Comments on: Humanist Thuggery? http://www.safeism.com/blog/index.php/2009/07/humanist-thuggery/ The personal website of James Marwood. I talk about Self Defence, Libertarianism, Atheism, Politics and Cooking. Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:30:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: La Bete http://www.safeism.com/blog/index.php/2009/07/humanist-thuggery/comment-page-1/#comment-1958 La Bete Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:36:38 +0000 http://www.safeism.com/blog/?p=341#comment-1958 The problem here is that one supposed set of morals, that child sex education is good, gets the backing of the state, whilst another, the view of the nutcase in the BHA cartoon, is seen as wrong. I would agree with the assessment of which belief is correct, and which wrong, but I do not think the state, or anyone else, should be able to enforce such views with force. Justifying that by claiming that worse consequences will follow is equally bogus. These consequences only fall on the shoulders of the state, and thus everyone else, because the state decides this shall be so. If people were left to feel the consequences of their actions then there would be a genuine disincentive to act foolishly. As it is... The problem here is that one supposed set of morals, that child sex education is good, gets the backing of the state, whilst another, the view of the nutcase in the BHA cartoon, is seen as wrong. I would agree with the assessment of which belief is correct, and which wrong, but I do not think the state, or anyone else, should be able to enforce such views with force. Justifying that by claiming that worse consequences will follow is equally bogus. These consequences only fall on the shoulders of the state, and thus everyone else, because the state decides this shall be so. If people were left to feel the consequences of their actions then there would be a genuine disincentive to act foolishly. As it is…

]]> By: kit http://www.safeism.com/blog/index.php/2009/07/humanist-thuggery/comment-page-1/#comment-1957 kit Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:25:21 +0000 http://www.safeism.com/blog/?p=341#comment-1957 I think that the argument for the state to intervene to require sex education is greater than evolution v creation. In the former the state gets to pick up the bill for failure in the latter it makes no difference except in attitudes to the former. I'm happy to mock folk for being creationists or but I don't want to pay for their kid's kids. Sure the state is organised violence, it's just a question of which choice is less so in the longer term. I think that the argument for the state to intervene to require sex education is greater than evolution v creation. In the former the state gets to pick up the bill for failure in the latter it makes no difference except in attitudes to the former. I’m happy to mock folk for being creationists or but I don’t want to pay for their kid’s kids.
Sure the state is organised violence, it’s just a question of which choice is less so in the longer term.

]]> By: La Bete http://www.safeism.com/blog/index.php/2009/07/humanist-thuggery/comment-page-1/#comment-1928 La Bete Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:22:20 +0000 http://www.safeism.com/blog/?p=341#comment-1928 It is so annoying that the BHA in particular should resort to this though. It is perhaps not surprising given they have Polly Toynbee as their head, but they really should be above this. Cheers for the article link, I've added it to my instapaper to read later. It is so annoying that the BHA in particular should resort to this though. It is perhaps not surprising given they have Polly Toynbee as their head, but they really should be above this.

Cheers for the article link, I’ve added it to my instapaper to read later.

]]> By: knirirr http://www.safeism.com/blog/index.php/2009/07/humanist-thuggery/comment-page-1/#comment-1927 knirirr Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:53:38 +0000 http://www.safeism.com/blog/?p=341#comment-1927 I share your dismay about the propensity of many people to resort to statist force to spread their views. The view that it is acceptable to use force in this way is incredibly common but it strikes me, to steal an excellent expression I saw elsewhere, as like "being at sea without rudder or compass." Once one accepts that it is moral to use force to change society for good then anything may happen as the definition of what is good is open to change. I read <a href="http://www.countingcats.com/?p=3301" rel="nofollow">this article</a> recently, which I think relevant here as schooling is at least partially to blame for this attitude. I share your dismay about the propensity of many people to resort to statist force to spread their views. The view that it is acceptable to use force in this way is incredibly common but it strikes me, to steal an excellent expression I saw elsewhere, as like “being at sea without rudder or compass.” Once one accepts that it is moral to use force to change society for good then anything may happen as the definition of what is good is open to change.
I read this article recently, which I think relevant here as schooling is at least partially to blame for this attitude.

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