Monday, January 26, 2009

Exactly who should be offended?

"Warning: This Message Contains Blocked ContentSome content in this message has been reported as abusive by Facebook users."

Over at Facebook, I tried to post a link to a site I feel is of great value, but was unable to do so, as it seems some Facebookians have apparently reported the site as "offensive".

Wonderful. Also painfully typical. Apparently the folks over at Facebook investigate such claims as thoroughly as they believe breastfeeding is natural. Shame they aren't equally vigilant about those racist frat parties.

The site is called The Rejection of Pascal's Wager: A Skeptics Guide to Christianity. Ooo, watch out for those scary ideas!! Wouldn't want people to...*gulp*...think!!

For those who aren't familiar, Pascal's Wager is that "clever" little bit of pseudo-logic that theists chuck around wantonly, whilst patting themselves on the backs and beaming with supercilious ostentation, that goes a little something like "wouldn't you rather BELIEVE and be wrong than NOT believe and be wrong?" This was suggested by Blaise Pascal in 1657, and had respective variants by Muslim Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni and Hindu Vararuci.

Problem is it's myopic, unbelievably arrogant, and a blatant example of a false dichotomy. Anybody who's ever thought this was intellectual checkmate—or even a philosophical stumbling block—for more than a brief second...well, let me be kind.

The immediate response should be to ask "which god/s?" Obviously the one/s with the most severe punishment (start facing Mecca). Shortly thereafter we should question the validity of the assumption that believing does no harm. I for one feel that limiting my mind and living in guilt and fear are bad things, but that's just me.

Anyway, I wonder if I'm going to to be marked as offensive? Even more so, I wonder if they'd listen if I found certain sites offensive?

Oh, well. Just a small taste of the rampant Christian privilege that's out there—benefiting the very same folk who are claiming they're the ones who are oppressed.

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