AB3A's Journal: Thoughts about fear-mongers

Unlike many, I don't automatically cringe when politics enters a technical decision. I cringe when politics intrudes in to areas where it doesn't belong.

Let me explain: The decision for how much pollution we can tolerate in our rivers is a political one. The decision for how much money to spend on a project and what deadlines to set for it are strictly political decisions.

But when stupidity and a selective view of facts aimed at fear mongering receive a substantial political backing, or when a state educational standards establishment says that evolution is "just a theory" and decides to teach creationism as science, I get very angry.

It's funny how one can hold a somewhat relativistic view of others moral values, but treat facts as hard and fast. I can do this because I take the view that religion is strictly about morality and those views of morality are based on my beliefs and the beliefs of my neighbors. As far as I'm concerned in my religious beliefs, I couldn't care less if Mohammed, Jesus, Budda, Moses or any other notable religious figure has left behind a physical presence of any sort or not. My religion is not based on facts, just my own moral beliefs and my faith that my neighbor's beliefs are reasonably compatible.

I doubt that my thinking on this subject is unique. However, too many religions try claim they're based on fact. Spewing lies or half truths to a congregation to support faith is frankly sacriligious in almost everyone's religion. If you believe a morality to be the truth, who needs facts to support them?

I like to call that view my "honesty in religion" law. And since our moral values color our political decisions, this is extremely important.

Now we're looking at several new battery technologies which promise to make energy storage much more compact, efficient, and evironmentally safe. But can we get past generations of hucksters who were out to make a name for themselves? Is there enough intelligence and fairness in our society to make an honest political assesment on this subject?

Are religious leaders any more honest than political leaders? I used think I knew the answer to that. Now I'm not so sure. No wonder faith in an almighty deity is so popular...