In New Zealand there has never been a debate of any magnitude over the facticity of evolution. Government schools assume evolutionism to be both scientific and true truth; those who believe in the biblical doctrine of creation are entitled to their opinions, as long as they don't bring them into the school.
A bunch of smears usually attend this concession to freedom of opinion: the creationists are framed by liberals anti-scientific; they are ignorant; they believe in ancient myths not truth, etc. In the United States, whilst all these realities play out in slightly different ways, the realities are the same. But there is a key difference. The creationists have more grunt, more scholarship, more research, and more flexibility in the school systems in some parts of that country than has ever been the case in New Zealand.
What this debate has shown up, however, is something unintended by the secularists. It exposes their intolerance. Whilst formally believing in freedom of speech, or liberty of conscience, or liberties of religious belief, they insist on excluding or shutting down all contrary doctrines when it comes to the origin of the world. It is evolutionism's way or the high way: Christian fundamentalists must get on their bikes and get out of town.
Christian parents in the US have reacted in many cases to the imposition of ancient pagan doctrines (which evolutionism represents) via the school system. The secular liberals slur Christians as ignorant; but Christians view the establishment as deliberately steering their children into a false idolatry, using the power of the State.
Secular liberalism has shown itself profoundly intolerant in this matter (which is contrary to its own self-image).
Liberalism is curiously intolerant of what certainly may be viewed as a classic case of conscience interposed before the authority of the state. Nor have the consciences of the protestors [Christians] been formed without any thought. They understand quite well that the hermeneutic they have chosen has interpretive implications, not just for the Bible, for for the entire natural world, and devout literalists understand and accept them. The creationist parents are not a superstitious rabble. They are independent thinkers who insist on a right to their own means for seeking knowledge of the world, and they deny the right of the state to tell their children that their worldview is wrong. [Stephen L. Carter, "Evolutionism, Creationism, and Treating Religion As a Hobby," Duke Law Journal No. 6 (December, 1978), p.981.]This profound hostility evident in liberalism is of great interest in that it exposes the dirty undergarments of secularism. Doubtless if the issue were, say, trans-genderism being taught in schools, as increasingly is the case, liberalism may tolerate both sides being taught (at least for a while). After all, there is strong scientific weight to reject the ideology of trans-genderism. Liberalism is supposed to be science-centric. But increasingly the political and legal authorities in the United States, from the President on down, have publicly endorsed and promoted the ideology of trans-genderism, where one's gender is determined by what one thinks it may be, not on biological or genetic grounds whatsoever.
One sees very little in the United States of the liberal establishment jumping up and down and insisting that trans-genderism be rejected from the curricula in the nation's schools because it is inconsistent with the facts--the scientific facts. Rather, the establishment is celebrating the freedom and liberties associated with conscience and belief.
What is becoming more evident by the day is that liberals in the United States are not really interested in science at all. They are only interested in a scientific view if it can be used as a cudgel to reshape and control society according to the dictates of its own secularist religion--facts and sciences be damned.
The slogan liberals used to use against Christians was, "You are entitled to your own opinions, but not your own facts." In the public square it's facts only, not ideology, nor superstitions. But when it comes to the ideology of transgenderism or abortion, suddenly the scientific facts are of no relevance in the debate. The opinions and wishes of participants, practitioners, and advocates are everything.
The masks of liberalism are being torn off. They are wedded to deeply held religious convictions about the world, the flesh and the devil. All along they have misused the mask of "science" to oppress their opponents. But it has only been a subterfuge. Overnight the liberals want, not only their own opinions, but their own facts as well. Creationists worked this out about the liberals a long time ago.
The secular religion of liberalism will tolerate competing and opposing religions only if those views remain as private hobbies, whilst secularism is imposed upon the lives and consciences of all. This is what liberals means by "liberty of conscience". When liberals use the term they mean, "liberty for me; controls and imposition for everyone else."
Liberals may first appear washed in rosewater. But there is nothing in this world so intolerant as a secular liberal. Smelly undergarments indeed.
No comments:
Post a Comment