"The European Enlightenment was a unique event in human history in which all the founding principles of western secular democracies were forged. All our scientific developments, the importance of reason, religious tolerance, the rule of law, rationality, a secular state, progress in human rights and our atheism can be traced back to this momentous period of intellectual history. This is the legacy we must hold fast to, and assert unapologetically against the challenges it faces from Islamism." Agree with all that? If so, you're on very shaky historical ground but you've got plenty of company. Shorter
Madeleine Bunting - "watch me demolish this straw man with one hand tied behind my back!" I could be wrong, of course; maybe there are tons of Enlightenment cheerleaders out there saying this very thing. But the lack of any kind of linkage/sourceage is a bit suspect, no?
The Bunting is a much maligned character in the blog circles I haunt, and it's always good fun to read her latest article and try to guess which bit will appall people the most.
Still, nothing she's written is quite as entertaining as this in the comments:
"When I see Richard Dawkins fly an airplane into Danial Dennett [...] I'll admit she has a point."It is, of course, a slip of the keyboard. Still, quite an image and as the commenter says, it would be highly convincing evidence in favour of the fundie claim that
acceptance of evolution leads to immoral behaviour, including but not limited to putting pineapple on pizza. Which, as anyone knows, is all kinds of wrong.
*The title of this post, by the way, is based on Dawkins' brilliant post 9/11 article, Religion's Misguided Missiles.*