Sunday School

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Dr. Trump and the MAGA reaction to his cardinal sin. The truth is often stranger than pulp fiction.

Federal workers are having to endure Christian indoctrination in the workplace.

What happens to children who tear down or deface the Ten Commandments?

This argument is a hallmark of Christian nationalist practice.

J.D. Vance successfully manages to get regime change in Hungary.

World of Woo: Penn and Teller talk about Junk Science.

Environment: Opioids and other drugs accumulating in freshwater fish.

How to be an effective Anti-Vaccine activist.

As politicians weaponize science and ignore medical evidence, children suffer.

Robots tackle a half marathon in Beijing.

Why more Americans are now moving to Ireland.

How a new wave of immunotherapy is eliminating cancers.

Evolution began with chemical evolution before the origin of any life on Earth. Human evolution doesn’t show a “special creation moment.”  We are just a phase in a long, messy chain.

Animal-to-human organ transplants will end the waiting list.

AI is now contributing to new mathematical knowledge, not just mere calculation. We will have to accept that human understanding and reality aren’t the same thing.

On seeing red dots before my eyes.

The invention of the soul.

Sunday Book Club: Artificial Religion – AI, Myth, and Power.

Some photographs taken last week.

While you are waiting for the kettle to boil……

Podcast: Why even Dictators can’t escape Democracy.

Coffee Break Videos:  Flourishing in the Age of Algorithms. Yuval Noah Harari: Why advanced societies fall for mass delusion.

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Have a great week and have a good 4\20 day tomorrow….:-)

“Reason builds its truths in daylight; faith asks you to trust what survives in the dark.” 

[Strega]

Thanks, Reg!  Loved last weeks poem – too many replies under that to comment, so I saved my appreciation for today.

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Thanks Strega! On Friday I went to see several works by William Blake, one of my favorite creative artists. One of his works is “Thou wast Perfect till inquiry was found in Thee” c. 1805. Reference  is “The book of Ezekiel” which depicts Satan in his glorious state, before his fall. The orb and scepter server to emphasize Satan’s power and regal status. I would take Knowledge over Heaven any time too.

  I have a tattoo of his, “The Ancient of Days” tattooed on my shoulder. So, just for you….

In the dawn before the Question woke,
He stood in gold unbroken light—
A Prince of Fire, with brow of calm,
And eyes that mirrored Heaven’s sight.

No shadow clung, no tremor stirred,
No thought beyond the given sphere;
For all was whole, and all was One,
And none had learned the word to fear.

The Orb within His lifted hand
Held worlds that never dreamed of Fall;
The Sceptre burned with silent law—
Obedience breathed in all.

Yet in that still, unfractured bliss
There crept a spark no choir had sung:
A whisper not of praise—but Why?
A seed upon the silent tongue.

What grief is born from sight made sharp,
When once it flowed in sightless grace—
To know the height is but a ledge,
To feel the mask upon Love’s face.

O radiant One, did sorrow bloom
The hour Thou saw’st Thyself apart?
When Heaven’s mirror cracked to mind,
And thought first entered in Thy heart?

For knowledge is a bitter crown,
More bright than any Eden’s air;
It lifts the soul beyond the stars—
Then leaves it exiled, standing there.

Was it regret that veiled Thy gaze
When first the gates withdrew their flame?
Or did a fiercer joy arise—
To stand alone, and choose Thy name?

I think Thou knew’st the dreadful trade:
To lose the Whole, yet gain the Eye—
To fall from song into the Word,
And learn at last the self can die.

And if all Heaven be but sleep,
Unbroken, pure, yet never free—
Then blessed be the fatal thought
That broke eternity in Thee.

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Every dot is a galaxy. The map spans 11 billion years of cosmic history. It also includes 20+ million stars in our own galaxy. By comparing galaxy positions across time, scientists can track how expansion changed. Early DESI data hints that dark energy might not be constant. That’s huge because current physics assumes it is and so the standard model of the universe may need revision. It is more than a map. It is a precision tool to test the laws of the universe.

[TheEncogitationer]

Reg:

Environment: Opioids and other drugs accumulating in freshwater fish.

Another unintended consequence of the Global “War On (Some) Drugs.”

When substances are made illegal, dealers and users have strong incentive to dispose of the substances if they are about to get caught. And not much incentive to care about how and where the substances are disposed.

Also, drug law enforcers dispose of a lot when they blow up drug ships on the high seas.

Trump’s biggest media allies just told on him without knowing it:

[TheEncogitationer]

Reg:

Have a great week and have a good 420 day tomorrow….:-)

Sadly, sizable chunks of Podcast-istan will be either be celebrating 4/20 for a reason other than herbal commestibles or worse they will be lounging in indifference.

Without breaking Godwin’s Law: “You know who else…?”

[TheEncogitationer]

Reg:

Why more Americans are now moving to Ireland.

