vineri, 17 februarie 2012

Open letter to Thunderf00t

  Dear,  Dr. Phil as you probably already know, I recently  launched a discussion challenge addressed to you.
For some time, you have been systematically promoting the idea that there has been a historical conflict between science and the Christian religion. You have claimrd that science and religion ar in a  permanent state of conflict, and that one must die for the other the live.
You have used your entire scientific authority in promoting some concepts such "Dark Ages" or ideas such as:

- [churches] „burned the combined knowledge, gained by thousands  collected in libraries”,
- [religion] „decreeing that learning is evil”
- „that Western nations were not born of Christian values”,
- that  without Christianity „Christopher Columbus would have landed on the moon.”, or in shortly the The Conflict Thesis.

Today's atheist slogan, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" was popularized by Carl Sagan (1934-1996),  a professor of astronomy at Cornell University in New York, who hosted the TV series called "Cosmos".
The slogan origins in a David Hume (1711-1776) maxim on the `falsehood of miracles`, however the professor Carl Sagan, highly admired and respected by atheists, spread much misinformation via his TV series "Cosmos" about the relationship between science and religion.
Among the biggest blunders committed by him, are those relating to "the burning of the library of Alexandria by christians" and on the "killing of Hipatia as a martyr of science". Unfortunately the Cornell professor Carl Sagan, never applied his own slogan on his  extraordinary claims, on the conflict between science and religion.
After all, this is what I want  from your, Dr. Phil : to present some evidence for your extraordinary claims. I do not consider that I ask for much, considering that you have asked exactly the same thing from the Christians on YouTub who clame  that the Bible is full of scientific evidence, or from the creationist, who believe in a global flood or that the world is 6000-8000 years old.
In the past I have launched, two other challenges for you, in which I asked you to clarify your position on the impact of Christianity on the development of the western civilization. You have consistently refused to do that, and you have continued to promote the "Conflict Thesis" whit every opportunity that you have. Furthermore you seem to operate by the dictum, that sometimes it is better to promote a lie, if that lie will negatively impact  your opponent. Still Dr. Phil. you have far exceeded the phase of "a lie". However I'm ready  to give you the benefit of doubt, and to accept that you really believe what you preach.

Today when your data just become public, I can address to you personally:
I understand that being a collaborator, perhaps even a graduate of the Cornell University, did influence your perception on the normal relationship, between science and religion. After all, one of the founders of the Cornell University is at the same time one of the founders of the "Conflict Thesis". And yes I am referring to Andrew Dickson White. (1832-1918). Several other persons over the years that had some connection whit the Cornell University have publicly supported the "Conflict Thesis"...of which I already mentioned Carl Sagan.
Let's not forget that this university offers an atheist association for it students the "Atheist andAgnostic Society of Cornell" that mission is to
"organize, unite, educate and serve people that promote atheist and agnostic ideas, the ideals of scientific rationality, secularism, and human-based ethics."
So I have enough reasons to believe that you Dr. Phil,  did go with the flow, without ever doubting what you were taught. But Dr. Phil, let me read from the Cornell University popular post "Why I'm an Atheist"
"We might not always come to the correct conclusions, and therefore we must always be willing to revise them in light of new evidence."
So, Dr. Phil do you  also practice what you preach? Do you believe in the above concept ?
Are you ready to show it?
Do you believe that "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" ?
Are you  able to bring evidence for a thesis that you public supported it,  on internet from 2006?
Let me remind you that so far, all people who were challenged by you answered. Let me remind you also that so far you have chosen for your discussions only the weakest opponents TruthfulChristian,  VenomFangX, and this guy DLandonCole that nobody had heard of, and  in the real life, Ray Comfort and Westboro Baptist Church, while none of those people have a higher education.
Do you're not interested to find how you will handle a real discussion?

Do you just conform with accepting everything based on blind faith? 
I have seen your movies for instance, where you sustain a classical version of the "Conflict Thesis", which in reality, originated in the time of Voltaire (1694-1778), namely that, "Greek science" was brought in Europe from "Islam"...and after that boomed the Enlightenment.
Or in one of your BlogTv show, one of your friends presented the story, with the opposition of Christianity to anatomical studies, this story is pretty old too but was presented by Andrew Dickson White in the "History of the Warfare of Science with Theology inChristendom" who gave in atheism a beautiful legend, namely that "while in Christianity autopsies were prohibited, in Islam were widely practiced".

When you meet thing, such as the ones above, do you ever question them? Should I remind you of the video whit the "girlthat prayed for the earthquake" ?
Do you take all that is negative about religion to be automatically true, and all that is good about religion as being a lie which must somehow be exposed ?

I throw your the glove Cornell Dr. Phil, and wait to see your "academic integrity".