Is this “health care”?

Jack — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 05:49:49 +0000

: Image by gruntzooki via Flickr

This is being sponsored at one of the largest local hospitals. You know, a hospital, where educated people work who have been trained in medicine; where I might one day wind up in serious condition, depending on these people to save my life. It’s a place I would expect to find critical thinking, scientific approaches and a general attitude of disdain for new-age hucksterism.

Obviously I am very wrong.

Holistic Healing

This class will introduce energy maps of the body, its meridians, chakras, auras and bilateral pathways and will teach many principles and techniques for healing and relaxing to enhance immune function and well-being.
Date and Time
Third Monday of every month
9:30 to 11 am
Location
Sharp Memorial Outpatient Pavilion
Classroom A and B
3075 Health Center Drive
San Diego, CA 92123 (Source)

Girl died after father turned to prayer (guardian.co.uk)
Quackery and faith healing in Motown (scienceblogs.com)
Guilty of Homicide! Prayer is no substitute for medical care (dvorak.org)
Holistic healing draws cancer patients to Mexico (cnn.com)

Relativity is Absolutely Right

Jack — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 04:51:06 +0000

One of the most common reasons I hear from theists who are beginning to question their faith is their discomfort with the notion of the absolute rightness of their beliefs. They know and like gay people, they may be liberal politically; something in their life doesn’t quite mesh with the absolute morality of their faith.

Religious beliefs allow, even encourage, people to accept unproven allegations as absolute facts. In most every other aspect of our lives we reserve our strongest beliefs for those things that have the most evidence. The more solid evidence we have to believe something, the more passionately we believe that thing. Except in the case of religion.

Religious belief introduces the concept of absolute without justification. It cannot philosophically justify an absolute state other than to contend that because they believe it, it has to be true. “Absolute” exists in the abstract to be sure, but theism cannot offer physical evidence of absolutes which would establish absolute as more than simply a philosophical hypothetical. “Absolute knowledge” is solely the province of faith.

Evolving Beliefs (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com)
Of Modern Faith (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com)
Atheists should get a life and leave our slot alone (guardian.co.uk)

FreThink » Uncategorized

Is this “health care”?

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Relativity is Absolutely Right

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