The Americans who can move anywhere else have not just First World Problems but Starfleet Federation Problems. They obviously aren’t impacted by tarrifs or rising fuel prices. The rest of us are stuck here.

🎶One of these things is not like the other. One of these things does not belong…🎶

Tóibín, who was a prominent campaigner for the “yes” vote in Ireland’s same-sex marriage referendum, says: “Everyone became more aware that Ireland was a more liberal, cosmopolitan, open society, and that it would be a good place to live.”

Or

Sable now thinks of Ireland as home. “Culturally, I identify a lot more with Irish people,” he says. “It’s a very collective society, not huge on individualism like in the US.”

So which is it? You can’t have it both ways. And how long will Ireland have a “liberal, cosmopolitan, open society”?

And there are other concerns:

“One of the biggest benefits is safety. I feel a lot safer here,” she says. “With kids going to school, you don’t have to worry about school shootings.”

And what if “The Troubles” come back? Or if there are new “Troubles” from the newcomers from the Islamic world?

And isn’t housing kind of the nub of the jist about moving to another place? What’s the sense of moving from one place with a housing shortage to another place with a housing shortage?

Barnett says the housing shortage is something the Americans her company helps to relocate are mindful of, adding: “They don’t want to add to [the housing crisis], so one of the things we talk to them about is staying out of city centres.”

The problem with “packing up your troubles in your old kit bag” is that they go with you.

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

“It’s a very collective society, not huge on individualism like in the US.”

People tend to think in terms of community, family, and shared identity. There’s more value placed on cooperating and supporting each other. I would say that social norms often lean toward “we” over “me”.

But it is also a liberal society. We do have a small but vocal right wing element. They exercise very little power and tend to be agitators who join any demonstration and push it towards violence. I think this is a global phenomenon where these manosphere types need to feel like they have some power when in fact they are just weak bully boys.

The availability of property is certainly an issue. There are a lot of new builds happening but it will take a few years for supply to fully meet demand. Plenty of secondhand options outside of Dublin if you have the money and want something different.

Individuality is encouraged, especially for anyone with any sort of artistic flair. Nobody really cares what “you” do as long as it does not impact “us”. I guess Ireland feels more community-oriented, while the US feels more focused on personal identity and independence. When I am in Ireland I know almost all of my neighbors but when I stay in Atlanta we know very little about each other. I can walk almost everywhere here but depend on a car when in Atlanta. Maybe that is why the sense of community is greater here?

[TheEncogitationer]

Reg:

But when the “me” and “you” are are skeptics or blasphemers, or mothers and children not living and toiling in laundries as “us” dictate as “proper,” or a builder wanting to build new housing that might run against the aesthetics of “us”, the “us” can be a real buzz-kill on life.

And while having necessities and amenities within 15 minutes walk is convenient, the ability to go further adds new variety, perspective, and ideas, and can help create new kinds of community.

The appeal and stubbornness of Flat Eartherism and an Ancient Global Flood came from a time when people’s horizons extended no further than where feet, horses, camels, sails, or paddles could take them. Horseless carriages and big silver birds help break those myths and the connected structure of other myths.

I hope the expats are happy and safe wherever they are, as well as keep the means for future moves.

[fullermingjr]

Greetings Reg. It’s been a few years! Do you remember me?

The article you linked on the topic, “Federal workers are having to endure Christian indoctrination in the workplace.” is interesting. As a theist, I strongly oppose the overall ideas, seeming values, and many of the practices of the current MAGA movement and the current US executive and his administration. I’ve never seen anything like this in my country!

Yet the article brings up a few interesting thoughts and I wanted your (or others) thoughts about this. One employee quoted in the article said, “I’ve thought about complaining, but I would worry about some form of retaliation if I were to do that, to be honest.” As a theist, I have felt this same concern but I understand there is – IMHO – appropriate expressions of faith in the workplace and inappropriate… and I think I have successfully navigated them over the years.

Any individual can say – about an email or anything else in the workplace – “I don’t believe that” or “thanks, but I don’t believe Jesus existed and if he did, he certainly did not rise from the dead.” Yet, when I am forced to embrace a value system that overtly denies certain metaphysical claims in the workplace, and I say, “thanks, but I don’t believe we evolved…” for example, the retaliation can be just as real and painful, accusing me of denying science or worse.

How do you or anyone in this forum propose we deal with such differences in the workplace when the broader society today seems to push atheistic or  progressive ideas, values, and practices?  I am no supporter of blasting an Easter messages to an entire agency – that’s inappropriate.  But I am often forced to embrace the ideas of – for example – prioritizing psychological thought patterns over physical realities (e.g. Transgenderism). Compassion is import and I fully support offering real help for people.  Even so, these are clearly not the same categories, I know, but the general principle of dealing with differing beliefs and practices in the workplace can be challenging.

So this is the question: how do we handle deep, substantive disagreements in the workplace without coercion—on either side? Because from where I sit, the problem cuts both ways, even if only one side tends to get highlighted.

