Helping victims of a college education

skoomi

From the bastion of Irish journalism: Alive!

Helping victims of a college education


ONE tragic side effect of modern education is that it leaves many young people more obtuse than they were when they first entered college or university. They end up with their B.A.s, Ph.D.s or M.Sc.s, and not knowing God, or with no vibrant relationship with him. Yet, having thus become no-brainers and no- hopers, they think they are so cool.

But what could be more idiotic than to look at this wonderful world in which we live, and think that it is simply the result of a billion billion freaky accidents? Even primitive tribes had more gumption than that.

Professor Richard Dawkins, if he found himself on a desert island, might wake up one morning to find his name written in the sand and think, “Gosh, the crabs around here are very evolved.”

Most of us, however, would conclude that the writing was done by a human being who knew our name. And nothing would convince us otherwise. In other words, if something bears the marks of intelligence, then we look for an intelligent cause.

And if we can say that about writing in the sand, a painting or a computer, we can certainly say it about the complexity, wonder and beauty of nature.

Only a mind crippled and prejudiced by modern education could fail to see the extraordinary intelligence and love behind creation.

And a bit more reasoning would lead us to God, the supreme being with this intelligence, love and creative power.


Read the rest here.

http://www.alive.ie/uploads/6/5/1/1/6511516/alive_july_aug_2012.pdf

Sarky

I am just shocked to discover evidence that people who write for alive are thick as a tar milkshake. Just shocked.

Pushtrak

Alive doesn't really depict that particular rag. Braindead might be more appropriate. No, actually, definitely would be.

fitz0

I genuinely don't know what to say to that.

Just, wow.

.... wow

Penn

skoomi wrote: »

Professor Richard Dawkins, if he found himself on a desert island, might wake up one morning to find his name written in the sand and think, “Gosh, the crabs around here are very evolved.”

If I tried to write a fake Alive article, to highlight how ridiculous some of the things they say are, I couldn't come up with something that absurd.

What (apart from air) goes through these people's heads?

Nodin

I can never find that gif of the guy pulping his head against the desk when I need it....

Sonics2k

Nodin wrote: »

I can never find that gif of the guy pulping his head against the desk when I need it....

That's quite NSFW for some people, so we can use this



I'm getting a fair bit of use out of this gif lately.

18AD

“Gosh, the crabs around here are very evolved.”



Second funniest thing I've seen all day. Cheers.

Nodin

Sonics2k wrote: »

That's quite NSFW for some people, so we can use this



I'm getting a fair bit of use out of this gif lately.

Excellent stuff Sir.

fitz0

Sonics2k wrote: »

That's quite NSFW for some people, so we can use this



I'm getting a fair bit of use out of this gif lately.

Another appropriate reaction

Sonics2k

fitz0 wrote: »

Another appropriate reaction

Actually, as a former World of Warcraft player, that was my reaction when the latest expansion was announced

Nodin

Sonics2k wrote: »

Actually, as a former World of Warcraft player, that was my reaction when the latest expansion was announced

As somebody who tried mmorpg, that being my reaction to various persons was why I stopped.....

Lapin

skoomi wrote: »

Professor Richard Dawkins, if he found himself on a desert island, might wake up one morning to find his name written in the sand and think, “Gosh, the crabs around here are very evolved.”

WHAT

MagicMarker

kylith

skoomi wrote: »

And if we can say that about writing in the sand, a painting or a computer, we can certainly say it about the complexity, wonder and beauty of nature.

I often get letters, quite frequently, from people who say how they like the programmes a lot, but I never give credit to the almighty power that created nature. To which I reply and say, "Well, it's funny that the people, when they say that this is evidence of the Almighty, always quote beautiful things. They always quote orchids and hummingbirds and butterflies and roses." But I always have to think too of a little boy sitting on the banks of a river in west Africa who has a worm boring through his eyeball, turning him blind before he's five years old. And I reply and say, "Well, presumably the God you speak about created the worm as well," and now, I find that baffling to credit a merciful God with that action. And therefore it seems to me safer to show things that I know to be truth, truthful and factual, and allow people to make up their own minds about the moralities of this thing, or indeed the theology of this thing.

