On dangerous grounds...

desiderata.truth

MAN has always wondered about the origin of the species called Homo sapiens.
In school for preliminary introduction to Biolological Sciences, and for General Paper debates, the subjects won't stray far from the two opposing schools of thought -- Darwinism and God's Creation.

One quite fresh Reader to Desi's Place who intrigued me is humbly calling himself dreamer idiot -- quite a good combo because in my mind, there is almost an overlap of genius, by necessity a dreamer, and insanity, by necessity a neighbour of idiocy.

And so when we go into the realm of God and the world's origins, it's often the thought terrains of dreamers and the insane -- okay, the more refined deem themselves philosophers and mad scientists.

Let's detour to a news agency item I sighted yesterday:

Pat Robertson Warns Pa. Town of Disaster



VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson warned residents of a rural Pennsylvania town Thursday that disaster may strike there because they "voted God out of your city" by ousting school board members who favored teaching intelligent design.

All eight Dover, Pa., school board members up for re-election were defeated Tuesday after trying to introduce "intelligent design" — the belief that the universe is so complex that it must have been created by a higher power — as an alternative to the theory of evolution.

"I'd like to say to the good citizens of Dover: If there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to God. You just rejected him from your city," Robertson said on the Christian Broadcasting Network's "700 Club."

Eight families had sued the district, claiming the policy violates the constitutional separation of church and state. The federal trial concluded days before Tuesday's election, but no ruling has been issued.

Later Thursday, Robertson issued a statement saying he was simply trying to point out that "our spiritual actions have consequences."

"God is tolerant and loving, but we can't keep sticking our finger in his eye forever," Robertson said. "If they have future problems in Dover, I recommend they call on Charles Darwin. Maybe he can help them."

Robertson made headlines this summer when he called on his daily show for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

In October 2003, he suggested that the State Department be blown up with a nuclear device. He has also said that feminism encourages women to "kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians."


I had said this field of God and Faith is one I fear to tread. But I do think there is some usefulness in departing occasionally from the safe territory.

Taking my stance forward in government, it's my faith that there should indeed by the Separation of Church and State. Someone did us Malaysians bad by pronouncing not long ago that Malaysia is an "Islamic state". This contradicts the federal Constitutional provisions, in letter and in spirit. Yet, civil society consciousness here is at such an infancy stage that it did not generate enough hue and cry for a firm stance to be re-stated in Parliament that Malaysia is a secular state with a constitional monarch.

Hence in the US scenario, I believe the reverend Paterson was patently wrong to insist that the schools must incorporate the "intelligent design" school of study as compulsory teaching on top of the science discipline instructing Darwinism. It's not Desi's stand here on the validity of either of the two. It's just that I believe Religious education -- ideally multi-faith -- should best be left to proper institutions like the Church, Temple or Mosque, and the immediate (qualified) guardians/family of any child.

I advocate this in Malaysia, I advocate it as the right and suitable option for any socalled democracies of the world.

What I detest about Robertson is his "condemning" others who did not adopt his beliefs as justly deserving the wrath of God in the worst scenario -- disasters like tsunami or earthquake, eh? As for his calls to assasinate another country's head of state, and preaching other internationally unacceptable actions, hey, Robertson, you're akin deserving of the advice: Physician, Heal Thyself!
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