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I suspect that one of the reasons why there is so much ignorance and stupidity in the world is people tend to glamorize others as all being God's creates and believe that everyone is smart and talented in their own way. They call anyone concerned about ignorance a bigot. I believe in a harsher reality and feel that many people on this Earth provide little for society.
Who's glamorizing? Do you feel someone has called you a bigot? Sounds a little defensive.
In defense of blue62's post, I agre with her post. IQ tests are culturally biased, and educated people are not automatically the most moral/ethical. Nor should a person's occupation be basis for judging whether they contribute to society.
Not sure where you are going with your post, but why do you believe there "is so much ignorance and stupidity in the world?" Do you feel there is a religous reason for it?
When you say ignorant and stupid people, are you referring to homeless, drug abusers, criminals or just every day idiots who are scum of the earth? Help us out here.
Do you see auto mechanics as a smart? Most mechanics are not college "edumicated", and shun the hallowed halls of academia, yet their cigar chompin, butt scratchin, uncouth, foul mouithed wonders keep our society on wheels.
Is the OP calling for both secular and religious causal/correlational reasons?
Unfortunately, some of the most stupid and ignorant people in this world are the religious. Look at the harm excessive fundamentalism in all religions have caused through out history.....the Crusades, Holocaust, 9/11, etc. Heck, look at Northern Ireland, Christians killing each other basically over whether Mary was a virgin or not. Seems rather stupid and ignorant to me. Especially more so being a believer. I never recall Jesus telling his followers to kill people in His name
Unfortunately, some of the most stupid and ignorant people in this world are the religious. Look at the harm excessive fundamentalism in all religions have caused through out history.....the Crusades, Holocaust, 9/11, etc. Heck, look at Northern Ireland, Christians killing each other basically over whether Mary was a virgin or not. Seems rather stupid and ignorant to me. Especially more so being a believer. I never recall Jesus telling his followers to kill people in His name
Well put!
I agree with you in the sense that throughout history, it seems like a particular group of people have been atracted to the most radical and fundamentalist forms of religion.
You can call them stupid, ignorant, or whatever. I prefer to think in terms of psychological development. The more disconnected a person is from reality, the more they attach themselves to extreme forms of religion.
Another thing, the ignorant in the world (meaning people who lack education) seem to be attracted to some religions more than those who are educated.
Example: An evangelist goes to the jungles of south america and easily convinces people that their misery will be terminated by a supernatural being called god that soon will judge the world.
The same evangelist tries to convince a Harvard graduate from the school of medicine...and the rest is history for the evangelist.
Unfortunately, some of the most stupid and ignorant people in this world are the religious. Look at the harm excessive fundamentalism in all religions have caused through out history.....the Crusades, Holocaust, 9/11, etc. Heck, look at Northern Ireland, Christians killing each other basically over whether Mary was a virgin or not. Seems rather stupid and ignorant to me. Especially more so being a believer. I never recall Jesus telling his followers to kill people in His name
All due respect, your claims of historyical events there is fairly ignorant.
The Crusades had little to do with fundamentalism of any sort --- religious or otherwise. Some folks cloaked their cause in religion, but the big impetus behind the Crusades was economics.
How on earth did religious fundamentalism cause the Holocaust??? Are you really claiming that the Nazis were religious fundamentalists?
9/11 is iffy. Again, the actions were cloaked and justified in religious overtones, but al Qaeda isn't mad at us for religious reasons. They want us out of Saudi Arabia. And why are we there? Are we busily converting the Muslim world? No. We're there for the oil, plain and simple. Again, it's economics.
The Troubles in Northern Ireland were primarily economic. The lines tended to fall along religious lines, but the motivation (dating back to Henry VIII) were entirely economic and political, not religious. It had absolutely nothing to due with Mary. That claim is entirely absurd.
I agree with you in the sense that throughout history, it seems like a particular group of people have been atracted to the most radical and fundamentalist forms of religion.
