The Official Perfection KOs Creationism Thread Part Four: The Genesis of Ire!

[ironduck]

Religious groups are allowed to solicit inside universities in Norway? Wow.

 

[carlosMM]

EM: they tend to be more vocal all across Europe lately - must be the funding they get from the US. And so they pop up in surprising numbers.


What does NOT surprise me is that all the drive-by creationists have (again) disappeared. All those questions unanswered

 

[Erik Mesoy]

@ironduck: "Solicit inside universities" might be a bit strong. They're allowed to set up a booth (and I use that term loosely, it was a wooden box) on the main grounds (ie. the large flat area between the walkways between the buildings) and passively hand out pamphlets to anyone who stops at their booth and asks for one. (most of the time they stood looking sheepish, probably because they were standing behind a large wooden box doing nothing)

@carlos: I recall them having a booth there last year, too. It didn't look like "surprising numbers" to me when they sent two people and a box to Oslo University.

Did anyone want more details from the pamphlet-cum-book?

 

[ironduck]

Just being allowed to be on a university's property like that surprises me.. I guess religioius groups are grouped with positive non-profit organizations or something? Or would a commercial company also be allowed to set up representatives to sell a product?

 

[carlosMM]

@carlos: I recall them having a booth there last year, too. It didn't look like "surprising numbers" to me when they sent two people and a box to Oslo University.

That's not what I meant, but rather that these 'two people and a box' or 'public talk' or 'information meeting' things happen much more often suddenly. I doubt their manpower is bigger, but they are more active.

 

[Sophie 378]

I'll post more late if people are interested... anyway, it was surprising to see ID pop up at a Norwegian university.

I once went for an interview for a job as a part time cleaner, for goodness sake, and when I put "atheist" on the form under "Religion", the owner of the company spent half an hour trying to convert me by photocopying bits of the Bible at me. It was all I could do to not start giggling until I'd left. Does it matter to a supermarket floor if I clean it in honor of Jesus or because it needs doing?
Tell us more!

 

[ironduck]

Why in the world did you need to state your religious affliction?

 

[Sophie 378]

I have not the faintest idea. She told me "Well, you would be the first person we'd ever hired who wasn't a Christian" - good grief, I should have sued her for religious discrimination!

 

[ironduck]

So did they hire you or what happened?

 

[Sophie 378]

No, I never heard from her again, and didn't really care as I was applying for loads of other crappy little summer jobs at the same time. It just makes me giggle a lot whenever I think of it. I ended up volunteering in the local hospital laboratory - much more fun.

/ Sorry for spamming the thread up with this.

 

[Xanikk999]

I once went for an interview for a job as a part time cleaner, for goodness sake, and when I put "atheist" on the form under "Religion", the owner of the company spent half an hour trying to convert me by photocopying bits of the Bible at me. It was all I could do to not start giggling until I'd left. Does it matter to a supermarket floor if I clean it in honor of Jesus or because it needs doing?
Tell us more!

Man i wish i was you at that time. That would be extremely funny...

With all the lawsuits flying around in the U.S seeing something like that here even would be extremelelllly rare!

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Yeah, I would sue, and I don't even like lawsuits.

From what I have gathered, TJs (That's Jehovah's Witnesses for those not "in the know") are somewhere between ID and OEC. They have a whole book on it and everything. I am surprised they would quote Behe, however, given how little love they have for Catholicism. Well, enemy of an enemy I guess.

 

[ironduck]

Americans always wanna sue!

 

[The Last Conformist]

Just being allowed to be on a university's property like that surprises me.. I guess religioius groups are grouped with positive non-profit organizations or something? Or would a commercial company also be allowed to set up representatives to sell a product?

Can't answer for Norwegian unis, but here in neighbouring Sweden company's often set up a booth on campus to hand out information pamphlets etc, trying to make people buy their products and/or apply for jobs with them. They only very rarely actually try to physically sell anything on campus, tho.

Since there's parliamentary elections this Sunday, we've also got plenty political booths lately. The only religious ones I can recall were from Fisherman's Friends (the Christian students' union), but I'm sure outsiders would be allowed to if they behaved themselves.

@Erik: Did the pamphlet have that old JW favourite about the amazingness about science and Genesis agreeing that the universe predates organic life?`

 

[The Last Conformist]

What does NOT surprise me is that all the drive-by creationists have (again) disappeared. All those questions unanswered

Seems I shall never have my curiosity about Remingtonocetus satisfied.

 

[ironduck]

TLC - I can understand allowing companies to offer jobs, selling products is something entirely different, which I don't understand why is allowed. And since soliciting a religion in my opinion is selling a product it seems odd for me to allow it. Same thing really goes for political parties in a sense, if it's just a matter of trying to get voters rather than an attempt to engage in open debate.

 

[El_Machinae]

I think a church is more like a club than a company, really. And clubs should be allowed to set up booths.

 

[ironduck]

Most churches expect members to pay membership fees. In return the members receive a service. That's a company selling a product in my view.

Of course, I generally view religions as clubs, but in this perspective they're definitely out there trying to make a sell.

 

[Smidlee]

For me evolutionists themselves are more convincing to me creationism than any creation group. In fact until a few years ago I knew nothing of ID or creation groups like ICR. Paul Nelson give a good example what I refering to. Here two evolution-thumbers (Coyne vs Davidson) are going at it not realizing that both men could be right. If both men are right (no reason to doubt they are not as I read others agreeing both positions)then to me this lead to the only conclusion; creation.

 

[El_Machinae]

Most churches expect members to pay membership fees.

I'll trust that you believe this, but I have never heard of a church (outside of Scientology) charging membership fees.