- Sir David Attenborough

Nodin

Lapin wrote: »

WHAT

It makes perfect sense. Man whose brain has been destroyed by a life of academia sees writing in sand, presumes crabs.

Quatermain

As far as I am concerned, Sir David Attenborough is a god in human form. I say this as a confirmed atheist. He is a childhood hero, an educator, and an inspiring figure. Learned more from him than any church, that's for damn sure.

magicbastarder

Quatermain wrote: »

As far as I am concerned, Sir David Attenborough is a god in human form.

but he'd probably wince on reading that.

seamus

Nodin wrote: »

It makes perfect sense. Man whose brain has been destroyed by a life of academia sees writing in sand, presumes crabs.

So what you're saying is that education gives you crabs.

Sounds like Catholic sex ed alright.

Nodin

seamus wrote: »

So what you're saying is that education gives you crabs.

Sounds like Catholic sex ed alright.

It would. Sex, as we were recently informed, leads to STDs, sexual slavery, date rape, acoholism, pregnancy and abortion (in presumably roughly that order). You might as well shoot yourself as shag.

RPE3

"Such crippled views make their way into textbooks and into the outpourings of dim-witted college lecturers who cannot tell the difference between genuine knowledge and academic nonsense."

What? This trash piece of writing just attacks all college lecturers and calls their subjects academic nonsense. Poe's law?

Quatermain

magicbastarder wrote: »

but he'd probably wince on reading that.

I'm very probably doing the man a disservice.

Anyhow, there's not much worth getting worked up about here. They're morons who distribute a piddling little scrap-paper periodical about nothing in particular. They're not going to cause a wave of anti-intellectualism overnight.

Turtwig

Was this by any chance written by someone who felt bitter about their results? Seriously, I don't know what even. The imagination used here is quite extraordinary. I don't think I've ever been actually as expressionless as I am right now.


Back to reality now,
Isn't it the case though that those who turn out to pursue further education are more likely to be religious? More atheist undergrads and grads, but less atheist post grads and post-docs.:)

Sarky

Not exactly relevant, but worth posting any time Mr. Attenborough is mentioned:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auSo1MyWf8g

There's a new wow expansion? :eek:

Sonics2k

bluewolf wrote: »

There's a new wow expansion? :eek:

It's awful. Pandas with a side of Pokemon and Farmville rip-offs.

Sonics2k

Sonics2k wrote: »

It's awful. Pandas with a side of Pokemon and Farmville rip-offs.

so glad i quit then



r u srs :eek:

Sonics2k

You should look up the female versions. They're so damned bubble-gum cute!

Any temptation I had to play it again died when I saw what's coming.

Blowfish

Sonics2k wrote: »

You should look up the female versions. They're so damned bubble-gum cute!

Any temptation I had to play it again died when I saw what's coming.

Yeah, same actually. Hadn't seen the female Pandarens yet though, from this they look like they just took the female dwarf bodies and stuck panda heads on them.

tawnyowl

Penn wrote: »

If I tried to write a fake Alive article, to highlight how ridiculous some of the things they say are, I couldn't come up with something that absurd.

It can be very difficult to tell between extremism and parody of same:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poe%27s_law

Nodin

Blowfish wrote: »

Yeah, same actually. Hadn't seen the female Pandarens yet though, from this they look like they just took the female dwarf bodies and stuck panda heads on them.

My decision never to bother with WoW continues to please me.

PopePalpatine

Sarky wrote: »

I am just shocked to discover evidence that people who write for alive are thick as a tar milkshake. Just shocked.

TBH, when they were of a college-going age, they were being told by Darth McQuaid that they shouldn't go to Trinity. :rolleyes:

NotForResale

PopePalpatine wrote: »

TBH, when they were of a college-going age, they were being told by Darth McQuaid that they shouldn't go to Trinity. :rolleyes:

maybe they never got to go and they're bitter about it. They seem to mistake a lack of religious teaching for being against it, i would love to hear from them how you could work Jesus into a computer science course.