Uncommon Descent Serving The Intelligent Design Community

Hatred of Religion By Materialists More Virulent Than Previously Thought Possible

Share
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Print
Email

See update at the end of this post.

In the comment section to the last post Bill Dembski alluded to an NSF staffer who attempted to justify surfing porn at work.  The staffer’s justification:  he was only trying to help provide a living to poor overseas women. Denyse O’Leary suggested that if this loser had really wanted to help poor women overseas he could have made a donation to any of the various religious orders that actually help poor women overseas instead of participating in ensnaring them in sexual slavery. Dembski responded by posing tongue-in-cheek the following question:

Denyse, You raise an interesting question for Richard Dawkins: If we had to choose one or the other, helping “poor overseas women” by (1) frequenting at taxpayer’s expense porn sites that pay these women a cut, the porn sites presumably constituting a purely secular activity or by (2) donating money to Catholic/Protestant charities that care for these women by providing shelter, food, and medical care, these charities constituting a religious activity, which should we prefer? I suspect RD, given his virulent hatred of religion, would opt for (1).

At least Dembski thought the question was tongue-in-cheek. Who could have expected the reply from someone who calls himself Seversky? First Seversky defended pornography on the ground that it has been around a long time. Seversky, rape, murder, and theft have been around for a long time too; does that make you in favor of those activities as well?

Then Seversky  takes a swipe at Christians who have caused scandals by falling to sexual sin. I suppose Seversky is pushing the risible notion that these handful of failures are somehow representative of the hundreds of millions of Christians who strive daily to live lives marked by adherence to the Golden Rule.

But Seversky’s defense of porn and his attempt to smear millions both pale in comparison to this gob-smacking passage: “I cannot speak for Richard Dawkins but I know I would prefer to give to those that do not include proselytization [sic] as part of their program.”

 There you have it. Our opponents count among their number a man who would rather see a young woman live in sexual slavery if that’s what it takes to insulate her from the influence of Christians who would try to help her. After I picked myself up from the floor, my first inclination was to delete the comment and ban this moral monster from the site. Then, I thought better of it. Instead, of deleting the comment, I will put it out there for everyone in the world to see. And I say this to our opponents who appear at this site: How do you answer Dembski’s question? Do you agree with Seversky? If not, will you remain silent or will you come on here and distance yourself from the views he expressed?

Update:  As I write this 27 comments have been made.  As I expected, the materialists have stood by their man Seversky, mainly by advancing patently absurd interpretations of his comments.  And they’ve even attacked me, also as expected.  Pathetic.  Again, I was tempted to delete their comments, but I will not.  Instead, I will leave their moral squalor on display for all to see.

41 comments now and still not one materialist has condemned Seversky’s views.  Astounding.

