Sunday School

LOL, The God Hypothesis Versus Atheist Science Denial
Michael Egnor

Big Bang, “Fine Tuning”, and DNA align with the scriptures? Oh really. I guess this brain cutter has never read a single argument against his position (e,g. DNA is not a code) and brings nothing to back his position up. Its always great when apologists quote other apologists as…[Read more]

The point of the article is that. as you say, religious and non-religious people process incongruent information, under experimental conditions, in the same way (the Stroop test).

Furthermore, it may be (in fact, it seems very likely), that the kinds of cognitive conflicts elicited by the Stroop test differ greatly in nature and severity to those…

[Read more]

Regarding the cognitive conflict article… I may be hampered by the fact that my last psych course was about 50 years ago, but I found the article a bit of a head-scratcher. Not only somewhat unsure what it said but also why it’s part of Sunday School this week.

Is it saying that contrary to the researcher’s hypothesis (prejudice? stereotype?),…[Read more]

Thanks, Reg!

Have a great week everybody!

Simon Paynton wrote:

others hold us to account.

Collaborative partners hold each other to account because they are each taking a risk by depending on the others.  We take this claim on us to be legitimate.  But I can’t quite figure out why each partner would see the claims of the other partners upon them to perform well, as legitimate.

Maybe i…[Read more]

Reg,

Regarding the story from Texas: Homeowner’s Associations (HOAs) are a world far beyond my pay scale of comprehension.

I suppose, like BDSM clubs, consenting adults have a right to join them.  But the question is…why?

We already have control freak zoning boards and land use commissions dictating what private property owners can…[Read more]

Michael Tomasello says that we follow rules and ideals because we approve of them – we feel they are legitimate, so why would we not try and follow them?

I think it’s all about the collective self-regulation of the group, whereby we carry out our responsibilities for the good of others and ourselves.  At the same time, othes hold us to account.

If you can I would recommend the video in the “book” link. It is 2 hours but take a few breaks as there is a lot to ponder. Dennett’s ideas on being a responsible agent gives us a degree of free will to obey the laws that keep us responsible. This is actually an idea that Jordan Peterson discusses in his new book – 12 more rules (or some name like…[Read more]

Thanks, Reg!!

Reg and Fellow Unbelievers,

Here’s an Easter tradtion that everyone, regardless of belief or unbelief, can enjoy for hours!

No Original Sin, no dead-carpenter-on-a-stick, no Zombie Jesus, no redemption with blood and giving your life away, just fun with microwaves and multi-colored molten sugar!  You don’t even have to eat them, just watch and…[Read more]

Thanks Reg. Happy rabbit egg day. So the Pope thinks “the devil” is “taking advantage” of the pandemic, LOL. Literally the mentality of a 5 year old and yet an inspirational leader to billions. Long way to go.

Have a great week everybody!

I agree with the non-confrontational approach to religious callers and pamphleteers. Generally, I have no issues with them and if I engage in conversation with them, I turn on my full Socratic approach which is well honed from debating with them over the years. (Some people play golf).

There have been times when they have become very aggressive…[Read more]

To me it’s a good catch-all term that I don’t regularly use.  There are a lot of things greater than ourselves that we connect to: for example, social groups of some kind, and that old favourite, the biological pressure to thrive, survive and reproduce, and of course, these two are connected, because humans thrive and survive collectively.

But…[Read more]

Yeah, I agree with Davis. The word “spirituality” is meaningless to me. I am sure Simon, you can find better words to describe well-being, so why bother the the word at all. The origins involve the ancient understanding that we breath something invisible and when that stops we die.  The Latin spiritus means “breath”. And then there is the “smoke”…[Read more]

Simon I think you have to modify your definition.

A well rounded mentally stable athlete who is a communist would fit that definition (takes care of themselves over the long term [fitness and self-care] and connects with something greater than themselves [a political ideology]) and yet that just doesn’t automatically seem spiritual to me. You can…[Read more]

Reg the Fronkey Farmer wrote:

finding spiritualism without employing magical thinking

For me, spirituality is about two things:  1) personal well-being, especially long term; 2) connecting with something bigger than myself.

It’s not spooky at all.  But if you think about it, when religious people talk about spirituality, they’re invoking these t…[Read more]

Reg,

Regarding the story from West “By God” Virginny: This is why, when I reply to religious pamphleteers who leave their address, I always use a silly pseudonym, a fictional street address, and drop it in a mailbox far from my ZIP Code.

No threats, of course, just polite Socratic questioning, pointing out obvious contradictions and atrocities,…[Read more]