Friday, August 20, 2004

grab the torch and pitchforks!

Elsewhere... another spat, this time over whether or not the Catholic Church is ever "swayed by science." In response to the statement that it doesn't ever seem to be, I said, "The level of ignorance displayed in that statement is truly shocking."

Now, in retrospect, I realize I could've been a lot nicer about that. I could've said, "Why do you feel that way?" Don't think I would've got far with that one, though, especially considering how the conversation proceeded.

I could've said, "My experience and education have shown me the opposite." That is probably the best route to take, as it's a completely encapsulated response, it's all about what I've done.

However, the basic premise -- that the Church is anti-science -- was so off, and the way that it was just casually thrown out there, as conventional wisdom, something that everyone knows and agrees with -- well, that was a gauntlet that needed to be picked up, IMO.

Of course it all went rapidly downhill thereafter, and now I'm a jerk. Again. Whee!

At least I didn't indulge in any ad hominem attacks. That's what gets me. I say something going against the conventional wisdom, and I get jumped on as being rude, inappropriate, intolerant... but nobody takes the time to think at all about what I said. This is exactly the same thing that disturbed me the last time this happened, and clearly I had not learned my lesson. Maybe now, I have, but in this case? Seriously, I was not going to leave that gauntlet lying there. I'm sick of casual Catholic bashing and this was one instance where I could actually speak up, and I did.

Not sorry about that, not one bit. Sad and sorry about how things went from there, yeah. Disappointed.

I'll get over it.

No comments: