Showing posts with label science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science. Show all posts

Friday, October 2, 2020

Postmodernism Is Anti Science


Postmodernism Is Anti Science

Richard Dawkins, Michael Shermer, and Sam Harris don't get it. Sam Harris did "Letter to a Christian Nation." He should have done "Letter to a Dumbshit Postmodernist Nation."

Jordan Peterson: Please come back.

Religion doesn't poison everything. Religion couches good & bad, evolved morality. In group morality. Out group morality. Religions Are a natural evolutionary process. If you toss the baby of evolved morality out with the bathwater of mysticism you are cheating yourself & others.

Postmodernism is cultural Marxism. Denial of human nature. Race baiting. Denial of the Western Enlightenment project.

Western Enlightenment values Ended universal slavery. 365K Northern Army Soldiers during the American Civil War helped also. 

Enlightenment values: Equal opportunity, not an equal outcome.

All founders of Italian fascism were Marxists.

Socialism is where you have a totalitarian grifting Ponzi scheme in charge of your life & everyone's lives except the grifting leaders of socialist schemes.

6-25-2020

postmodernism,anti-science,antiscience,science,richard dawkins,sam harris,michael shermer,marxism,marxist,ponzi scheme

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Pale Blue Dot, Best Actions While Here


Pale Blue Dot, Best Actions While Here:

1. Survive & thrive the best ways we know.
2. Learn as much about our place here.
3. Call out liars, cheaters, Ponzi schemes, and grifters.

6-17-2020

Pale Blue Dot, Philosophy, Left, Right, Climate Hysteria, Grifters, Ponzi schemes, survive, thrive, choose life, honest science, science

Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Leftist Scientists Aren't Scientists

Leftist Scientists Aren't Scientists


Whenever there's social or political involvement, leftist scientists become non-scientists. Leftist Scientism is a bastard religion.

The religious right have a big point regarding problems with the scientific endeavor: Tribalism. Follow the money Ponzi schemes. Cash-flow vs the truth.

Climate Hysteria is a huge Ponzi Scheme.

Climate Scientists who say CO2 is evil and bad, are liars and grifters.

The cultural left to include leftist scientists, are anti-human, and anti-life. The cultural left is a suicide cult.

Additional links on the climate Ponzi scheme issue:

https://jonathanshome.blogspot.com/2017/09/sam-harris-michael-shermer-neil.html

Valiant people speak the truth in the face of social pressure.

COVID19 came from dangerous irresponsible gain-of-function virus research.

The people who value life look at the activities of leftist scientists and they see blackness & death. They see an anti-life project, and they're right in that assessment.

Leftists via abortion are in favor of black genocide.

The climate hysteria Ponzi scheme teaches that the human project and the project of having kids are wrong.

Kids are born innocent, including pink skinned children.

America was founded on Western Enlightenment values, values which ended slavery on the American continent. The Civil War also helped end slavery. Related:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXzoK77IFJ4

Leftist culturally Marxist postmodernism teaches the lies that gender is changable in the human animal, when it's not. Related:
https://jonathanshome.blogspot.com/2017/09/umfa-and-umoca-unsafe-for-women-and.html

The leftist tribe is all about divisionism, racism, race baiting, group rights & group blames, anti-humanism, the lies of postmodernism, mass abortions, and so on.

Leftist see themselves as broken, and they seek to outsource the baby making project to immigrants & invaders.

Don't trust leftist scientists.

Climate, climate hysteria, climate change, science, scientism, leftist, leftist death cult, ldc, ponzi scheme, covid19, gain-of-function, coronavirus, abortion, UMFA, UMOCA, postmodernism

6-15-2020

Monday, September 11, 2017

Sam Harris, Michael Shermer, Neil deGrasse Tyson: Priests in the Cult of Climate Hysteria

Monday, January 4, 2016

The religion of the "non-religious" left: anti-free-speech, anti-science, anti-Enlightenment

Islam v. Free Speech: Twitter Surrenders
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/429190/islam-twitter-and-free-speech


[Bernie Sanders:] Global warming a worse threat than terrorism, "...climate change is directly related to the growth of terrorism..."
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/427094/sanders-absolutely-global-warming-worse-threat-terrorism-tom-s-elliott

The main arguments supporting Sanders' assertion seem to revolve around resource availability:
http://www.factcheck.org/2015/11/sanders-on-climate-link-to-terrorism/

However what's missing from Sanders' equation is the impact of the Islamic meme set itself upon the stability and viability of societies.
(that the Western political leadership is largely in denial about the real root causes of terrorism)

Obama's statement about what, according to him, the future "must" not belong to:
https://reason.com/blog/2012/09/25/president-obama-says-we-must-condemn-tho
(never talking smack about Mohamed)

Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz collaborating discussions:
https://www.samharris.org/blog

Maajid is an unfortunately-singular truly-liberal voice within "Islam."
Cartoon posted by Maajid:
https://twitter.com/maajidnawaz/status/422342223460855809
more on Maajid:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maajid_Nawaz
https://twitter.com/MaajidNawaz
https://www.facebook.com/MaajidNawazFanPage/
Sam Harris debates Cenk Uygur (an example of the new regressive left vs those few lefties who're willing to be honest regarding Islam)
http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/the-young-turks-interview

Re climate change, Mark Steyn is engaged in a legal battle with Michael Mann.
http://www.steynonline.com/6234/the-silencing-of-science
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bARjABDqok

Judith Curry & Mark Steyn at the Senate: 

Anyway I've come to conclude that, as per Daniel Dennett's "dangerous" idea regarding religion being a natural phenomenon, religion is so damn natural that two or more atheists gathered in the name of their favorite social or political agenda cannot help but form a de facto one.

Charismatic charlatans come in all shapes and sizes. When our favorite "prophet" is on our side of the political spectrum we're more ready to dismiss their flaws. For example when Clinton was in office I personally wrote to the White House expressing my support during their trials & tribulations. However I now see that I was hoodwinked, just like I was hoodwinked about Joseph Smith.

