01 November 2004
religion amidst the bins
'Do you think that, if you were granted omnipotence and omniscience and millions of years in which to perfect your world, you could produce nothing better than the Ku Klux Klan or the Fascists?' - Bertrand Russell, 'Why I am not a Christian', 1927
Incidentally, it's hard to convince students that the teleological argument for the existence of God (predicated upon purposiveness and the harmonious accord of nature) has any significance when you're sitting in a classroom in the middle of a shopping centre on a gloomy Monday morning. I talked about cobwebs gleaming in the dewy morning light for a bit, and how plants let us live in some beautiful cycle-of-life-kinda-way, but I think they were rather of the opinion that the sheer quantity of empty McDonald's packaging strewn about the world slightly undermines the argument from design. Perhaps I should take them for walks in the country, or by lakes, to marvel at the providence of wool and the prettiness of swans.
But really, building a college in a shopping centre. It's hardly elevating is it? It might make you grimly religious I suppose (there must be a better world than this one, please Lord!), but really, not good.
Still no connection at all-new infinite thought towers (no fridge or heating either, but that's a different matter). But it's ok, there's always radio 4 and Inspector Morse (both of which the proletarian puritan circus-master Monsieur K-Punk abhors, declaring of the latter: 'it's just posh people killing other posh people, isn't it? And John Thaw can't act'. Heresy, I say! As for Radio 4, well, the comedy programmes couldn't be any worse, but I like the grave, gravelly tones of the late-night newsreaders (men), or the soporific elegance of the women (mmm...sleepy). It is all a bit posh, obviously...actually, this is a point, if only 7% of the population attend public (this equals 'private' - for my American readers) school, why are these people so absolutely visible in British culture? It's ridiculous: we remain stuck in the 1930s or somesuch (actually, there was probably more social mobility and varied class representation then than now). I dunno, I'm sure you just pay for cultural arrogance rather than a better education per se. All the best people are auto-didacts anyway (they're not all autistic pederasts, Monsieur Sartre!)
Still, not only will I write about Iran soon (no really, I will), I also have a great post coming up about why I like old men and pubs (together). Hope the suspense doesn't injure you.
Incidentally, it's hard to convince students that the teleological argument for the existence of God (predicated upon purposiveness and the harmonious accord of nature) has any significance when you're sitting in a classroom in the middle of a shopping centre on a gloomy Monday morning. I talked about cobwebs gleaming in the dewy morning light for a bit, and how plants let us live in some beautiful cycle-of-life-kinda-way, but I think they were rather of the opinion that the sheer quantity of empty McDonald's packaging strewn about the world slightly undermines the argument from design. Perhaps I should take them for walks in the country, or by lakes, to marvel at the providence of wool and the prettiness of swans.
But really, building a college in a shopping centre. It's hardly elevating is it? It might make you grimly religious I suppose (there must be a better world than this one, please Lord!), but really, not good.
Still no connection at all-new infinite thought towers (no fridge or heating either, but that's a different matter). But it's ok, there's always radio 4 and Inspector Morse (both of which the proletarian puritan circus-master Monsieur K-Punk abhors, declaring of the latter: 'it's just posh people killing other posh people, isn't it? And John Thaw can't act'. Heresy, I say! As for Radio 4, well, the comedy programmes couldn't be any worse, but I like the grave, gravelly tones of the late-night newsreaders (men), or the soporific elegance of the women (mmm...sleepy). It is all a bit posh, obviously...actually, this is a point, if only 7% of the population attend public (this equals 'private' - for my American readers) school, why are these people so absolutely visible in British culture? It's ridiculous: we remain stuck in the 1930s or somesuch (actually, there was probably more social mobility and varied class representation then than now). I dunno, I'm sure you just pay for cultural arrogance rather than a better education per se. All the best people are auto-didacts anyway (they're not all autistic pederasts, Monsieur Sartre!)
Still, not only will I write about Iran soon (no really, I will), I also have a great post coming up about why I like old men and pubs (together). Hope the suspense doesn't injure you.
