I am a totally "PC" guy, and a Christian, I guess. However, I never really understood how Christians get so "offended." I mean aren't you/we supposed to have some unshakeable faith or something? I mean if you can't handle a joke book concerning jesus being on shrooms, and people laughing about it because it is so rediculous regardless of their religious beliefs, what does that say about personal convictions? By the way, this is a general comment....not negatively directed towards the poster I quoted. I feel that the majority of Christians I know would consider it offense.
Ummm... either I misunderstand you, you're being careless, or I think you are confused about the academic underpinnings of ethnobotany. There is no "obvious agenda" tying ethnobotanists to mind-altering substances. Ethnobotany is a serious discipline. This guy seems to be a buffoon, sure... but I think you need to respect the fact that there are conservatives here that will grant you ownership of an issue because you believe in things so differently than themselves (and ethnobotany on the surface sounds like some hippy wiccan schtuff, making said persons readily write the field off). When you condemn a discipline such as ethnobotany, and you are wrong, people walk away thinking that the field constitutes a bunch of druggie whackos... which isn't the case at all. Ethnobotany is simply that... ethno * botany... people and their use of plants. It's merely a description written by anthropological/history/botanist types (usually in a more serious fashion than the work done by this guy) The ethnobotanists that I have met are intelligent and have biological and anthropological backgrounds... they are people that do not have the time to put themselves at a disadvantage by using mind altering substances. Hell, I know tons of 'hard science' people that couldn't hold the jocks (actually they're all women, but you get the point) of a few of these people. Mrs. JB, I feel that you and I would get along in person, and I apologize if I have come across crass... I just thought that I should point this out, lest someone here meet an ethnobotanist in the future.
Achebe - I did make a blanket statement there. I guess I was just basing my opinion on prominent people in the field like Terence McKenna and Mark Plotkin. Sorry if I offended you.
Mrs. JB, you didn't offend me... our disagreement, though is just the byproduct of ills in popular science. Conspicuous, sensational stories sell books... while people that actually work in a serious peer reviewed setting always wonder why the popular science dorks are making asses of their discipline. There's an example of it, I'm sure in many disciplines. Druggie ideologues try to push their rhetoric through the avenue of science as you've shown; marxist ideologues like Gould try to push their rhetoric through the avenue of science to protect his views on racial equality. Rushton trys the opposite evil. Environmentalists expect to see one thing in earth systems science studies, explorationists look for something else. Unfortunately a bunch of bull**** makes its way into the hands of the public. Fortunately all of these disciplines are overseen by thousands of people, many of which care enough about the truth to burn bridges to get it right. Unfortunately again, noone has time to read everything.
My Faith is based upon my unshakable knowledge the Jesus can do Anything at Anytime. I was offended by some of the comments {mostly the poo poo comment} due to the fact that someone was making a mockery out of something I hold very deep to my soul. On a smaller level it would be as if someone made a joke about my mom and then people felt the need to chime in with there "funny" comments. I know I shouldnt get upset, because it is silly, but when something I hold very dear to me is made fun of, I get upset.....not saying I am right, just pointing out how I feel
My comment was in jest. Not meant to offend. I guess I forgot to put the roll eyes smilie inthere. I never meant to suggest that Jesus' miracles should be taken for anything less than miracles, just that the idiocy of the original comments were that proposterous. Sorry if you did not understand what I was trying to convey.
Actually the fault was mine for forgetting the smilie. I feel the same as most of the people here in that I just can't see how this could be deemed as a credible study by anyone that is not taking their own Magic Mushrooms. I think the way society is today there are lots of people just looking for a way to discredit the holy works of Jesus.