Why are the rape crimes of Bill Clinton given a pass while the probably-natural activities of Catholic Priests & other pedophiles are not? Just because something is 'natural' doesn't mean it should be valued. Sociopathy and psychopathy are natural too, natural abusive outlier activities that is.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturalistic_fallacy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_to_nature

Recoverers from religion have a hard time seeing value in fully natural & fully evolved human morality which says "no" to certain activities. Why did fully natural religions/cultures evolve moral codes of conduct? For fully natural reasons.

So how "conservative" should we be? It's a balancing act. An evolution if you will. And we aren't the first people to deal with the tension between letting it all hang out, and hanging people for doing so. Somewhere in between those two extremes lies human happiness & human thriving.
Islam & Mormonism are too conservative.

60s/70s SanFran-Glory-Hole-style liberalism is probably too permissive.

Humans aren't Bonobos. Shame regarding certain otherwise destructive activities exists for some reasonable evolutionary reasons. Moral codes of conduct evolved as counterweights to proclivities which can be destructive.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Buddhist ideas polluting science & reason: free will, the self, and consciousness

Found this.

Sam Harris’ Buddhist Bullshit
http://chrisdierkes.com/sam-harris-buddhist-bullshit/

I agree that Harris's general views on the brain, free will, and the self may well all be warped by and clouded by his exposure to Buddhism.

Listen to the *whole tone* of Harris's work on free self, consciousness, and the self, and one general path emerges: toward Buddhism masturbatory obsession with getting *all things* out of your head, to find some sort of "peace."

But Harris's views on free will & the self are in my view myopic & simplistic.

When the "software" of the brain is running, the "self" does exist. We feel it does. Is that an illusion? No. Simply because the software or wetware or whatever can be turned off partially doesn't mean that when it is up and running it's an "illusion." No, it's not an illusion. It's quite real, and quite physical.

Free Will and The Self Are Not Illusions!
http://jonathanshome.blogspot.com/2014/11/free-will-and-self-are-not-illusions.html

And found this today:

"...Much more dubious is Buddhism's claim that perceiving yourself as in some sense unreal will make you happier and more compassionate..."

"...Even if you achieve a blissful acceptance of the illusory nature of your self, this perspective may not transform you into a saintly bodhisattva, brimming with love and compassion for all other creatures..."

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2003/02/buddhist_retreat.html

Ha ha!!! So this is Harris's problem! Even someone like Harris can have his views warped by a religion - one he likes very much, apparently.

I like a lot of what Harris has done in debates, but talk of free will & the self being illusions, well, smells a bit too much of Buddhism, AKA a religion.

Additional thoughts on Buddhism:
the violence of Buddhism - relativism, cult of personality, ignorance, & pacifism
http://jonathanshome.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-violence-of-buddhism-relativism.html

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Amerindian Culture condemns an 11 year old to death, today, now, in 2014

Should an 11 year old American Indian with leukemia be condemned to death, because  of the new age raw food eating modern medical science denying "aboriginal" beliefs of her parents? When self hating leftist hipsters in Florida and Canada do it it's not child abuse, right?

Is this a triumph for "native" "aboriginal" rights?

http://www.thespec.com/news-story/5028666-aboriginal-girl-who-refused-chemo-is-critically-ill/

http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2014/11/17/an-ontario-court-dooms-a-first-nations-girl-with-cancer/

The savages are not so noble after all.

More info on the term:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noble_savage

Pinker on the general issue & other leftist denial of human nature:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ramBFRt1Uzk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blank_Slate

A related book found:
War Before Civilization: The Myth of the Peaceful Savage
http://www.amazon.com/War-Before-Civilization-Peaceful-Savage/dp/0195119126

In my view Canada has become oh so very politically correct, and enmeshed in liberal self hate, that they cannot help but let this 11 year old "noble savage" die of leukemia.

My own further views on so-called "natives:"

American Indians: No group of humans are uniquely more noble
http://jonathanshome.blogspot.com/2013/03/american-indians-no-group-of-humans-are.html

Noble Savages? Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, Bradley Manning, Evo Morales, Hugo Chavez, Wikileaks, Bolivia, Amerindians (American Indians), and so on.
http://jonathanshome.blogspot.com/2013/07/noble-savages-edward-snowden-julian.html

Leaders in the Amerindian community are furthering past abuse by  whitey by such actions. Taking the sword from the whites of the past, holding it in their own hands, and using it themselves on their own children.

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Conservative Naturalism: Don't put your willie in the deadly destructive glory hole of the left. You might get both an STD and an MTD

(link to video - for iphone users and others)

Conservative Naturalism. Make some room please, in the universe of ideas.

[Collections of several recent posts from the past couple of days, advocating for the value of conservative naturalism.]

Here's one prime example of why the "secular left" is no solution or answer to the religious right:

http://thunderf00tdotorg.wordpress.com/2012/10/17/the-comments-pz-myers-doesnt-want-you-to-see/

P.Z. Myers. What a bummer.

No easy solution or social group to associate with after leaving Mormonism.

-------------------------

I question liberal dogma.
http://jonathanshome.blogspot.com/2013/08/family-values-atheism-questioning.html

Can we find a cure?
http://jaymans.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/a-gay-germ-is-homophobia-a-clue/

...to the LDC?

Time will tell, as will reproduction.

Who will care that you were alive, in 100 years?

If you're straight, have some kids. Write a book. Create some good art or science!

If you're gay, devote your life to service oriented pursuits, helping everyone especially the crazy straights who happen to value reproduction (god fucking forbid!). Create, if you can, some damn good art that amuses & provokes both gay & straight people, and which annoys people also. Annoyance is the key to good art - both straight and gay. The more annoying the better. This advise holds for both straight & gay artists.

Try to help your kids learn about the value of science, so that we can help the garden we've been given survive.

Survival is the bottom line.

Sex is set up in humans to be selfish - WISELY selfish.

If we AREN'T sucked into kid stuff, it's EASY to lead a petty dead end life, straight or gay.

Dunk straight aunt with no kids, who used to call my father while drunk all the time?

A zero on the Great Mandala.

Angel Reading Gay Nephew with a convicted pedo for a friend, nephew who spends his life posting near naked photos on FB?

Mostly a zero on the Great Mandala.

Service oriented gay guy who helps us with we go on vacation, and who has a highly service oriented career.

A reasonable place on the Mandala tapestry.

Stephen Fry & Oscar Wilde - mostly reasonable places from what I can tell so far.

Roman Polanski, should have his placed burned off the Mandala.

Joseph Smith also.

David Koresh also, and Jim Jones. Should be wiped CLEAN from the cloth.

What will your contribution be?

There are conservative fully naturalistic reasons to be concerned about birth control, sperm banks, and the forced equivalence of gay marriage & adoption.

If all respondents have in their tool box are ad hominem attacks, I'm acutely uninterested in those types of responses.

If you can change my mind, then change it. Otherwise, if I'm annoying, too bad. I'll still be on the net transmitting. Whether you listen or not is your choice. I just advocate that you find some useful place on the tapestry before your little tiny chance is gone.

-------------------------

Political history:

Dad liberal. He was always upset w/conservative stance of most Mormons.

I voted democrat while Mormon, and after leaving their church.

Went on an Alice in wonderland style journey after leaving.

Checked out nudists, polys, Portland sex party people, gay bars and parties.

Finally got married to a down to Earth socially moderate woman from China. She's atheist.

One kid. Another on the way.

Still like social welfare politically (Obamacare - w/a pref. for single payer),

Ayn Rand was an idiot who knew nothing about human nature. On the other hand Margaret Sanger was a eugenicist.

Perhaps like the South Park guys I hate conservatives, but I hate liberals even more. However I'm not libertarian, nor do I have "everything should be forcibly equal" gay colored glasses on.

I'm a truth and survival advocate. I care more about the truth (and general human survival) than group memberships or sucking up to any one group leader.  

Perhaps I am following in the footsteps of my rebel father to some extent. But I also highly value the life work of people like Christopher Hitchens, Steven Pinker, Daniel Dennett, and Carl Sagan.

I don't have empathy for wastrels. Take your place on the tapestry of life if and how you can, and while you have a chance.

I'm not a gaybot (similar to a mobot, but more gay).

Hey in a democracy in theory the people get to decide - except when naive judges take away our rights.

I know it's a balancing act between inherent rights and not. But until parthenogenesis is a natural reality, not everything will be equal.

-------------------------

Knock knock knock on the sperm bank door - the anxious lesbians wait outside. Non married to a person of the opposite sex women probably should be denied sperm from strange buildings such as those.

I can see why the religious right are upset. I'm not for a gay "marriage" ban. More for an alliance that promotes straight family life. The gays can do the interior decorating. That's ok. But regular natural families should be our top priority. Not STFU Parents woman on Jian G's show. 

Where's the socially conservative gays? Somewhere with the log cabin group?

-------------------------

Reach into the tool box of meme set defense mechanisms. Pull out one tool, after another, after another, after another.

Down deep in your meme set defense bag is the more heavy hammer & sharper instruments.

But, mostly what you've got so far is one logical fallacy, after another, after another. Smoke. Refusing to read what the other person says, or lazy name calling.

No wonder Mormons & other conservative religionists are wary of the other side. Wary for many reasons. And, regarding some of those reasons, I don't blame them!

They should fear for the safety of their children. Quite true. If your children get sucked into the "loving" arms of the LDC, they could well get AIDS or some other STD, become a druggie, "choose" to not have kids because of LDC ideology at school, "choose" to become gay or a mixed-sex freak, become destructive in other ways, etc.

Don't get an STD (sexually transmitted disease) or an MTD (memetically transmitted disease) by putting your willie into the glory hole of the left - it's no panacea.

-------------------------

What's the balance between straight marriage, straight family life, and not?

13.8 billion years to 10 years.

10 years or so of lesbians knocking, knocking, knocking on the sperm bank door.

13.8 billion where a woman had to find a man and vice versa.

Quite a comparison.

Liberal denial of human nature, and our long history.

Traitors to their 13.8 billion year history. A repugnant death cult. THIS is liberalism for you TODAY!

-------------------------

[Responding to a post by one man who is exhibiting traits of currently being held down by LDC ideology:]

Slow motion suicide, helping rob YOU of a place on the tapestry of life:
"...there are perhaps other reasons why homosexual behavior may be increasingly cropping up in human and other species. There is a certain 'carrying load' of animal species and homosexuality may actually be nature's way of bringing things back into balance."
"Humanity is in no danger of dying out from lack of reproduction. It may be seriously endangering itself though, through overpopulation. Personally, those who are hysterical about the 'gay agenda' are simply fear-mongering in order to exert social control over a behavior that they find...icky? I have many gay friends. Their agenda is quite simply. To enjoy the same legal protections in their relationships that heterosexuals enjoy. That is the sum total of their agenda."
"To assume that procreation is the only societally building relationship ignores all of the couples who are for one reason or another unable to procreate. The argument that homosexual relationships are unproductive are meritless since there are millions of gay people who are functioning and productive members of society."
Responses to the above LDC meme set collection expression:

1. Your answer proves my point. To support the equivalence of "gay marriage" you MUST advocate that most people NOT have children. You must advocate for the value of childless marriage - and that such a state may actually be good. Slow motion suicide. A death cult. No other words for it.

These people have a point:
http://overpopulationisamyth.com/
and http://overpopulationisamyth.com/category/categories/pop101

Lurking behind LDC dogma are things like China's mandatory one child policy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-child_policy

Totalitarian eugenics.
http://jonathanshome.blogspot.com/2013/03/margaret-sanger-also-amoral-fuck.html
and
http://jonathanshome.blogspot.com/search/label/Margaret%20Sanger

An ideology of death, for the individual, and for society. The only fools who are listening are the liberals. Suicide for their own culture. Perhaps that's not so bad?

People WILL ignore you! They are ignoring you! They will continue to ignore you! Thank goodness!

