Monthly Archives: November, 2008
Free Thought of the Day
Rabbi Sherwin Wine:
There are two visions of America. One precedes our founding fathers and finds its roots in the harshness of our puritan past. It is very suspicious of freedom, uncomfortable with diversity, hostile to science, unfriendly to reason, contemptuous of personal autonomy. It sees America as a religious nation. It views patriotism as allegiance [...]
Child Abuse-Turning Kids into Political Zombies
Free thinkers envy children with their unbiased perception of the world. Training children to become mental zombies, mouthing responses they don’t understand and can’t possibly have arrived at on their own is tantamount to child abuse. People who force their children to act as though they believe in the parent’s politics or religion are doing [...]
Relativists must use relative logic
What exactly would “relative logic” sound like? And how does my being relative toward ethics and knowledge have a thing to do with logic, which is as formal and structured a tool for understanding as is mathematics. Are atheists going to be accused of using “relative mathematics” now? Are those of us who understand that [...]
“Atheists believe god doesn’t exist” (common theist misconception)
That in which I don’t believe cannot provide the basis for a belief system. If I believe in anything, it’s that which can withstand scrutiny and skepticism. The claim that gods exist and further, that any particular god exists, are extraordinary claims requiring extraordinary evidence. None has been provided.
Faith requires me to look at reality, [...]
A reason to hope?
I’m usually critical, skeptical, not easily given to optimism. I know enough about humanity and its history to be fairly confident in my pessimism.
Tonight, however, I’m wondering if this next year might prove my worst expectations false. Perhaps Americans have noticed the damage that’s been done to our country by Bush/Cheney and decided to change [...]
Facts don’t get in the way of Web political rumors
With just days to go before the election, gossip, hearsay, innuendo and smears are flying through the Internet as gadflies and rumormongers hope to sway voters before they head to the polls.
“It’s a lot of mud being slung, it’s understandable, but I think it’s still kind of sad,” said Nick DiFonzo, a psychologist and rumor [...]
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