Some Metaphors Are Stronger Than Others

We’ve all heard: If God had wanted us to talk more, He wouldn’t have given us two ears and only one mouth.  Fair enough. Most of us, if we’re honest with ourselves, agree that we should be better listeners, so this is innocuous at worst.

But in many cases, starting a statement with “If God had wanted us to …., He would have ….”  gets us into trouble.

Problems start to arise when we use what God supposedly wills to cut across science, as exemplified by the fool shown at left.

Even worse, some people interpret some of the verses in the first chapter of Genesis as a divine command that humankind can do whatever it wants with the Earth and the animals that live on it. 

I’ve previously noted that Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) claimed to a committee on the environment that man cannot destroy the Earth, only God can do that, in a clear reference to climate change mitigation.

Using our concept of God to dictate policy is a deeply flawed concept.