Sunday School

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

A look at the decline of religion in America.

There is no religious liberty interest in refusing the COVID vaccine.

Project Blitz may have disguised itself but the delusion is still strong within them and we will keep watching them. As for the National Faith Advisory Board, Paula is still hearing  the sound of angelic reinforcement. I wonder if she will join the new Christian Revolution warriors for imaginary Jesus?

Britain’s problem with illegal Islamic private schools.

The child abuse inquiry has been too deferential to the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Respectfully discussing atheism is a reply to a terrible article I was going to post. But I don’t agree with all of the reply as I have seldom met any theist that can respect my lack of belief in any of their gods.

World of Woo: “Prebunking” health misinformation tropes can stop them spreading.

Environment: Is It possible to live a Climate-Friendly Life?

Conservative anti-vaccine radio hosts are dying of Covid-19 and the Cyber Ninjas in Arizona have eroded my confidence in their election audit. Who you going to believe, me or your own eyes?

Some proofs of ongoing Evolution in Humans with an extra artery and even with the Delta virus.  Freezing animal cells to preserve their genes could halt extinction of some species. The complex truth about ‘Junk DNA’. What’s next for lab-grown human embryos?

Has Scientific American gone “full woke”?

Long Reads: Shukria Barakzai’s escape from Afghanistan. Survivors criticize Jehovah’s Witness elders for failing to act over child sexual abuse claims. What’s the difference between a psychopath and a sociopath? Ahmed Rabbani’s journey through the U.S. dark prison system to Guantánamo. The Mind does not exist.

Who was Elizabeth Johnson Junior?

Sunday Book Club: The Social Instinct: How Cooperation shaped the World.

Some photographs taken last week.

While you are waiting for the kettle to boil……

Coffee Break Video:  I watched this live during the week – Our Mathematical Universe. What is it like being married to Neil deGrasse Tyson? Opening the Gates of Babylon.  We finish today with a hymn to praise He who flies.

 

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Have a great week everyone!

[Strega]

Thanks, Reg!

[_Robert_]

The Pastafarian religion is the fastest growing carbohydrate based religion in the world.

[TheEncogitationer]

Reg,

A great Sunday School of excellent articles!  Rest assured, I haven’t forgotten the past ones, but other topics can be fun too.

“Prebunking” is an excellent idea for dealing with Woo, Pseudoscience, and superstition of all kinds, including that surrounding COVID-19.  Best of all, “Prebunking” is a strategy compatible with free individuals and a free society.

A “War on Misinformation” ran by a “Reality Czar” who pre-emptively suppresses things deemed as “misinformation” amounts to Unconstitutional prior restraint of media and expression, and an Orwellian 1984 “Ministry of Truth” meets a Minority Report “Bureau of PreCrime.”   A Totalitarian dream and a vector for novel misinformation in itself.  “Prebunking” is the exact opposite and empowers the individual to deal with problem ideas as they arise and control the outcome for the better.

Also, a “War On Misinformation” amounts to a war on a human condition that will never be won as long as humans can never be Omniscient (which we’ll never be, since Omniscience is knowledge without acquisition and verification, a self-contradiction and a contradiction of volition.)   Even the brightest, most aware minds can and do make errors in the best of scenarios, but “prebunking” primes minds to steer clear of error and change course when error is found.

Worse, a “War On Misinformation” basically takes cranks and frauds and turns them into martyrs and surrounds nonsense with the lure of the forbidden and the esoteric.  “Prebunking” takes away this power and mystique from nonsense and it’s purveyors.

Finally, a “War On Misinformation” requires an elite “Reality Czar” and an elite cadre of “Philosopher-Bureaucrats” to carry out.

“Prebunking” is the tool of the lay scholar every-person and something you can pass on to co-workers, bosses, friends, family, children, local muckety-mucks, and random people at risk for sheep-sheering.

Since this such an alluring idea and it is late, I’ll be in my pre-bunk.  ‘Nite all! 😴

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Thanks TheEncogitationer, there is a link in the story to a free course here that might be of interest to some people.  Integrating Critical Thinking lessons into the school curriculum would also help.

[TheEncogitationer]

Reg,

Much obliged on the link to the course. Just looking up Logical Fallacies on Wikipedia, I was amazed to see how many formal and informal fallacies have cropped up since I studied Logic and Philosophy over 30 years ago. So we can all use refreshers.

The article on Scientific American going “full woke” was thought-provoking too. It’s something Economist and Sociologist Dr. Thomas Sowell’s studies have confirmed repeatedly: that “disparate impacts” don’t always mean invidious discrimination and that the best of intentions can also produce horrible results.

One good thing to know, and I hope Unseen appreciates this: Oncologists and all who raise money to find the cure for cancer have yet to be poisoned by “Wokeism” and they don’t argle-bargle about “Intersectionality” when there is a monster to slay:

http://www.cics.ky/wp-content/gallery/homepage-slideshow/They-All-Matter.jpg

https://i.pinimg.com/236x/85/12/39/85123943e7824dc29d049930a5dbaae8–cancer-types-stomach-cancer.jpg

https://www.wistv.com/resizer/WCYgrtjU28w1InBfSUTehdX_knc=/1400×0/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-raycom.s3.amazonaws.com/public/7HZ7UIEMBJEC3EKELZMUGVKLAY.jpg

[Author]

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