tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post1462770522917706088..comments2023-10-26T22:06:11.166+11:00Comments on Metamagician3000: Udo nails it on race and religionRussell Blackfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431324430596809958noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-18414581092149332132010-03-16T08:30:45.513+11:002010-03-16T08:30:45.513+11:00Sorry, to conclude briefly: while we might be awar...Sorry, to conclude briefly: while we might be aware that religion and race are quite separate phenomena, we should perhaps be aware of their cynical conflation by a motley array of intelectually disingenuous bad guys.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05840059127758081545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-29262757134600241542010-03-15T20:17:41.621+11:002010-03-15T20:17:41.621+11:00I kind of agree with the general point, but not fo...I kind of agree with the general point, but not for quite the same reason as Udo. As someone already pointed out on his blog, it's questionable to say that we can <i>choose</i> what to believe; I could no more choose to believe in the literal ttruth of the Bible than I could will my skin to change colour.<br /><br />For me, the principal difference between religion and race lies in its relevance to the sort of circumstances in which we might legitimately discriminate. Whereas skin colour tells us next to nothing of importance about someone, their religion - if they do more than pay it lip-service - will often determine their most important moral values. And what more reasonable basis to decide if I like someone than that? <br /><br />I'd also say that the relationship between racism and religious discrimination is a little more complex in reality than Udo acknowledges here. Groups like the English Defence League are pretty cynically exploiting concerns about fundamentalist Islam to target certain ethnic groups, while anti-Catholicism in Scotland has often been a very close bed-fellow of anti-Irish racism.ColinGavaghannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-40745565025808836812010-03-15T19:20:58.793+11:002010-03-15T19:20:58.793+11:00You're a star, Lisa.You're a star, Lisa.Russell Blackfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12431324430596809958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-64363150223765696692010-03-15T17:30:28.037+11:002010-03-15T17:30:28.037+11:00Done! See the "Latest News" on richardd...Done! See the "Latest News" on richarddawkins.net: http://richarddawkins.net/articles/5257Lisahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02604333162523856250noreply@blogger.com