Quote: (BillClarke @ Jun. 29 2009, 1:17 PM)
We are all entitled to believe whatever we wish to believe but certain beliefs mark one as a bigot. Steve Harvey is a case in point; substitute any other identifiable group for "atheist" in his statement from the Tyra Banks Show and his bigotry becomes obvious.
This is what he said:
"You talking to a person who don't believe in God - where's his moral barometer? It's nowhere."
What if he said:
"You talking to a Jewish Person - where's his moral barometer? It's nowhere."
Or
"You talking to a Liberal - where's his moral barometer? It's nowhere."
Or
"You talking to a Muslim Person - where's his moral barometer? It's nowhere."
Or
"You talking to an Asian Person - where's his moral barometer? It's nowhere."
Basically any identifiable group placed in that statement marks it as a bigoted statement - including Atheists. So Steve Harvey is a bigot.
Now, think of a set of intermeshing gears. They can have some teeth missing from one of their cogs and they will likely appear to function normally most of the time. But something is seriously wrong with the underlying structure of the gear system and it would be unwise to count upon it to function correctly, even though it appears fine on the outside - inside it is seriously flawed.
Bigotry is like that. The bigot may appear to function correctly from the outside but inside something is seriously wrong and it is unwise to count upon one to function correctly - they are seriously flawed.
So, entitled to his beliefs? Certainly. But everything he says is suspect because you can't tell from the outside just how flawed his 'underlying structure' has become.
HEy bill
Let me start by saying welcome back, your intelligent and often insightful to the human psyche post are usually worth reading if one has the time.
I see where you are coming from with putting the "Jewish" word in their, and the "Muslim" name in the same statement.
What that is telling me is Steve is saying "unless you believe in "my God" you have no moral compass.......which is the same attitude and spirit responsible for the holocaust and all the religious wars of past centuries.
You put a person like this into power over military forces and you have yourself another problem.
Unfortunately, many people identify with this sort of bigotry, not only that they whole hardily support it and are convinced they are justified in doing so.
To me that is the real danger, not this guy himself (he ain't got much power to speak of) but the fact that the is a large part of the population that agree with statements like that, that is scary, and all they need is an Adolf or any other leader to share that with them and they can justify genocide of anyone not like them.
Sorry poppa if I farted on your thread with the long post, but as Bill said it took that many words to say what I was wanting to say, and I am still not sure I have said everything I was thinking, and we do have a problem, me and Bill with certain lines of "thinking" that are signs of a social norm that is as he says "bigotry" and the dangers it can posse if not spoken against.
IT is a personal problem I guess, but it doesn't have to be......
keep shinin
jerm