Take your place on the Great Mandala, or Not!. It's up to you! I just advocate that you do. Don't allow yourself to be robbed of life & key foundational life experiences by LDC dogma!

2. Meritless?

False equivalences are the
meritless, dangerous, destructive doctrinal points of the left.

Hey, I'm quite familiar with the dogma of the LDC. I've seen it first hand. My sister is a victim. My gay nephew is one. You are probably one too. I ask that you not be.

13.8 billion years. To 10. 13.8 billion years. To 10. Quite a ratio.

Traitors to life & to your own history.

"Carrying load" - may as well commit suicide now. Too many people? Let's be childfree.

May as well commit suicide. Hey, if your choice holds, the net-result will be pretty much the same.

But please DON'T! Have a kid if you can, using good old fashioned reproduction! And if you cannot, then help support those who do! Don't be a traitor to your own history.

Conservative naturalism. Advocacy for life. Honoring our true history, as 13.8 billion year evolved highly intelligent sexual animals. But sometimes our neural networks can send us right off the fucking rails and into a ditch. The LDC is one such ditch.

Please avoid it. Embrace life. Is that too much to ask?

-------------------------

Further liberal-meme-set expression posted:

"A.) Homosexuality is not maladaptive to psychosocial health. B.) There is no evidence that allowing gays to marry increases rates of homosexual behavior. In short, allowing gays and lesbians to marry the person they love will have no statistically significant negative impact on individuals or society as a whole."
My response:

A. Tell that to the people robbed of their place on the tapestry of life by LDC ideology.

B. Are we sure? The endeavor of science cannot yet be trusted on the question, because of the strong bias against a non-PC non-LDC honest answer from science.

No impact? Unless it does. Straightness is not honored in such a household. An imposition of destructive LDC ideology is by default imposed on the kid. Child abuse to grow up in such a household. More ready exposure to "gay culture." 
http://jonathanshome.blogspot.com/2013/08/response-to-site-claims-attack-by-lds.html

A betrayal of basic human nature.

13.8 billion years. 10 years.

13.8 billion years. 10 years.

13.8 billion years. 10 years.

LDC denial of basic human nature.

What if a child needs a mommy & a daddy - by their very nature?

Can an LDC-member "scientist" ask this question?

Is the "right" right? Can you ask, as a true honest scientist?

Not easily.

Not and keep your current friend circle.

The Stonewall warriors are there, waiting to POUNCE on anyone who questions their dogma & agenda.

It's a war. And war is no time for science to inconveniently show that the leftist side may be wrong - wrong in ANY way.

Not science.

A betrayal of natural history.

A preference for slow-motion suicide.

A death cult.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Advice for Social Conservatives & Moderates, from a Family Values Atheist


On social issues, groups of scientists, atheism, and the atheist movement are still religions.

Dogma.

Doctrine.

Unquestionable dogma & doctrine.

Heresy & excommunication trials.

These are a few of religion's favorite things.

Humans are not a tabula rasa (a blank slate).

Here is some general advise for the religious & social right & middle:

1. Put more of your energy into searching for secular arguments to back up the otherwise good & valuable human morality that exists with your cultures.

2. Be less harsh & abusive where necessary.

3. Admit that on the "god" front (including on evolution), the intellectual argument has mostly gone to the side of the left.

4. Many of the moral arguments you make do have value - when made a bit less harsh.

Daniel Dennett's dangerous idea: Religion is a natural phenomenon. This fact cuts both ways. Fully natural, normal, valuable, and useful human morality can and does exist within religious frameworks. A damn hard thing for a liberal to admit! In fact many liberals are in active denial.

It's no wonder that Steven Pinker has commented about the modern denial of human nature, in his book The Blank Slate.

The left IS in denial, just as the right has been about god & evolution.

Yes we ARE animals, with BUILT IN morals, AND some damn good reasons for ascribing shame (yes shame!) to certain otherwise descructive human behaviors.

I remember when Sam Harris made note of how the right's view on Islam was more correct than the secular left. The secular left is in denial about Islam.

I remember when Steven Pinker made note of how the left & right are both in denial about human nature.

I remember when Christopher Hitchens made not of how the left was in denial about Islam and both the right & left about Mother Theressa.

I remember when Daniel Dennett stated "Dennett's Dangerous Idea" (thanks go to me for coining this if no one else has to date!), that: Religion is a natural phoenomenon. Again, this apparent fact cuts both ways. Very inconventient for the social agenda of assholes like P.Z. Myers and the like. The fundie left.

Hey, when I listened to the talk of the following guy, he does mention the tabula rasa issue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfHTNt4ELwY

Hmmm.

Here's additional articles I found, debates, & discussions:

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/bering-in-mind/2011/03/22/homophobia-phobia-bad-science-or-bad-science-comprehension/

http://www.albany.edu/psychology/files/Gallup_Vita.pdf

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0162309594000286

http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/ensold/article/0162-3095%2896%2900042-8/abstract

Why all the gay stuff? Because the left worships homosexuality as the pinnacle of liberal sex. No kids. "Cha-ching" they say - "we're helping the environment!" Automatic birth control. Perfect liberal sex. Also perfect liberal marriage.

People trying to "recover" from conservative religion can be and are easily sucked into the abusive fundamentalism of the left.

For example: Atheists of Utah - in my view a fundamentalist religion of the left. Doctrines. Dogmas. Unquestionable paradigms. An ultra-leftist social agenda. Voted by Q Salt Lake as the best religion, and a runner up to being the best social group.

But where's the regular straight families? Where's the children? Where's the people who value good old fashioned healthy happy useful family values? They're actively excluded. They MUST be, because politically correct leftist dogmatism is their core religion.

Boozer parties where high alchohol content liquor is raffled off.

Beer drinking meetups on a more frequent basis.

But not much pro-kid stuff.

Leadership straight from the local branch of Stonewall.

Nominated by Q Salt Lake as being the pinnacle of religions & the near pinnacle of social groups.

But again being at that pinnacle is not all it's cracked up to be.

