#12105: — 12/29  at  11:21 AM
How do their minds work? Wife and step-daughters were planning a trip south for New Years weekend. Watching weather patterns I recommended flying instead of driving to avoid storms and agreed to watch grandkids so the women could fly. Call to oldest daughter revealed that this was just the opening she had been waiting for because "The Lord" had been telling her is wasnt a good idea to travel, and oh yeah on kid had earache anyway.

So....Factors:

Sick Kid
Bad Weather
Traveling with non-believers uncomfortable
Atheist step-dad changes plans
"Lord" say dont go.

Sometimes, no amount of information is consciously usefull to these people when Jesus can be the reason for everything. She is a nice person, but this kind of stuff scares me, especially when she will use it as an excuse with people she knows dont share her 'belief'. No doubt she has been told that it is her job to keep proclaimer faith in an attempt to convert the rest of us. At some point the dissonance will cause her to simply quit associating with the rest of the family. I have a sister who has similar problems because the rest of us wont shun the lesbian sister and her mate.

It is truly sad what people will do to convince themselves of their beliefs.

#12106: — 12/29  at  11:24 AM
Sorry about the typos ..

'it' wasnt a good idea
'one' kid
'useful'
'proclaiming'

Must get more coffe before posting.

#12109: DarkSyde — 12/29  at  11:51 AM
How do their minds work?

Good question. With your daughter, it sounds like you probably have more knowledge than I DD. In my experience, of course, 'They' are a very diverse group of people. If I choose one randomly from a fundie Blog discussing evolution, one that's not ranting incoherently anyway, what I'd probably get is someone whose mind is not that different from mine, with one exception to most of us regs on this Blog; they're not scientists or interested in science all that much. Most people aren't scientists, and I'm sad to say, most nonscientists are not that into science. We're all fascinated by science in this community. It's inconceivable to me that everyone isn't totally focused on science, considering the gift it bestows on every level, but most folks aren't. Why, I have no idea.

But that random person will be a very serious Christian. That means that their faith, the practices, their community, often their friends and family, in a lot of cases, almost their entire personal world is wrapped in their religion.
So they don't probably don't hold science in the regard I do, and they hold their religion and the activities of it in very high regard. Way higher than anything I have to say. It's really, really, difficult for us to imagine why, assuming you're an atheist science buff like myself anyway. But I have to accept it that these are the facts. No getting around it. To change their priorities is not likely to happen, and it doesn't have much to do, directly, with evolution anyway.
So, when I do come into contact with these folks out in the world, and if I'm going to put in the time to converse with them, which is becoming rarer with every futile, frustrating, endlessly circular and meta-cyclic discussion I have with them, then I make pains on couching everything in terms of if 'can it be compatible with your faith'. When I explain it that way, they at least are open and maybe actually listening. That may not sound like much, but for me, I'm doing good if I can get that far without blowing my top at the 17th explanation that evo=/=abio, or that it's only a theory. So for me this is what passes for success. Because going in they're probably thinking of me like I'm Satan's Minion sent by The Beast to Trick and Deceive them and take away their Children for the Cult.

I think we underestimate how suspicious they are of us. The Creationist Orgs do a pretty good job of conveying the idea that we're all engaged in latent, vague, never quite spelled out but always-there-kinda conspiracy. Or we're hopelessly duped, or that we are lying scumbags who enjoy persecuting them. Those tactics work to set up a defense perimeter between factual sources of knowledge, and the shit they're being fed by the DI Marketing Executives and PR Consultants that make up the body of the Discovery Institute.
It can get a hell of a lot worse, my God much worse, because you get grown men and women who aren't stupid at all, and they've been listening to Hovind. They've bought his videos and sent him money.

#12113: Bill Ware — 12/29  at  01:33 PM
~DS~

There's a wizzbanger going on over at


/www.evangelicaloutpost.com/archives/001094.html#more/

B

#12130: — 12/29  at  06:37 PM
DS,

Your thoughtful comments are all too true. At least in my family we only seem to be losing one per generation down the rabbit hole, so we are more fortunate than most. I expect to find these people in their little corners of the internet. I regret finding them in my family.

And just to get in the spirit, my son and I went and hit golf balls along the bank of the Snake River today. A pleasant way to spend the day. No human sacrifices were performed.

#12149: coturnix — 12/29  at  10:56 PM
More links here:

http://sciencepolitics.blogspot.com/2004/12/idc-blog-craze.html

#12246: — 12/31  at  05:20 PM
DS,

I like your post. I am unfortunately stuck in the bible belt and I am scared that my kids will end up having to learn ID/creationist views. Luckily for now I can move to another state etc.