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Famed author takes on Kansas: Rushdie bemoans role of religion in public life
Lawrence Journal-World ^ | 10/7/5 | Sophia Maines

Posted on 10/08/2005 5:29:47 AM PDT by Crackingham

Citizens of the world should be concerned about religious extremism whether it’s in Iran or America, says author Salman Rushdie, who was once marked for death by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini.

Rushdie compared the emergence of religion into public life in Kansas with similar movements across the world in a lecture Thursday at the Lied Center.

“I would really love never to mention that word again: religion,” Rushdie said. “But now it seems to be coming right at us all. I don’t just mean radical Islam, by the way. I believe we have some problems right here.”

Rushdie received a standing ovation after the lecture, in which he revealed his thoughts on writing and receiving death threats and also blasted religion, intelligent design and the best-selling book “The Da Vinci Code.”

SNIP

Rushdie told the crowd that religion has much potential to do harm in the world today.

“It’s a pretty bad time for us who don’t believe that superstition should rule the world,” he said.

When asked how rationalism could win the fight against religion, Rushdie said with ridicule, argument and battle. When he was young, the 58-year-old said, he and others thought they’d won the battle. So they turned their heads.

We were “so busy having fun that all the uncool people took over the world,” he said.

And this superstition needs to be pushed back in the cupboard where it belongs, he said. Rushdie also blasted intelligent design proponents.

“I never had any doubts about evolution theory,” he said. “I gather there are parts of Kansas where the big bang did not take place.”


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; US: Kansas
KEYWORDS: antitheist; chirstianity; creationism; crevolist; evolution; intelligentdesign; religion; rushdie; secularists
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To: Crackingham

This guy is the ACLU's poster boy


21 posted on 10/08/2005 6:10:17 AM PDT by SAMS (Nobody loves a soldier until the enemy is at the gate; Army Wife & Marine Mom)
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Comment #22 Removed by Moderator

To: ElipticalAmigo
I see religious people killing those who don't believe what they do far more likely then secularists killing people because they are religous.

Then you must have slept through the 20th Century. Various brands of Communists and Socialists—all avowed secularists—murdered on the order of 100 million people. In some parts of the world they continue to do so.

You may argue, as some have, that Comunnism and National Socialism are themselves religions. They certainly deal with religious questions: Does God exist? (Their answer is no.) Is there life after death? (Again, they say no.) What is the purpose of life? (To serve the State.) But that only goes to show that Rushdie and his ilk are wrong when they say that mankind can eliminate religion. If men do not know God, they will fashion their own gods to worship.

23 posted on 10/08/2005 6:11:53 AM PDT by Logophile
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Comment #24 Removed by Moderator

To: ElipticalAmigo
Hiter was a catholic, Stalin was training to be a priest but was ejected from the church because of his political leanings.

Yeah sure. Madeline Murray O'Hare was Catholic, Pol Pot was Buddhist and Mao ZeDong was a Confucian.

25 posted on 10/08/2005 6:14:43 AM PDT by A. Pole (For today's Democrats abortion and "gay marriage" are more important that the whole New Deal legacy.)
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To: ElipticalAmigo
Your original statement in post 6 was about "religious people"' not pseudo-religious people.
Nice try.
26 posted on 10/08/2005 6:16:25 AM PDT by labette (Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.)
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To: ElipticalAmigo

I think you summed that up nicely.


27 posted on 10/08/2005 6:16:31 AM PDT by mlc9852
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To: Rudder

I don't believe in a one-world government.


28 posted on 10/08/2005 6:18:39 AM PDT by mlc9852
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To: mlc9852

Which religion do you nominate to run the U.S.A.?


29 posted on 10/08/2005 6:25:08 AM PDT by Rudder
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To: A. Pole

Funny, in all my reading of history, I missed the part where Hitler had all those people killed for not becoming Catholic.


30 posted on 10/08/2005 6:25:24 AM PDT by Tax-chick (When bad things happen, conservatives get over it!)
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To: ElipticalAmigo
The purges were done because of the political affiliation of the victims.

The so called purges of the 1930s, yes. But they affected relatively "small" number of people, mostly from the progressive intelligentsia connected with revolution (revolutions eat their own children). But believing Christians died in millions and MAJORITY of their clergy died.

You don't see me saying Christians are responsible for the holocaust because Hitler was one do you?

In the moment when Hitler embraced the pantheistic racialist ideology of Volkism and worship of nature, he stopped to be Christian.

To be a Christian you need to believe in one God the Father, the maker of Heaven and Earth and in His Son the Jesus Christ who is the Saviour for all who accept Him. Read the creed.

31 posted on 10/08/2005 6:26:28 AM PDT by A. Pole (For today's Democrats abortion and "gay marriage" are more important that the whole New Deal legacy.)
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To: mlc9852

And to think at one time I felt sorry for him,he really is a P.O.S., a arrogant, ulgy little snot.


32 posted on 10/08/2005 6:27:17 AM PDT by dubyawhoiluv
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Comment #33 Removed by Moderator

To: dubyawhoiluv
he really is a P.O.S., a arrogant, ulgy little snot.

Ugly he is!


34 posted on 10/08/2005 6:30:30 AM PDT by A. Pole (For today's Democrats abortion and "gay marriage" are more important that the whole New Deal legacy.)
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To: ElipticalAmigo
"Your link is broken."

In the moment when Hitler embraced the pantheistic racialist ideology of Volkism and worship of nature, he stopped to be Christian.

Sorry, here it is:
Ideology of Volkism

35 posted on 10/08/2005 6:33:39 AM PDT by A. Pole (For today's Democrats abortion and "gay marriage" are more important that the whole New Deal legacy.)
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To: Crackingham
Rushdie,

We are doing just fine in Kansas. Stay in England.
36 posted on 10/08/2005 6:34:36 AM PDT by GarySpFc (Sneakypete, De Oppresso Liber)
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To: starfish923

yes I read SATANIC VERSES. I read the WHOLE thing. Made my brain hurt. There are some factual things about ISLAM in there but it is there to kinda give someone background on ISLAM if they dont know about it. the rest of it is sillyness.


37 posted on 10/08/2005 6:35:56 AM PDT by Kewlhand`tek (those that can't, teach. Those that can't teach, report)
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Comment #38 Removed by Moderator

To: ElipticalAmigo
"Hitler's Germany amalgamated state with church"

Not exactly. He eliminated the church, {the worship of God} and substituted in it's place the worship of the state.

Deutchland uber Alles, ya?

39 posted on 10/08/2005 6:37:45 AM PDT by labette (Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.)
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Comment #40 Removed by Moderator


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