Not only does the conservative emperor have no clothes (eg: Joseph Smith), the liberal emperer has none also (eg: "gay culture"). The latter group are happy about that though, with their constant posting of near-naked photos of themselves on facebook.

Hey, I've seen it all first hand. I've seen the ultra-right AND the ultra-left. Unlike your average muff mouthed muff brained liberal, I've done in depth research into BOTH "ultra" sides. And here's what I've found: BOTH SIDES are nearly equally abusive!

It's sad that scientists claim they're being objective when they're not - on social issues.

They're ok with being mostly-objective when it comes to far off things like planets, or far distant in history things like dinosaurs. BUT, question their ultra-leftist social agenda on things like marriage & family, and by fuck they will revert to the new-ultra-dogmatic-religion-of-the-left as quick as a bat out of hell. Two seconds. Maybe one

"Yes, here on the high pillars of academia, we poo poo and laugh at the poor middle & right leaning religionists, with their views on the existence of god & evolution. BUT, question our social views and we'll quickly show you just how religious WE ARE as scientists - so-called scientists who refuse to be scientists when it comes to social issues."

So, yes, Mr. & Mrs. Conservative, you ARE right to conclude that groups of scientists, AND atheist groups, AND secular groups, most such groups are religions - dogmatic religions of the left.

----------

Both sides, right & left, poison of the well of reasonable discussion regarding natural normal good valuable useful human morality.

Jumping from one extreme to the other is no solution.

Honesty is the answer! Both to dogmatism on the right & the left.

Related posts:

Recovery from Atheists of Utah
http://jonathanshome.blogspot.com/2014/05/recovery-from-atheists-of-utah.html

The Atheist Movement needs move laxative - Making room for social & political conservatives!
http://jonathanshome.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-atheist-movement-needs-move.html

Thursday, April 24, 2014

On Mormons who believe science shows the Book of Mormon is true.

Mormons who believe science shows the Book of Mormon is true. There's comparisons with creationist "science" to be sure.

13th International Book of Mormon Evidence Conference
http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e8ygft4b73fe4785&llr=z7h5t5cab

The FIRM foundation:
http://firmlds.org

BoM DNA evidence:
http://www.bookofmormonevidence.org/downloads.php

An appropriate response, from a past associate of mine Simon Southerton:
http://simonsoutherton.blogspot.com/2011/12/origin-of-x-lineage.html
and
http://simonsoutherton.blogspot.com/2013/11/meldrums-x-lineage-ugly.html

It's not surprising really, to have Mormons frantically searching, searching, and searching for evidence. And then, they pull it right out of their collective asses.

The competition for the brain washed conference:
http://exmormonfoundation.org/conference-archive.html
and where Simon spoke:
http://exmormonfoundation.org/audio2006.html

Sadly the pro-science competition doesn't allow children at their conference though - STRANGE!

http://jonathanshome.blogspot.com/search/label/exmormon%20foundation

But they're better than nothing I suppose.

Friday, February 21, 2014

recent travels: science & creationist museums & Antelope Island

Visit to The Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point, Lehi, Utah. February 8, 2014

http://youtu.be/lHcDy3w0rUs

Natural History Museum of Utah visit on February 9, 2014.

http://youtu.be/TSkft7W0m7Q

Antelope Island, February 16, 2014

http://youtu.be/9pNo1yBY-LY

Additional info is on the youtube page for each video.

Monday, August 19, 2013

Embrace life: What will you do with your speck of time here?


Advocacy for a enlightened naturalism, humanism, atheism, and memetics ROOTED in human nature, flourishing, life, honest science & history, and in the revolutionary concept that because religion is a natural phenomenon, many of their stigmas & taboos have damn good reasons for being there.

TheGreat Mandala - taking your place on it.

"Liberal values" reportedly includes advocacy for "diversity," but only a diversity of acceptance. What if a given culture has good human-centered reasons for a given taboo or stigma? Does your advocacy for "diversity" include allowing around you people who believe that certain human activities very much need "shame" attached to them? Examples: adultery; wild sex with many partners with no commitment; sex with underage people; and even, heaven forbid, sex with people of the same sex. What if another human culture draws the line of acceptable behavior at a different place than you? Will you welcome into your "big tent" of supposed diversity such cultures & people?

The word "bigot" implies a lack of knowledge. But we have knowledge. Cultures which ascribe shame to some or most all of the activities mentioned above (adultery, homosexuality, etc.) have knowledge - human knowledge about impacts. Belief in some god is just the WAY some humans otherwise preserve  ideas which offer protection from harm & damage, and it's simply the WAY they promote life. But, come to find out (and this is also a revelation for the religionist also), *humans who have no exposure* to the Christian Bible, or the Koran, or the Torah, ALSO have stigmas & taboos regarding the exact same destructive behaviors you're concerned about!

So, we're not talking about Biblical morality, or religious morality - rather, for these widely shared stigmas & taboos, we're talking about HUMAN morality! How's that supposed "humanist" & "naturalist" in America? Can you accept the key concept that being human does, for good reason, include having stigma for behaviors which you currently want to advocate for - for "equal rights?" But not every human behavior is worthy of respect. And it's not bigoted to say this - it's just the facts. Human facts. Natural facts. Human animal facts.

CAN an atheist, an ex-conservative-religionist, look back and realize that at least some of what they were taught while in a cult was in fact stuff rooted in human nature (& therefore worth considering & valuing), as opposed to stuff that was associated with the lies that were in their former religion?

There will be push-back from people who are still very angry at being lied to. I am still angry about this also. But, having examined countries who have zero do to with the religion of my youth, when I examine what THEY do, it makes me more fully realize that the list of taboos in a given religion CAN actually be beneficial to human survival, thriving, and happiness.

14 billion years of evolution by natural selection. You're here. You have one little speck of time. What are you going to do with your time here?

August 19, 2013 7:57am

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Curtis White is the liar - The Science Delusion: Asking the Big Questions in a Culture of Easy Answers

Curtis White has written the following book:

The Science Delusion: Asking the Big Questions in a Culture of Easy Answers

Mr. White is a government employee working at Illinois State University. What department does Mr. White work for? The science department? The history department? No! The English Department! AND IT SHOWS.

