"Christianity: Child abuse? A Virus?" OR More of the Christian Persecution Complex

The American Chronicle has an article up, responding to some quotes by our favourite Richard Dawkins. However, while the writer has a lot to say, it's readily apparent that none of it is worth anything. As usual, the author takes quotes and creates ridiculous arguments from them by putting meaning where there is none, all in an attempt to feel persecuted.

If someone had predicted thirty years ago that “gay” marriage would be legalized in some American states (and all across Canada), many in the church would have scoffed at the possibility.

If someone had predicted sixty years ago that prayer, Bible reading and creation would be thrown out of America’s public schools, well, most in the church back then would have also thought it to be ridiculous.

But ... they have happened!

It did?! Oh no. Too bad our government doesn't listen exclusively to "people in the church", although they come pretty damned close...

If America continues on its present course of abandoning the absolute authority of the Word of God...

The "absolute authority of the Word of God" is nowhere in our laws or constitution. In fact, such things are expressly forbidden. Therefore, it's rather hard to abandon something that was never there in the first place.

...and teaching generations of students that they are the result of random natural processes...

Ah the good 'ole "evolution is random" strawman.

Christians who teach their children to believe that God created in six days will have those same children taken away ... and the parents will be arrested for “child abuse.”

Ooh... interesting accusation. Can the author back it up?

The author then quotes Dawkins:

It’s time to question the abuse of childhood innocence with superstitious ideas of hellfire and damnation. And I want to show how the scriptural roots of the Judeo-Christian moral edifice are cruel and brutish.

What in the 21st century are we doing venerating a book (the Bible) that contains such stuff?

I think it's a fair question. As much as fundamentalists cry that Islam is a religion of hate and cry for it to be looked down upon, they seem inherently blind to the bigotry their own scriptures promote.

As you read such comments from atheistic evolutionists, you can see that it can often get quite emotional for them when they attack creation and intelligent design - and get very upset when the arguments against evolution are presented (especially in public school science classes).

Given that there's no legitimate arguments against evolution, I think it's understandably so that we're more than a bit put off by the incessant harping on distortions of reality.

While many secularists say that creation should not be allowed in public school science classes but should be relegated to the religion or philosophy class, a school in California was threatened with a lawsuit because the topic of creation as taught in a new philosophy course. The school dropped the course.

This is another perfect example of giving partial truths that fundamentalists are so fond of that I noted in an earlier post. A school in California did indeed propose to teach an Intelligent Design class as philosophy. However, looking at the proposed syllabus, material, and instructor, it was clear that this entire class was a sham. The teacher had no qualifications and merely wanted to show videos from such groups as Answers in Genesis without enough knowledge to either affirm or refute them. Additionally, the course was extremely one sided and offered no chance to "teach the other side". Ironic that this is what fundamentalists use as their mantra and then quickly abandon.

It was for these reasons that the course was cancelled. Not because Christianity is banned in philosophy classes. Quite the opposite. Many schools offer courses in comparitive religions. Sadly for fundamentalists, they will teach many religions and not just preach Christianity.

Christianity is now marginalized in what was once the greatest Christian nation on earth. And the more control that secularists grab in this nation, the bolder they will become (following Dawkins’ example) in applying their atheistic philosophy - which simply cannot tolerate Christianity and its absolute morality.

Wrong again. What we secularists can't tolerate is fundamentalists imposing that absolute morality on everyone else.

Yes, it could happen one day. ... your children or grandchildren may be accused of child abuse because they teach the Bible to their children.

This was the original argument, but given that the author has failed to connect current times to this, it's a little logical fallacy known as the slippery slope.

Amusingly enough, the article ends off with an unsurprisingly commmon to these types of people, sales pitch:

If you and your children would like to become knowledgeable, informed and really armed with the truth of God’s Word found in Genesis, consider purchasing the many books, DVDs etc, from the many wonderful authors that are available from this very vitally needed and important ministry.

Sorry buddy. I'm not buying.

Also I find the author's bio rather amusing when it states:

Bill has his P.H.D in self-education. It was necessary since his earlier public school education betrayed his potential to think and learn.

I'll just leave that one to speak for itself...