On 4/14/2011 10:22, Warp wrote:
> Darren New<dne### [at] sanrrcom>  wrote:
>> First, I think this is a relatively recent phenomenon. I don't remember
>> anything beyond arguing over abortion and making fun of TV megachurch
>> preachers until maybe 20 years ago. Nobody argued over evolution or kicked
>> people out of school for saying "One Nation Under God" or whatever. Religion
>> was just a non-subject for the most part.
>
>    I don't think that's completely true. See for example:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scopes_Trial

Not completely true, no. But I mean this trial was a big thing even at the 
time, with the arguments coming from presidential candidates and such.

I didn't literally mean *nobody* argued over evolution. Just that it wasn't 
a part of the normal culture. I never heard of anyone filing a lawsuit over 
christmas trees on government lawns, or over saying "under god" in school 
each morning, or getting kicked out for wearing a t-shirt that says you're 
an atheist or wearing christian jewelry.  You got yelled at for writing 
swear words on the blackboard, not religious words.  None of that crap was 
part of the daily political scene 25 years ago.

You can point to a well-publicized big thing like that, but that's like 
showing one airliner crash and saying "see, since it was in all the news, 
planes must be much more dangerous than cars."

On the other hand, maybe back before 1950 or so, it *was* a bigger thing. I 
wasn't around to take note, tho.

-- 
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   "Coding without comments is like
    driving without turn signals."

Post a reply to this message