(no subject)

[holli]

Someone, please stop me from arguing with fundamentalists about The Golden Compass on Facebook. It is perhaps the textbook definition of a bad idea, and yet! I cannot help myself.

These are people who think the book is demonically influenced because it uses the word "daemon." I clearly have NO CHANCE of making a dent in their thick skulls, no matter how long I hammer at them.

Oh, and some of them are dragging out the "atheists can't be moral people" argument! Goody.

Comments

[unlovablehands.livejournal.com]

Don't argue with people who don't understand etymology and the fact that languages are living, Holli. It will only end in pain.

[petronelle.livejournal.com]

Truly a silly idea.

Fails the gay porn test!

[nestra.livejournal.com]

You have way too many other uses for your time. Walk away. Run away!

[holli.livejournal.com]

Boy, does it ever! Thank you for reminding me of the standard by which I should set my Internet time.

[holli.livejournal.com]

I just. He goes "well, i know the book uses the word daemon, and that's just another word for demon! and demons are bad! I don't need to have read the book to know THAT." Or, you know, something equally asshatted.

You I should tell him the book also features full complements of witches, talking armored bears, harpies, angels, and Texans, among other mythical creatures?

[holli.livejournal.com]

Wise advice! And yet, the stupid, it calls to me.

[unlovablehands.livejournal.com]

ARMORED BEARS!

... uh. what?

[holli.livejournal.com]

Armored bears! They make everything better.

Note: the "you" at the start of that last sentence is not supposed to be there.

eta: actually, wait, it still make no sense. I think it was supposed to be: "you think I should tell him" or something.

[unlovablehands.livejournal.com]

It's okay! I got distracted by armored bears.

[veejane.livejournal.com]

You could always spam your interlocutor with pictures of the Great Scott, the standard (unabridged) dictionary of Ancient Greek, which is a very big book in which you will find the word "daemon" -- meaning "spirit", IIRC -- and promising to beat people with it.

I find that offering to beat people with very large books tends to end conversations very quickly, and makes me feel worlds better at the same time!

[cofax7]

Yeah, you're not gonna win that one. Besides, in a sense they're right: Pullman loathes organized religion, so from their perspective it really is all evil. Ahem. *grins*

[holli.livejournal.com]

See, I think any kid who reads Narnia should be *required* to read Pullman as well, since they more-or-less balance each other out. I did convince one of them to check at least Golden Compass out of the library, though.

I think I'm gonna tell 'em all to read "Small Gods." *That'll* mess with their heads.

[holli.livejournal.com]

I like the way you think. I really do.

[cofax7]

::cackles::

I'm all for that. And then follow it up with Good Omens.

[ahsavka.livejournal.com]

I saw a facebook battle about this subject, and poked my head in to see how everything was going, and I was not surprised to see tons of fundies, but ... that's all there were. No atheists. Half of the fundies were going "ahh, it's going to corrupt the children!" and the other half were saying "no, it's not anti-god at all, has very good Christian themes, just look deeper!"

I didn't even know what to say to that, so I just left them to their work. XD