I read Mr. White's lame excerpt from his amateurish book at Salon.com.

White seems to be a big advocate for the blank slate view of human nature, a view largely debunked by modern science. Also I'm sure White would be irritated by Sam Harris's book on morality but I doubt he's even checked out the book. 

White seems to believe that the Exodus may have happened. Ok, what's the first f-ing thing you should do nowadays when writing a book? Check wikipedia!
The consensus among biblical scholars today is that there was never any exodus of the proportions described in the Bible,[14] and that the story is best seen as theology, a story illustrating how the God of Israel acted to save and strengthen his chosen people, and not as history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exodus#Historicity

White seems to be a huge fan of liberal religion. But one key thing he misses is this:

Liberal religion serves as an apologetic structure for a.) woo woo unfounded beliefs, b.) calls for "diversity" which deny, among other things, the barbarous nature of key religious leaders - leaders who some naive ultra-left liberals just love, and c.) a taboo against being critical of people's "deeply held views."

The KEY thing about White's book is this: IT'S F-ING LATE. The guy couldn't manage to publish this hanger-on parasite of a book while Hitchens was still alive, and while he could respond in person and in the flesh. But, there's plenty of us who very much appreciated and valued Hitchens' work, who remember his words and his style.

Curtis White is in my view a coward and a liar, and he's unworthy of his role as an "educator" at a public university.

Dinesh D'Souza claims that we shouldn't let biologists out of the lab. However, it's rather more accurate to say that we should keep idiot English professors OUT OF IT.

White's other "contributions:"

http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/mag/contributor/107/

Liberals are still upset at Hitchens over Iraq, and it shows. They dig up every piece of poo they can and heave it onto the grave of an otherwise noble dead man, for profit and attention. Was it right to go into Iraq? Hitchens made the ONLY case I listened to, and it was, at the very least, an intellectually honest and honorable case. Examine Hitchens' work on Mother Teresa & Bill Clinton -  two wonderpeople of the idiot-hippie ultra-liberal-left. Now today people like Reza Aslan has the left by the balls, as he pulls them around teaching them that Mohamed was a man of peace.

Science & history, as shared with us by people like Steven Pinker, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, and Christopher Hitchens, isn't metaphysics. When idiot White uses the term, it just shows he hasn't done his homework. But that's not surprising. When you're a creative writer you don't need to do much else other than pull crap out of your ass.

For those of us who were members of real religions, like Mormonism, and conservative Christianity or Islam, we remember what's it's like to be brain washed & lied to. People in light & fluffy religions have no idea what it's like, no idea whatsoever. Pompous intellectuals like White would just assume let people continue in their ignorance, because liberal religion does so many good things in their view. But one thing liberal religion does which is particularly bad is that it gives people permission to continue to believe in bullshit, and it maintains a taboo against being critical of bullshit beliefs.

Science IS about being willing to take a step back from all dogmas. And the "dogma" of claiming that the Exodus didn't happen (like White claims) IS NOT A DOGMA AT ALL. It is an apparent fact that there was no real Exodus.

Check wikipedia before you write a book Mr. White. And, next time you're going to shoot out a huge poop from your bum, at least have the decency to aim at a person who's still alive, and who can respond to your tripe.

Other reviews:

“Atheist” Curtis White attacks Hitchens, makes fool of himself
http://spiritualityisnoexcuse.wordpress.com/2013/06/28/atheist-curtis-white-attacks-hitchens-makes-fool-of-himself/

Faith in the Unseen
Curtis White’s ‘Science Delusion’
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/09/books/review/curtis-whites-science-delusion.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Evangelical & 'religious' atheism - Utah Atheist Brunch




The Salt Lake Valley Atheists group held their monthly Utah Atheist Bunch, on Sunday February 3rd, 2013. Here's a clip from that meeting, and then subsequent commentary added on from the 5th and 6th:


The talk at the meeting regarded whether atheism is a religion. At the front of his talk the speaker stated that "evangelical atheism" is just as bad as other forms of evangelical religion, and he said that atheists should not be "moral busybodies."

After his talk the speaker took a more conciliatory tone to some extent and said that he was mainly concerned about tactics. Also during his talk he said that it may be appropriate to respond to other religionists if they were procreatory.

Is atheism a religion? Not in the traditional sense. In religions usually there's leaders who cannot be questioned. Atheists tend to value science & try to reject dogma. Scientists get ahead in science by actually disproving, overturning, or adding to previous theories. Usually religious organizations reject and resist change and challenges to their core leaders & doctrines.

There is a lot of provocation going on from regligionists. Mormons send out their missionaries, they interrogate children and adults about masturbation, necking, petting, sex outside of marriage, and even oral sex in marriage. Catholic priests rape children en masse, and Catholics & conservative Anglicans have thrown their pretty women and women who had sex outside of marriage into asylums. Islamic people require that their women live in the prison of the burqa, niqab, and hijab.

More info:
My own writings including info on Islam & Mormonism:
http://jonathanshome.blogspot.com
http://corvus.freeshell.org/corvus_corax/two/life_path/life_path.htm

Related info:
Sam Harris on science being able to comment on morality:
http://www.samharris.org/media/video

Scott Atran & Sam Harris debating:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sam+harris+scott+atran

Mormon oral sex letter:
http://lds-mormon.com/worthy_letter.shtml
http://lds-mormon.com/worthy_letter1.shtml

Catholic child rape:
http://www.bishop-accountability.org

Christians locking women up who were too pretty, or who had sex outside of marriage:
Magdalene asylums
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magdalene_asylum

Related video on the issue - Sex in a cold climate - documentary:



Tawfik Hamid on fear of sexuality in Islam:
http://jonathanshome.blogspot.com/2013/02/happy-world-hijab-day-its-gonna-be-good.html


A link to Galileo's sentencing document, can be found on my post at
DNA, the Book of Mormon, and Creationists: blowing smoke in response to science & facts
http://jonathanshome.blogspot.com/2013/02/dna-book-of-mormon-and-creationists.html

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

DNA, the Book of Mormon, and Creationists: blowing smoke in response to science & facts

Ok, so this is turning out to be a long standing issue. Examine the history of science & religion. In the past scientists got locked up for doing science, because their work challenged the contemporary views of the world. And even today, atheists are being sent to prison for speaking their mind.

