francis Collins’s book, The Language of God., and I appended another one as well. (If you just need to convince a kid that a scientist doesn’t need to be an atheist, that’s the book … )

Who believes what about origins?:

Here’s a .pdf of an article in the Journal of Geosciences Education, attempting to sort out who believes what about origins.

And, oh, you wonderful denialism.com!!

I have been getting a number of site visits via www.denialism.com, a largely anonymous outfit that views me as some sort of a threat (?) – along with the ID guys and other independent thinkers in various categories.

An engineer speaks out about intelligent design.

Thinkquote of the day: Preserving the status quo in science

Bill Dembski blogged this great Koestler comment before I got around to it, but I am not letting that stop me …

Comments
Sorry about that, Denyse.Designed Jacob
April 5, 2007
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Rude said: "A good rule of thumb is to put your finger to the wind and see what the mob hates most—very often that’s where the truth is." That sounds like words to live by!The Scubaredneck
April 4, 2007
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Fundamentalist, eh? I like Alvin Plantinga’s definition (No. 1 above). When I heard years back that one prominent preacher wished to be known as an evangelical rather than a fundamentalist because of the bad vibes of the latter I decided I’d be a fundamentalist even though I neither belong to nor attend any church. But I do believe in absolutes, mathematical realism, natural law (which is quite Catholic), and the authority and primacy of Scripture. In science we opt for the stronger, riskier position—we can always retract in the face of counter evidence. Somewhere Richard Feinman (don’t have time to look this up) wrote that he had more respect for the religious fundamentalists than for the liberals who would never put forth anything that could be proven wrong. I sense that Denyse despises those snakes too--OK, not the person just the posture. A good rule of thumb is to put your finger to the wind and see what the mob hates most—very often that’s where the truth is.Rude
April 4, 2007
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Bunnies, I hope you all have an excellent Easter. The snakes have been returned to Petco via the Reptile Rescue Association and I am relieved to no longer be a fundamentalist. If I get bitten, it will just be my cat trying to get my attention. - cheers, DenyseO'Leary
April 4, 2007
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The ladies name is DENYSE! For crying out loud. Denyse does a hell of alot of good work around here and we should all be more appreciative of her. Have a good Easter. :)DN
April 4, 2007
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How much would you sell those snakes to me for, Denise? -Jacob, Your Friendly Neighborhood FundamentalistDesigned Jacob
April 4, 2007
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Denyse is a fundie? I guess I need to go find some snakes. That's gonna be a bit of a problem here in Alaska. I wonder what's available at Petco? ROTFLOL!!The Scubaredneck
April 4, 2007
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In ordinary Canadian usage, the term "fundamentalist" would NOT apply to Catholics, zealous or otherwise. In fact, the reporter guessed without asking me, and guessed wrong. If you want to abuse a Catholic, you refer to him/her as "right-wing." He could have done that and left me trying to defend myself as not particularly right wing. As it is, I can ask for a simple correction of fact.O'Leary
April 4, 2007
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These days the term means so many things that it means nothing.Janice
April 4, 2007
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The term also applies to zealots.sajones97
April 4, 2007
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Just wait till they refer to Pope Benedict as one LOL.tribune7
April 3, 2007
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Didn't you know Denyse that the definition of "fundamentalist" is (to paraphrase alvin plantinga) "Anybody who takes thier religion more seriously than the person using the term".Jason Rennie
April 3, 2007
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