Post by Dr. Waldorf X on May 3, 2010 18:31:05 GMT -5
So, there's this guy that I sometimes get into politics with at work. He's one of the most strongly conservative people I've ever met. While many of the subjects we discuss I do find that he does know what he's talking about, there are a few that continue to confound me. for example, he's a birther. Enough said there and not the reason I'm posting this.
Now getting to the meat of subject. He has asked me and another co-worker for evidence that our founding fathers were deists, claiming that they were all conservative Christians that would be disgusted by the lack of God in the school system. As you can probably guess, he thinks that freedom of religion isn't the blatantly obvious "believe whatever you want to believe", but rather he thinks that it means the government is supposed to try to convert people to Christianity. I temporarily shut him up on the subject with the Treaty of Tripoli, though I'm sure he's going to counter with the same fundie BS that is always used. So, I ask, my fellow FSTDTers, for some suggestions on how to continue my counterargument.
Now, there's another reason for posting and the reason for title of the thread. Last night, I explain to him that I want to see a world without violence and without a need for weapons (he also countered my co-worker's stance on gun control with something along the lines of "you're over 18 and therefor a member of the Kansas militia and you don't have an automatic weapon?"). His response to my reasoning is, as closely quoted as I can remember:
"In order to have a world without violence, you'd have to change the heart of man and I only know of one person who can change the heart of man and that's Jesus Christ. So why don't you want God in the schools again? Think about that." Because, apparently, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus and some Pagans don't argue that their religion can change the "heart of man," nor can an optimistic view of human decency.
Now getting to the meat of subject. He has asked me and another co-worker for evidence that our founding fathers were deists, claiming that they were all conservative Christians that would be disgusted by the lack of God in the school system. As you can probably guess, he thinks that freedom of religion isn't the blatantly obvious "believe whatever you want to believe", but rather he thinks that it means the government is supposed to try to convert people to Christianity. I temporarily shut him up on the subject with the Treaty of Tripoli, though I'm sure he's going to counter with the same fundie BS that is always used. So, I ask, my fellow FSTDTers, for some suggestions on how to continue my counterargument.
Now, there's another reason for posting and the reason for title of the thread. Last night, I explain to him that I want to see a world without violence and without a need for weapons (he also countered my co-worker's stance on gun control with something along the lines of "you're over 18 and therefor a member of the Kansas militia and you don't have an automatic weapon?"). His response to my reasoning is, as closely quoted as I can remember:
"In order to have a world without violence, you'd have to change the heart of man and I only know of one person who can change the heart of man and that's Jesus Christ. So why don't you want God in the schools again? Think about that." Because, apparently, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus and some Pagans don't argue that their religion can change the "heart of man," nor can an optimistic view of human decency.