dagblog - Comments for "The Stupidity of Talking To Stupid People"

I was very pleased to see

EmmaZahn — Wed, 14 Aug 2013 00:49:58 +0000

In reply to The Stupidity of Talking To Stupid People

I was very pleased to see some support for my suggestion that it was Aslan who set Green up in the Jewish Review of Books » What Jesus Wasn’t: Zealot

Which brings us back to Aslan’s awful interview on Fox. Lauren Green’s questioning of Aslan’s right, as a Muslim, to write his book was absolutely out of bounds, but perhaps she was, quite unwittingly, onto something about his agenda. While the form taken by Green’s questions was unacceptable and made Aslan look like the victim of an intolerant right-wing ambush, might it not be the case that it was Aslan who very deftly set her up? He prefaces the book with an “Author’s Note,” which is a lengthy and deeply personal confession of faith. Here Aslan recounts his early years in America as an essentially secular Iranian emigré of Islamic origins with no serious attachment to his ancestral faith, his subsequent teenage conversion to evangelical Christianity and finally his return to a more intense commitment to Islam. Aslan ends this intimately personal preface by proudly declaring:

"Today, I can confidently say that two decades of rigorous academic research into the origins of Christianity have made me a more genuinely committed disciple of Jesus of Nazareth than I ever was of Jesus Christ."

This unsubtle suggestion that Evangelical Christians’ discipleship and knowledge of Jesus is inferior to his own makes it rather harder to sympathize with him as an entirely innocent victim of unprovoked, ad hominem challenges regarding his book’s possibly Islamist agenda. Aslan had to know that opening a book that portrays Jesus as an illiterate zealot and which repeatedly demeans the Gospels with a spiritual autobiography that concludes by belittling his earlier faith as an Evangelical Christian would prove deeply insulting to believing Christians.

Please do read the whole review. It is a very scholarly critique of Aslan's book.

And, icymi, one from The Nation as well: Reza Aslan—Historian?

I don't understand your

Orlando — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 12:15:38 +0000

In reply to please rethink your analysis

I don't understand your comment and sincerely wish that you would pay more attention to grammar and syntax.

I don't think I'm a troll and I don't know what seed I would be planting. I've shared a personal viewpoint of my perspective of a culture that I happen to be familiar with.

You seem like a bit of an

Verified Atheist — Sat, 03 Aug 2013 21:54:30 +0000

In reply to please rethink your analysis

You seem like a bit of an absolutist…

the word 'ignorance' seems to

jimbo — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 03:46:14 +0000

In reply to TRK, I'm about to do the same

the word 'ignorance' seems to me to be full of opportunity because anyone who wasn't totally stupid might prevail against it. But you had it right early, stupid is the right word. They are informed that certain places harbor stupidity, and they flock there to drink in the, not ignorance, but stupidity.

please rethink your analysis

jimbo — Fri, 02 Aug 2013 03:35:32 +0000

In reply to The topic is controversial, I

please rethink your analysis of religious 'oversensitivity'. 'Under' sensitivity to the effects being delivered to our democratic destiny by religions needs to acted upon, so that all Americans begin to have an inkling of the danger to our country. There is no difference between the possible outcomes of religion in government, the dire situations endured by the people of those countries that long ago allowed religion in government. Absolutism is a requirement to a religion that mandates conversion of others. There is no way out, no avenue of escape, because believing in a non-existent supernatural being allows you to do anything to achieve your ends to power. Are you a troll planting a seed?

I will. I put in a question.

Michael Maiello — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 18:39:59 +0000

In reply to MM, saw this from TPM: As

I will. I put in a question.

MM, saw this from TPM: As

EmmaZahn — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 17:53:42 +0000

In reply to The Stupidity of Talking To Stupid People

MM, saw this from TPM:

As you can see, Reza Aslan says he feels bad for the Fox News host who asked him those ridiculous questions about how he got off writing about Jesus when, despite his academic credentials, he’s a Muslim. Well, ask Reza your own question. He’ll be joining us for aTPMPrime Live Chat [today] at 5:30 PM eastern. Get your questions in now.

Will you be there. If so, please report back on it.

I canceled cable several

Donal — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 16:59:19 +0000

In reply to TRK, I'm about to do the same

I canceled cable several months ago, and I've enjoyed not being tied to a network schedule.

TRK, I'm about to do the same

Wattree — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 15:22:20 +0000

In reply to Just maybe it is time for a

TRK,

I'm about to do the same thing - get rid of the cable. Because the level stupidity that I see on every channel is beginning to scare me. I felt much more comfortable when I lived under the delusion that most people in the world had common sense. Now I truly understand the wisdom in the axiom that "ignorance is bliss."

I would change that last

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 12:28:07 +0000

In reply to Stupid for sure, but there is

I would change that last sentence to....

his Islamic faith was THE target.