Monday, June 28, 2010
Temporarily sporadic updates
Due to an unusual amount of business travel the blog will be updated sporadic over the next two weeks.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Lawmakers propose prayer to stop oil disaster
Half of the world's population is less intelligent than average. One of them is Louisiana senator Robert Adley, who designated yesterday as "a day for citizens to ask for God's help dealing with the oil disaster".
"Thus far efforts made by mortals to try to solve the crisis have been to no avail," state Sen. Adley said in a statement. "It is clearly time for a miracle for us".
Adley calls for members of all religions to pray. Why? Is he uncertain of what God exists ("might as well pray to all")? Perhaps the one true God will get upset over prayers to all other Gods and increase the oil disaster instead? What do we do then?
Well, let's see what happens. If all oil just disappears without a trace during the day I'll start to believe in God. What does it take for believers to stop believe in God?
Concerning the oil disaster there are more effective ways to help. One is to go down to the beach and volunteer in cleaning birds.
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"Thus far efforts made by mortals to try to solve the crisis have been to no avail," state Sen. Adley said in a statement. "It is clearly time for a miracle for us".
Adley calls for members of all religions to pray. Why? Is he uncertain of what God exists ("might as well pray to all")? Perhaps the one true God will get upset over prayers to all other Gods and increase the oil disaster instead? What do we do then?
Well, let's see what happens. If all oil just disappears without a trace during the day I'll start to believe in God. What does it take for believers to stop believe in God?
Concerning the oil disaster there are more effective ways to help. One is to go down to the beach and volunteer in cleaning birds.
------------------------------
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Public school drops Judeo-Christian moral reference
Some positive news! The Simcoe County District School Board has dropped a Judeo-Christian reference as part of a policy change. The previous reading "the Board believes the whole teaching program should be based on the principles of Judeo-Christian morality" is replaced with the more modern formulation "delivery of moral education must be compatible with the reality of pluralism in our society."
Three trustees voted against the change. Debra Edward says she's "just not willing to quickly toss aside the little standards of morality that we have at the board of education. Education in a vacuum without any standards of morality is not ideal."
Does Edward mean that without Judeo-Christian references moral seize to exist? Moral is not absolute. It arises in inter-human relationships were both parties aim to do best possible good, taking the benefits of both parties into account. That's perfectly possible without references to Judeo-Christian principles.
Fortunately there are smarter people than Edward living among us. Jodi Lloyd's position is that "all our policies have to be representative of all of our students. This is a step to address that. We're a publicly funded education system with students of all faiths and backgrounds, and we need to be inclusive of all of them."
Of course.
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Three trustees voted against the change. Debra Edward says she's "just not willing to quickly toss aside the little standards of morality that we have at the board of education. Education in a vacuum without any standards of morality is not ideal."
Does Edward mean that without Judeo-Christian references moral seize to exist? Moral is not absolute. It arises in inter-human relationships were both parties aim to do best possible good, taking the benefits of both parties into account. That's perfectly possible without references to Judeo-Christian principles.
Fortunately there are smarter people than Edward living among us. Jodi Lloyd's position is that "all our policies have to be representative of all of our students. This is a step to address that. We're a publicly funded education system with students of all faiths and backgrounds, and we need to be inclusive of all of them."
Of course.
-----------------------------------------
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Jesus struck by lightening
Jesus was struck by lightening in Ohio last night. The enormous sculpture burned to the ground.
Pharyngula develops the most interesting issue in this story:
"Here's the odd thing: they're promising to rebuild it. You would think that it's a rather unambiguous sign when your giant idol is smitten by a bolt of lightning from heaven, erupts into an all-consuming conflagration, and burns to the ground that maybe Jehovah is a little bit fed up. Yet the Solid Rock Church plans to offend God again. I guess they don't really believe."
Yepp, now we just wait for resurrection!
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Pharyngula develops the most interesting issue in this story:
"Here's the odd thing: they're promising to rebuild it. You would think that it's a rather unambiguous sign when your giant idol is smitten by a bolt of lightning from heaven, erupts into an all-consuming conflagration, and burns to the ground that maybe Jehovah is a little bit fed up. Yet the Solid Rock Church plans to offend God again. I guess they don't really believe."
Yepp, now we just wait for resurrection!
-------------------------------
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Why doesn't prayer solve oil spill disaster?
Christians have declared "days of prayer" and held ceremonies on the beaches, and despite of their efforts the oil spill disaster continues.
Why aren't christian prayers answered by God? What's your take - participate in a poll here! The alternatives are:
1. God is too busy
2. God doesn't care
3. God is sending a message
4. God is imaginary
5. Undecided
6. None of the above
Signature 'Bleach/Narutofan<33' says "God does hear us and though he may not always give us our wishes right now , he will in the future. Understand?"
Not really. "He will in the future"? What's he waiting for?