You can call them stupid, ignorant, or whatever. I prefer to think in terms of psychological development. The more disconnected a person is from reality, the more they attach themselves to extreme forms of religion.
Another thing, the ignorant in the world (meaning people who lack education) seem to be attracted to some religions more than those who are educated.
Example: An evangelist goes to the jungles of south america and easily convinces people that their misery will be terminated by a supernatural being called god that soon will judge the world.
The same evangelist tries to convince a Harvard graduate from the school of medicine...and the rest is history for the evangelist.
Okay people who are religious in your opinion are ignorant (meaning uneducated in your opinion) So tell me, why are you here in the R&P forum?Oh, by the way I know some people from the Harvard School of Medicine..They are Christians..Oh, you may want to talk to my husband..He has a PHD in mathmatics..Would you like to discuss intelligent higher math with him?? ..But let me warn you that my h is also very very fundamental in his beliefs and can talk that talk also..Then there is my cousin in California who has a PHD in Marine Biology, who is a devout Catholic..
then there is me, just a Kentucky Hillbilly but pretty well read..and a firm believer that God loves even you...
Last edited by Miss Blue; 12-26-2007 at 09:25 PM..
Reason: delete content
it is easy to classify people as ignorant and stupid, but when you do so youre guilty of ignorance. you are unaware of what they think. you are unaware of how they think. you are unaware of what evidence they've found. words and actions are limiting.
as to a religious reason to why there are so many ignorant and stupid people it is because we all are ignorant. life is a learning process.
Maybe God knows we need people like this to get the unpleasant tasks done. There will always be a need for people who are not so bright who enjoy menial work and God creates a share of all types of people.
"Menial work." Hmmmm. I seem to recall a wonderful movie entitled "Good Will Hunting."
You'll never look at janitors washing the floors in the same way ever again...
I don't think I could call someone who is a believer "ignorant" or "stupid". I do understand what was meant by ignorant (uneducated in this sense) people typically believing and I think that it was probably a poor choice of wording and not meant to be derogatory.
However, I do think that what happens with religion is those that are typically ignorant cause major problems for religion. I've always felt that ignorance breeds hatred and so when a group of people are inclined to believe that they have the 'one true' answer problems may occur. A lot of problems are caused in the name of religion because of a misunderstanding (either willful or ignorant) of other people's beliefs.
I watched a show the other night called "In the Name of God". It was very interesting, and I think a lot of the believer's on here would have liked it. It wasn't a secular video by any means. Instead, it was a documentary on the 12 largest religious leaders in the world. The Pope, the leader of the Southern Baptist (Fellowship???), a Hindu leader, Shinto, the Head of the Anglican Church, Dalai Lama, etc... One of the most profound things that ALL of them said in regards to why religion has caused so many problems is because of ignorance. I think it was actually a Muslim cleric who said that- and this isn't a direct quote "We must continue to have friendly, noncombative debate amongst one another. Debate breeds understanding and kills ignorance." I have to admit, even as an atheist, these were profound words and I think just on this forum there's a lot that can be said for that.
Edit: I don't want to go too far off here, but I think Borat did a fantastic job of showing just how ignorant we Americans can be at times. Especially such as with our religious/political ideologies. It's so easy for us to sit back and laugh at his antics, but when you really see how ignorant people were to him you just have to shake your head and go "Man, he made a fool of us."
Do you see auto mechanics as a smart? Most mechanics are not college "edumicated", and shun the hallowed halls of academia, yet their cigar chompin, butt scratchin, uncouth, foul mouithed wonders keep our society on wheels.
You know someone's going to call you on this so let it be me....my boyfriend of many years has been an auto mechanic all his life, has the best personal hygiene and diction of anyone I have ever met, speaks two languages, one of them the most difficult out there to learn, and can hold his own in conversations on the economy and world events far better than most I know. He did not complete college, and makes $75,000 a year, more than many college grads I know the same age as he. He has never smoked and treats all people with respect of every race and religion and culture.
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Do you feel someone has called you a bigot? Sounds a little defensive. 