Comments
Barb, I really am trying to wrap my brain around Seversky’s comments about porn being okay since it’s been around for a long time and how seeing a woman living as a sexual slave is also okay... Can you show me where those comments are? I don't see anything like that in the one comment Mr. Arrington identified, nor do I see any others in which Seversky says anything remotely like what you say. ...but I’m afraid my mother raised me right and I just can’t. Did she raise you rightly enough that you would apologize for accusing him of approving of rape? As I see it, you've said a terrible thing and entirely unjustified thing about him. What makes that right? What do you do if it's wrong?Learned Hand
October 4, 2009
October
10
Oct
4
04
2009
10:15 AM
10
10
15
AM
PDT
Mr. Arrington, What an appalling and dishonest post. You wantonly mischaracterize Seversky’s comment. Seversky: Whether we like it or not, pornography seems to have been a by-product of human sexuality at least since recorded history began. Societies have, at various times, indulged it or tried to suppress it. Neither approach stopped it. BA: First Seversky defended pornography on the ground that it has been around a long time. Seversky, rape, murder, and theft have been around for a long time too; does that make you in favor of those activities as well? Seversky is not defending pornography. He is observing that it has been around for a long time, and is difficult to suppress. At no point does he make a moral judgment in favor or pornography. His point appears to be a criticism of the implied connection between the subject’s position as an NSF staffer and his misdeeds, not a defense of those deeds. We can see this from his next paragraph: Nor has religious affiliation been as successful at immunizing believers against sexual misbehavior as its adherents like to believe. In other words, the institutions of science and the institutions of ID are both staffed with human beings, with human failings. At no point does Seversky “defend[] pornography.” You bizarrely continue: Then Seversky takes a swipe at Christians who have caused scandals by falling to sexual sin. I suppose Seversky is pushing the risible notion that these handful of failures are somehow representative of the hundreds of millions of Christians who strive daily to live lives marked by adherence to the Golden Rule. Seversky’s point is exactly the opposite of what you imply. In fact, he explicitly refers to “a few Catholic priests” (emphasis added). He does not suggest in any way that the failings of a few are extensible to the many; it appears, in fact, to be entirely contrary to his point. You smear Seversky referring to his “defense of porn and his attempt to smear millions,” but neither is supported by his actual words, which you fail to provide for your readers. Your post is a deeply misleading and unfair attack, Mr. Arrington. But it peaks with your astonishingly crass accusation that Seversky “would rather see a young woman live in sexual slavery if that’s what it takes to insulate her from the influence of Christians who would try to help her.” Nothing in his comment suggests this. He says that he “would prefer to give to those that do not include proselytization as part of their program” (emphasis original). He does not say that he refuses to give to such programs in the absence of a preferred alternative, and your assumption that this is so is both unwarranted and uncivil. There is certainly no cause for calling the man a “moral monster.” The only moral failing I see in this chain is yours, in wantonly and brazenly mischaracterizing Seversky’s comment. I recall that you are an attorney, sir, and that disappoints me. I have always believed that the reputation of lawyers as men who are careless with the truth was misconceived and unfair, given our uniquely fiduciary roles, but you give life to the stereotype. If any post ever deserved to be swallowed by the Uncommon Descent memory hole, it is this vicious, barbaric, and utterly unjustified attack. If you disagree, I ask you to point out where, exactly, Seversky “defended” pornography, and where he said that he would prefer to see women raped than subjected to religion. I would rather see you muster the decency to offer a sincere apology, but I doubt it will happen; I suspect rather that both Seversky and myself will be silently banned to protect your twisted slurs.Learned Hand
October 4, 2009
October
10
Oct
4
04
2009
10:11 AM
10
10
11
AM
PDT
Seversky writes:
“As for charitable donations, I cannot speak for Richard Dawkins but I know I would prefer to give to those that do not include proselytization [sic] as part of their program.”
Barry responds:
Our opponents count among their number a man who would rather see a young woman live in sexual slavery if that’s what it takes to insulate her from the influence of Christians who would try to help her.
Umm, is there some other comment from Seversky that hasn't seen the light of day? Because, try as I might, I cannot twist Seversky's statement regarding his choice of charitable organization to arrive at Barry's inference regarding him. I see nothing more than S. saying his preference is for secular charities. I certainly don't see anything that remotely could be construed as support for sexual slavery.quaggy
October 4, 2009
October
10
Oct
4
04
2009
10:11 AM
10
10
11
AM
PDT
"my first inclination was to delete the comment and ban this moral monster from the site. Then, I thought better of it. Instead, of deleting the comment, I will put it out there for everyone in the world to see" A good choice!! Exellent example of tolerance. i.e letting the individual have his/her say, yet engaging with his/her idea. Can we find such example from people like Dawkins?? Me think Behe might want to answer this question, given the fact that Dawkin keep on distorting his argument.T. lise
October 4, 2009
October
10
Oct
4
04
2009
09:58 AM
9
09
58
AM
PDT
If I want rabid, Christian-hating atheist whargarrbl, I generally go to Fark.com, not Uncommon Descent. Wow...just wow. I really am trying to wrap my brain around Seversky's comments about porn being okay since it's been around for a long time and how seeing a woman living as a sexual slave is also okay, but I'm afraid my mother raised me right and I just can't. The next time someone posts, "Hey, atheists have morals too!" point them to Seversky's post and reply, "Oh, really?"Barb
October 4, 2009
October
10
Oct
4
04
2009
09:51 AM
9
09
51
AM
PDT
Hmmm, I read Seversky's comment more charitably (no pun intended). It sounded to me as if (s)he prefers to give to charitable donations that do [I]not[/I] proselytize - as opposed to those that [I]do[/I] proselytize.Monastyrski
October 4, 2009
October
10
Oct
4
04
2009
09:39 AM
9
09
39
AM
PDT
1 3 4 5

Leave a Reply