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Why aren't christian prayers answered by God? What's your take - participate in a poll here! The alternatives are:
1. God is too busy
2. God doesn't care
3. God is sending a message
4. God is imaginary
5. Undecided
6. None of the above
Signature 'Bleach/Narutofan<33' says "God does hear us and though he may not always give us our wishes right now , he will in the future. Understand?"
Not really. "He will in the future"? What's he waiting for?
---------------------------------------
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Children of lesbians feel great
A study comprising data material over 25-years concluds that children raised by lesbians are psychologically well-adjusted and have fewer behavioral problems than their peers.
The results surprised also the scientist who had expected children of lesbians to do as well as the normative sample (children of nonlesbian families), but not that they would do better. Children from lesbian families rated higher in social, academic and total competence, and showed lower rates in social, rule-breaking, aggressive problem behavior. This might be explained by planned pregnancies and the involvement of mothers.
The study is performed by Dr. Nanette Gartrell, who is a 2010 Williams Distinguished Scholar, UCLA School of Law, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the Center of Excellence in Women's Health for the University of California, San Francisco, and previously a faculty member at Harvard Medical School.
Christian lobbyist groups claim the study's credibility is diluted by it being funded by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender advocacy groups (however, they never consider christian research being diluted by it being funded by christians for some reason...).
The critic comes despite that the study is performed in a scientific manner by an educated Harvard-merited scientist. The study has withstood a rigorous peer review process and is accepted for publication in the well-recognized journal Pediatrics. The christian critic only illustrates the christian-lobby view of science: "it's better to believe in your fantasies, than in peer-reviewed science if you don't like the scientific findings". Intellectual honesty at its lowest level!
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The results surprised also the scientist who had expected children of lesbians to do as well as the normative sample (children of nonlesbian families), but not that they would do better. Children from lesbian families rated higher in social, academic and total competence, and showed lower rates in social, rule-breaking, aggressive problem behavior. This might be explained by planned pregnancies and the involvement of mothers.
The study is performed by Dr. Nanette Gartrell, who is a 2010 Williams Distinguished Scholar, UCLA School of Law, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the Center of Excellence in Women's Health for the University of California, San Francisco, and previously a faculty member at Harvard Medical School.
Christian lobbyist groups claim the study's credibility is diluted by it being funded by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender advocacy groups (however, they never consider christian research being diluted by it being funded by christians for some reason...).
The critic comes despite that the study is performed in a scientific manner by an educated Harvard-merited scientist. The study has withstood a rigorous peer review process and is accepted for publication in the well-recognized journal Pediatrics. The christian critic only illustrates the christian-lobby view of science: "it's better to believe in your fantasies, than in peer-reviewed science if you don't like the scientific findings". Intellectual honesty at its lowest level!
-------------------------------
CT schools appeal court decision
A recent ruling bars school graduations from being held in churches. This is a natural decision for any nation where church and state are separated.
Now the Enfield School Board in Connecticut has decided to appeal the decision because of "overwhelming outcry from the community against having graduations at each school" instead of in a church.
The problem with this kind of reasoning is that it only considers the rights of the majority, while excluding the minority. That's not how human rights work. Each and every person has exactly the same rights, for example freedom of religion meaning both a right to attend churches and a right to abstain from doing so. Holding a public school graduation in a church respects only the rights of those beloning to the first category, those who want to go to church.
The human rights are not subject to majority decisions: if we saw an "overwhelming outcry from the community" that only right-handed people should be able to attend a public ceremony, would it then be legitimate to exclude left-handed people? If the community said "we don't want muslims, Afro-Americans, or blue-eyed in this state park", can these groups be locked out?
Let's remind ourselves that Afro-Americans were not too long ago subjected to this kind of discriminating treatment, when the "overwhelming outcry" was allowed to define who had human rights and who had not. It was a disasterous project. Constitutional and human rights are not a majority decision.
-------------------------------
Now the Enfield School Board in Connecticut has decided to appeal the decision because of "overwhelming outcry from the community against having graduations at each school" instead of in a church.
The problem with this kind of reasoning is that it only considers the rights of the majority, while excluding the minority. That's not how human rights work. Each and every person has exactly the same rights, for example freedom of religion meaning both a right to attend churches and a right to abstain from doing so. Holding a public school graduation in a church respects only the rights of those beloning to the first category, those who want to go to church.
The human rights are not subject to majority decisions: if we saw an "overwhelming outcry from the community" that only right-handed people should be able to attend a public ceremony, would it then be legitimate to exclude left-handed people? If the community said "we don't want muslims, Afro-Americans, or blue-eyed in this state park", can these groups be locked out?
Let's remind ourselves that Afro-Americans were not too long ago subjected to this kind of discriminating treatment, when the "overwhelming outcry" was allowed to define who had human rights and who had not. It was a disasterous project. Constitutional and human rights are not a majority decision.
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