Galileo was found to be "...vehemently suspect of heresy," and later sentenced to prison. A relevant excerpt from his sentence - but read the whole thing when you get a chance:
We say, pronounce, sentence, and declare that you, the above-mentioned Galileo, because of the things deduced in the trial and confessed by you as above, have rendered yourself according to this Holy Office vehemently suspected of heresy, namely of having held and believed a doctine which is false and contrary to the divine and Holy Scripture: that the sun is the center of the world and does not move from east to west, and the earth moves and is not the center of the world, and that one may hold and defend as probable an opinion after it has been declared and defined contrary to Holy Scripture.  Consequently you have incurred all the censures and penalties imposed and promulgated by the sacred canons and all particular and general laws against such delinquents.  We are willing to absolve you from them provided that first, with a sincere heart and unfeigned faith, in front of us you abjure, curse, and detest the above-mentioned errors and heresies, and every other error and heresy contrary to the Catholic and Apostolic Church, in the manner and form we will prescribe to you.
    Furthermore, so that this serious and pernicious error and transgression of yours does not remain completely unpunished, and so that you will be more cautious in the future and an example for others to abstain from similar crimes, we order that the book Dialogue by Galileo Galilei be prohibited by public edict.
    We condemn you to formal imprisonment in this Holy Office at our pleasure.  As a salutary penance we impose on you to recite the seven penitential Psalms once a week for the next three years.  And we reserve the authority to moderate, change, or condone wholly or in part the above-mentioned penalties and penances. 
And then later we have the Scopes Trial, where teaching evolution was illegal in Tennessee. 

No conflict between science & religion? That's what the Templeton Foundation would have us believe.

It almost goes without saying that creation "science" (which is not a science) is a direct response from religionists who see science as a threat.

The approach of the creationist religionists is as follows:
We don't like the answers science gives, they disprove our literalist interpretation of scripture. Therefore we shall simply redefine what science is and what science means, and we'll blow as much smoke as possible and muddy the waters with half and partial truths regarding what the true state of scientific discovery is.
This is precisely the approach taken by the "creation scientists:" blow smoke, change definitions, and lie when you have to.

And, the exact same approach is taken by the Mormon Church in the following articles, as they pathetically attempt to respond to DNA evidence refuting key claims in their founding religious documents on the origins of the American Indians. Check out:

http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/review/?vol=15&num=2&id=507
and more fluff & articles from similar people:
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/dna-and-the-book-of-mormon

Appropriate responses to smoke from the Mormon Church on the issue of DNA & the Book of Mormon:

My original responses:
Mormon Doctrine: Indians are Lamanites, period, full stop.
http://corvus.freeshell.org/corvus_corax/two/life_path/lamaniteindianref.html

Where is the Lamanite DNA?
http://corvus.freeshell.org/psittacus/three/tract/dna_additional.htm
A book on the subject by Simon Southerton.
http://www.amazon.com/Losing-Lost-Tribe-Native-Americans/dp/1560851813
More info:

A talk by Dr. Southerton to at an Exmormon Foundation conference:
http://exmormonfoundation.org/audio2006.html
...look under the text on that page that says
"Simon Southerton, Ph.D.: 'Losing a Lost Race: From Radishes to DNA and Outer Darkness'"

Mormon scriptures that directly tie American Indians with Israel:

The Book of Mormon - translated by Joseph Smith from gold plates:

    2 Nephi 26:19
    19 And it shall come to pass, that those who have dwindled in unbelief shall be smitten by the hand of the Gentiles.

    Enos 1:16
    And I had faith, and I did cry unto God that he would preserve the records; and he covenanted with me that he would bring them forth unto the Lamanites in his own due time.

Doctrine & Covenants - where the Mormon God speaks directly to Joseph Smith:

    D&C 3:18
    18 And this testimony shall come to the knowledge of the Lamanites, and the Lemuelites, and the Ishmaelites, who dwindled in unbelief because of the iniquity of their fathers, whom the Lord has suffered to destroy their brethren the Nephites, because of their iniquities and their abominations.

    D&C 3:19
    19 And for this very purpose are these plates preserved, which contain these records---that the promises of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he made to his people;

    D&C 3:20
    20 And that the Lamanites might come to the knowledge of their fathers, and that they might know the promises of the Lord, and that they may believe the gospel and rely upon the merits of Jesus Christ, and be glorified through faith in his name, and that through their repentance they might be saved. Amen.

    D&C 19:27
    27 Which is my word to the Gentile, that soon it may go to the Jew, of whom the Lamanites are a remnant, that they may believe the gospel, and look not for a Messiah to come who has already come.

    D&C 28:8
    8 And now, behold, I say unto you that you shall go unto the Lamanites and preach my gospel unto them; and inasmuch as they receive thy teachings thou shalt cause my church to be established among them; and thou shalt have revelations, but write them not by way of commandment.

    D&C 32:2
    2 And that which I have appointed unto him is that he shall go with my servants, Oliver Cowdery and Peter Whitmer, Jun., into the wilderness among the Lamanites.

    D&C 54:8
    8 And thus you shall take your journey into the regions westward, unto the land of Missouri, unto the borders of the Lamanites.

    D&C Section 57 Introduction - 1986 Edition

    Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, in Zion, Jackson County, Missouri, July 20, 1831. HC 1: 189-190. In compliance with the Lord's command (Section 52), the elders had journeyed from Kirtland to Missouri with many varied experiences and some opposition. In contemplating the state of the Lamanites and the lack of civilization, refinement, and religion among the people generally, the Prophet exclaimed in yearning prayer: "When will the wilderness blossom as the rose? When will Zion be built up in her glory, and where will they Temple stand, unto which all nations shall come in the last days?" Subsequently he received this revelation.

