There's "open-minded." Then there's just being a moron.

Well, things are certainly exciting around the homestead today, what with all the excitement back here surrounding my upbraiding of a fellow Progressive Blogger for his (in my humble opinion) far too sympathetic treatment of the scientific illiteracy that is Intelligent Design.

And, oh, what a collection of respondents we have, particularly one who goes by the moniker "albertaavenue" (hereafter "AA"), who writes:

Progressive is about looking at different and new ideas with an open mind, and not to shut down all debate simply because it does not fit into your own personal world view...

... Canadian Cynic's hateful diatribe is yet another example of the regressiveness of many members of "Progrressive" Bloggers. It shows intolerance of other people's views, which, by definition, is regressive.

Now that AA has had his say, I will have mine. AA is dumb as a post. There is no other way to describe someone who thinks the concept of being open-minded and tolerant extends to giving a warm welcome to scientific illiteracy and fundamentalist garbage masquerading as science.

I am not being closed-minded or intolerant when I describe creation science or Intelligent Design as utter crap -- I am simply making a scientific observation, nothing more. There is nothing whatsoever "hateful" or "regressive" in describing pseudo-scientific nonsense for what it is. In fact, one would think that a real "progressive" would have an obligation to do just that -- put aside pre-conceived, religious notions and treat science with the respect it deserves, following the evidence wherever it leads.

Apparently, in AA's universe, it doesn't work that way. In AA's universe, even complete rubbish should be treated with kid gloves and tolerated, and one should be careful not to hurt the feelings of the proponents of said rubbish.

Fuck that.

These ignorant yahoos and dingbats have been waging a war for decades to replace honest, legitimate science with ignorant, fundamentalist swill, and AA wants me to be polite? Surely you jest.

There is nothing "progressive" about abiding obvious nonsense. I'm sure that works just fine in the right-wing wankersphere, where evolution is a Satanic myth, and global warming doesn't exist, and abortions cause breast cancer. But us progressives (or most of us, at least) live in the "reality-based community," remember? Where evidence matters, and people don't have a tendency to just make shit up.

That's what it means to be "progressive" -- to take that long-held, cherished and comfortable belief that the world is 6,000 years old and say, "Sorry, time to grow up. It doesn't work that way."

That's progress -- putting away the play things and facing the way the world really works, AA. And, yes, being thoroughly closed-minded and intolerant of nonsense. It's a tough job, but it's the way we reality-based folks deal with life. You might want to try it sometime.

SIDE NOTE TO SCOTT TRIBE: Back in that same earlier comments section, Scott Tribe writes:

If you really have a problem with someone on our blogroll.. and you dont like my response when you contact me (or Bart for that matter), its best to take it up with him. (And we really would prefer if you take it up with him in private first, before you decide to blast someone in public. We dislike seeing members squabble in public and we would prefer to avoid intra-blog wars if it can at all be helped).

Sorry, Scott, but that's not going to happen. No playing favourites here -- I'll just as happily whomp upside the head a PB member as anyone else if they post pseudo-scientific rubbish. If that's an issue, then we have a real problem here.