Ethics

I Get Email

By Ed Brayton

I don't get stupid emails nearly as often as PZ does, but this one is worth copying. It's from someone named Denny:

I don't understand celebrating a birthday for a DEAD person. He is dead and probably has long been consummed by worms. All of us will either be burned or buried. So his hand pushed a pencil and wrote a few articles - so what. He didn't survive. His brains have rotted and can't be found. I'd like to know your thoughts on this, afterall, he is gone and doesn't have anymore meaning than the animals he said he came from; no matter how much progress we think has been made. Dead and gone is dead and gone according to Darwin so why do we remember something that is now nothing - doesn't make sense!? Beside, it looks to me like things are winding down not winding up. What's your answer on dying, do you ever dream of being nothing again? WOW! To me, that's heavy. To help me out with this, would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks Concerned Person

My thoughts? You're a moron. Thank you for playing.

Full post as published by Dispatches from the Culture Wars on February 22, 2009 (boomark / email).