    D&C 57:4
    4 Wherefore, it is wisdom that the land should be purchased by the saints, and also every tract lying westward, even into the line running directly between Jew and Gentile.

    [Footnote on the bottom of page 103 of the 1986 D&C:]
    4b IE by metonymy "Jew" here refers to the Lamanites, and "Gentile" to the white settlers.

...and more direct links are at
http://corvus.freeshell.org/corvus_corax/two/life_path/lamaniteindianref.html

But notice, in the Doctrine & Covenants sections referenced above, we have The Mormon God, Elohim, speaking directly to Joseph Smith, right? Hey, Mormon Church, and FARMS, can you get around that?

The Mormon Brain Software, which was running in my own brain for several years, was a set of memes that operated rather like a virus or a biological system that put up defenses.

The Devils of Mormonism Advocacy Skepticism
http://corvus.freeshell.org/corvus_corax/two/life_path/Mormon_devil.htm


...and they do in all religions. If you have a doubt, that's from Satan. So, this is the last resort of all religionists. A newer tactic is to try to redefine what science means and what science is. That's the tactic of creation "scientists" and Templeton Chumps alike. And another longer standing tactic is to blow smoke. And then, if all else fails, just threaten people with the fear that any doubt comes to them via an evil spirit. How perverse, but it's par for the course in cult-type religions.

How can we move forward, and why?

Here's a relevant talk I gave at my own mothers funeral:
http://jonathanshome.blogspot.com/2010/12/funeral-talk-that-i-gave-in-february.html

The wackiness of Mormonism has led people to become atheists.

Here's one key example: Julia Sweeney...



and

Related blog post:

Museum of Ancient Life visit - February 2nd, 2013
http://jonathanshome.blogspot.com/2013/02/museum-of-ancient-life-visit-february.html


Friday, December 7, 2012

Rationalism, Naturalism, Cultural Relativism, and having an accurate view of the world

The rationalist may not enjoy admitting to the biological evolutionary naturalistic roots of what he concludes is "rational." A good analogy is how Spock was portrayed as viewing the world: logical until mating season came around, but even then his actions were in the end logical to him.

It's is indeed rational to eat, breath, have sex, love, make babies, have fun, and so on - so the rationalist will naturally conclude because his brain and being are coded to conclude as much. So be it. Humans aren't fully rational though, whatever the fuck rational may actually mean.

In any case, the idea that we can divorce ourselves from emotion is an illusion and is in many ways a potentially damaging self deception. Go without food long enough, or other of our primary biological needs, and the supposedly strict rationalist will very quickly go right off the rails. Pretend like you've got a "rational mind" divorced from your "emotional mind" and you're frankly drive yourself and others crazy.

On cultural relativism: I don't have a problem with judging how people acted in the past. There's a limit to my own tolerance regarding past behavior, and I believe everyone has a limit. My mentioning of Mohamed's 9 year old wife was to show one example. Maybe people did marry at 14 in the past more, but there's all sorts of things that used to happen which we now have concluded were incorrect actions. Incorrect now, and, incorrect then. For example: slavery, the oppression of women, having kings rule with an iron fist, and so on.

Pinker has spoken of an progressing moral zeitgeist as has Dawkins. Also Harris has some good ideas on a science of morality. Thank goodness we now have a much wider scope for our in group morality.

Down at BYU in the psychology & religion departments, they may strongly decry the "hedonistic" nature of "the world," and try to get their students to be wary. They go to their churches on Sunday where Mormon bishops interrogate youngsters about masturbation, and where all the youngsters learn to fear normal natural human sexuality. But, meanwhile, their founding prophets have been reasonably documented as doing things which the Mormon Church would excommunicate people for. So that's the point. Hypocrisy.

Don't masturbate Johnny, but meanwhile worship a god who had literal sex with the wife of another man. Don't have oral sex, Julie and Jim, but meanwhile Brigham & Joseph got to have sex with the wives of other men and with under age girls.

My own experience with Mormonism has made me more of a strong naturalist, on both sides of the cultural spectrum. So for example I'm all for people having as many babies as they want - if that's what deep down they feel like doing. The exuberance of the gays has a companionship with the exuberance of a large family. I try not to disparage either course of action because deep down people are doing what they feel included to do as animals. So be it. And, as rather intelligent animals maybe in the long term we can engineer and way to stay alive when the sun gets 10% hotter.

http://jonathanshome.blogspot.com/2010/12/funeral-talk-that-i-gave-in-february.html

The bottom line is that I don't think everything is relative. All societies past & present can for example be evaluated against the following yardstick: How well did each help humans be happy & thrive, and how much did each hold people down & make them unhappy?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_of_morality

Friday, November 16, 2012

Nobel prize winner Harry Kroto, Michael Shermer, William Lane Craig, and unfortunate Templeton Foundation chumps...

More commentary and videos on the Templeton Foundation, Nobel prize winner Harry Kroto, Michael Shermer, William Lane Craig, and unfortunate Templeton chumps... November 11-12, 2012.




First video above:

Harry Kroto on Templeton. Michael Shermer blows a gasket. Further commentary.
Nobel prize winner Harry Kroto criticizes the Templeton Foundation. Michael Shermer blows a gasket and childishly demands an apology. My evaluation and response. November 11 to 12, 2012

Second video above:

Templeton, Craig, Shermer, and Rand - Nov. 12, 2012

Commentary on the Templeton Foundation, William Lane Craig, Michael Shermer, and Ayn Rand. Also about Steve Paulson of To the Best of Our Knowledge on Wisconsin Public Radio. November 12, 2012.

Related notes & phrases:
Conflating science & religion. Religious apology. Apologizing for genocide. Bible. God. Big bang. Cosmology. KCPW. KUER. Libertarianism. Libertarian. Obamacare. Memetic viruses. Camel's nose. Secularism. Veterans Day. 9/11 liberals. Afghanistan. Iraq. Hitchens. Burqas.

More info on Craig in a previous post:
more articles found on Kauffman, Templeton, and (ick!) William Lane Craig