Sunday School

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Atheists tend to show more love for their religious neighbors than Christians do, which will not surprise any atheist to hear.

For Hobby Lobby promoting imaginary Jesus is not a pastime.

French court convicts 11 of harassing teenager who posted anti-Islam videos.

The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland should not enforce respect for unethical religious beliefs.

Thank Christ that Jesus has not shut down Right Wing Watch.

Ohio governor signs bill with exemption that could allow doctors to refuse LGBTQ patients. Is this something doctors have actually asked for?

Poland’s Catholic church received as many abuse reports since 2018 as in previous three decades.

The Christian Right used Covid to gain religious exemptions.

World of Woo: A critical, science-based analysis of Abigail Shrier’s book, Irreversible Damage.

Environment: Even if Bolsonaro leaves power, deforestation in Brazil will be hard to stop.

A fossil discovery in Israel could be that of a new distinct type of human.

Science and standards of evidence (see also long read story below).

Critique topples Nature paper on belief in gods.

The Apocalypse and American politics.

Rule 1. Resist the temptation to try to talk them out of their beliefs.

Images that define atrocities.

Long Reads: “These people don’t even know what evidence is…”, a thought I often have in debates with Christians. The global attack on hard science. Logging companies vs First Nations in British Colombia. How to gain more from your reading.

Sunday Book Club:  A Story of Us. A new look at Human Evolution.

Some photographs taken last week.

While you are waiting for the kettle to boil……

Coffee Break Video:  Electrons do not spin. This is why we can’t have nice things. How your memory works and why forgetting is totally OK. Is life meaningless? What if every day was just more of the same.

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Have a great week everyone!

[_Robert_]

Thanks once again, Reg,,

Rule 1. Resist the temptation to try to talk them out of their beliefs.

Makes a lot of sense.  Just like religion, they have canned responses to any counter argument. Not gonna press it; just providing perspective when the times are right and that seems to work.

[Strega]

Thanks, Reg!

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Thanks Robert, I don’t think it possible to talk anyone out of their beliefs, be those beliefs religious or conspiracy theories. My tactic is to take the “Socratic Method” approach and to keep asking them to explain what they believe. Not just what they believe but how they came to hold them and why do they assert that they are correct in holding them. What is their standard for verifying the veracity of what they believe.

Did you come to that understanding by yourself or are you accepting on faith what someone else has told you?, is often where I see the first crack. Then I ask them to write down their “Top 5” core beliefs about their faith (or whatever the topic is) and to give a single sentence explanation of why they believe each point.

Just getting them to do that exercise is often the first step to get them to change their mind. This is because they have to critical ask themselves what they really believe and why they hold those beliefs to be true.

I see with point 4 you wrote that you believe that you can converse with Jesus through prayer.

Do you really believe that you are in communication with the Creator of the Universe? I think that is fascinating. I suppose you both use English?

You think atheists will burn in Hell?

On whose authority are you condemning 1 billion Chinese people?

[Author]

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