Neil deGrasse Tyson's Provocative Tweets About Christmas Started An Internet Flame War

[hrmjustin]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/27/neil-degrasse-tyson-christmas-tweets_n_6385058.html?ncid=tweetlnkushpmg00000067


Article is full of tweets and a handful of paragraphs so i am just leaving the link. It seemed a bit too cute but I think people need to just move on. We still have freedom of speech.

[TM99]

1. The narcissism of fame.

Tyson is a smart man, that is obvious, but really what was the point of his Tweets?

He says it was to be factual and funny? He knew it would be offensive to many. He did it because he could. He seems to be enjoying the limelight and the reTweets.

Free speech is cool. It doesn't mean that we should just spout off anything we want just to stir the pot. But that's modernity for you. When we act narcissistically, we fail to see how our words may impact or affect someone else. It is just about us.

[hrmjustin]

2. I agree he knew what he was doing.

I can't say I am offended but it did zeem like he was aiming to offend a few.

[TM99]

4. I doubt any here would have been offended no matter

whether belief or non-belief is our stance.

Those that would be are of course going to reTweet and grouse about it thereby increasing hit-counts and making him popular.

It is just an ego-stroke - nothing more.

[hrmjustin]

5. Yep! I like him on science but this was just done to start in.

[TM99]

6. Prior to the boom of social media,

scientists did science in their own specialized fields. Now we have biologists, physicists, etc. discussing religion, history, & philosophy without the background education or experience to make such 'studious' pronouncements.

[hrmjustin]

7. Well everbody is an expert on everything now.

[TM99]

9. No kidding!

I see it daily here and at a few of the other sites I post to.

[hrmjustin]

10. Lol i know what you mean.

I knowmy knowledge is limited on many subjects so I stay away from them and just read.

[okasha]

3. Sibling rivalry.

He wants some of Dickie's action.

[TM99]

8. Now that Hitchens is dead,

perhaps Tyson is vying for the vacant horseman spot?

[okasha]

13. Let's see if he can stay on this Shetland pony first.

[cbayer]

12. I don't see him as part of that group at all.

He's more in league with someone like Ricky Gervais, who also makes brief but provocative remarks about religion.

But then I am prejudiced with regards to both of them.

[cbayer]

11. Well, as NDT is my secret love, I'm not going to be able to criticize him on this.

It's rather silly and only mildly provocative.

He also provokes atheists with his stand on not being one, so he's an equal opportunity poker.