Thursday, February 22, 2007

The National Post and religion: I think our job here is done.


Thomas Huxley once said, "Life is too short to occupy oneself with the slaying of the slain more than once," which suggests that beating up on the National Post's new series on religious enlightenment is an exercise in exquisite redundancy.

Having opened with an apparent attempt to be even-handed ("Have you found religion? Or lost it?"), is anyone surprised by today's sophomoric, comic book-level installment? Here, let me save you the trouble of reading the whole thing:

In today's instalment, Bruce Dean writes about finding God after a motorcycle accident that almost killed him ... caused me to doubt my faith. That doubt would disappear when tragedy struck at the age of 25 ... passenger on a motorcycle ... struck by an impaired driver ... lying in the field for some time ... began praying to God ... newfound faith was strengthened in the weeks following ... During my time in coma, God held me close ... vision of rising from my bed and being guided by an unseen and unheard source ... path was often difficult and frustrating. But it was a path I believed was paved by God. The faith I'd questioned throughout my youth has returned. And never again will I allow myself to question it.

There, I just saved you several minutes of your life you'd never be able to get back. Oh, wait ... I almost forgot this delightful nugget:

Bruce Dean is a member of the Family Coalition Party of Ontario, www.familycoalitionparty.com.

How about that? And you thought this series was to allow regular folks to share their stories, when it's actually free publicity for right-wing propaganda mills like the Family Coalition Party. Silly you.

If the National Post really wants your opinion, I'm sure they'll ask you for it.

P.S. In case you're keeping track, that Post series is now; religious deliciousness: 2, non-religious, God-hating humanists: 0. Which suggests that, for the sake of fairness, it's time for the Post to present a story going the other way, ideally from a disillusioned, disenchanted, bitter, baby-killing and (dare I say it?) cynical atheist, presented of course in the worst possible light.

It's a "fair and balanced" thing, you know.

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