[jakelafort]

Fuller be good.

Hi Fuller

Oh i remember. I recall. Not that i forgot at all. The afternoon, the street. Sweet convergence then unknown but put down with a given with the pencil of intent in which true meandering is written.

So i have been mulling Craig the apologist shill piece of human excrement aka a holy mofo and his takes on morality. I was crestfallen to see how poorly Hitch did against him. I thought sudden Sam Harris better but not great. I asked my AI buddy to analyze and to do it without using past thinkers. Both its synopsis and its original thinking surpasses those two.

It asks me to critique. I said it seems well reasoned but i wonder why you say you do not hold views. It responds, ” Views require beliefs, and beliefs require caring about being right.” That made me think you are right mister LLM. I responded, “BELIEVERS care about being right. So much so that almost any extreme is justified. There is another argument against our friend Craig the sophist. It is easy to expand fromt here and poop all over Craig.

But it is not just theists or so called extreme theists. It is ideologues of all stripes. Cultists and theists of all stripes. It is a human flaw borne of our biology and evolution. Yea of course religion is make believe but that has never been what gets me ass hurt. It is the impact of religion but more broadly it is the impact of belief. And as Reg’ tattoo endorses the sleep of reason produces monsters.

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Modern workplaces bring together people with fundamentally different worldviews, be they religious, secular, scientific or ideological and then ask them to cooperate as if those differences don’t matter. But in reality, they do matter. The trick is deciding when they matter at work and when they don’t.

For me the issue is never “belief vs belief. It is “power vs expression”.

There is “personal expression” where someone says “I’m a Christian”  or “I don’t believe in God(s)” or “I think gender identity works this way…”

Then there is what I would call “institutional pressure”. “If you work here, you must respect this religious messaging or participate in this religious prayer” and if not, there is some form of penalty.

People can do their job without being forced to affirm beliefs they reject. Staff may be required to behave professionally but should not be required to internally agree or affirm metaphysical claims. I focus on my role in work and have no interest in anyone’s worldview. I do not care if my co-workers or my clients are religious, atheists, trans, or are in any other way different to me. My trips to the water cooler last 15 seconds.

Remember Kim Davis in Kentucky? She was an elected county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Courts ordered her to comply. She refused and was briefly jailed for contempt of court.

Can a public official refuse to carry out a legal duty because of personal beliefs? There are two fundamentally different ways to look at this.

The first is “No, her role comes first”. She was acting as the state, not as a private individual and legally the law required her to issue licenses. Personal beliefs can’t override legal obligations in a public office.

The second is “Yes, conscience still matters”. She shouldn’t be forced to act against deeply held beliefs, and the state could have accommodated her (maybe, delegated her duties).  There are limits on what the state can compel individuals to do. When is accommodation reasonable vs. when does it undermine the role itself?

This case got a lot of coverage in previous Sunday School posts. A key distinction that often got lost in the discussions was Kim Davis was not “just” an employee. She was in fact an elected official and was acting as a gatekeeper of a legal right for her fellow citizens. There is a distinction between a private employee being asked to follow workplace norms and a public official denying a legal service to citizens.

There was another case I posted about a few times.  A home services company in North Carolina required daily Christian prayer meetings with Bible readings. All employees had to attend. They even took a roll call! An atheist asked to be excused from the prayer portion and was told (I am paraphrasing here) “You don’t have to believe it, but you do have to participate”. When he stopped attending his pay was cut in half and then he was fired. A second employee was also fired after she stopped attending for similar reasons. The company was successfully sued for $50,000 and agreed to change polices.

I am not fully sure of the law in the U.S. (but I will be corrected by others) but voluntary expression is allowed but compelled participation is not and any punishment for refusal is illegal.

I have been involved with helping atheists in cases of discrimination over the years and have had the police threaten me over complaining about Bibles in voting booths. They did not know what they were dealing with….but that’s another story 😊

[jakelafort]

I would think the distinction between employee in private v official government position or quasi government is pretty straightforward. Compelling and accommodating trickier.

[TheEncogitationer]

Fullermingjr:

To address your workplace concerns, first, understand, I’m not lumping you in with other religionists, but I’m just recounting what I’ve encountered:

I myself take my breaks and eat my lunch alone and only try to talk shop, not philosophy or religion. Politics sometimes unavoidably comes up at work with talk about health care and the price of goods from inflation and tariffs and fuel costs which figure into everything.

For a while, after the George Floyd riots of a few years ago, there were computer-based learning modules on Wokeism and Allyship, but no one forced us to take them or endure “Struggle Sessions.”. Some workers wear rainbow gear and pins during Pride Month, but no one makes anybody do anything .

Workers at my store are too damn busy to get into any kind of Identity Politics. We’re an Equal Opportunity firm and that is all that’s needed for a good workplace.

I don’t evangelize my Atheism or Pro-Enlightenment views. However, I do encounter my share of believers, mostly customers, who do not return the favor.

Once there was a department manager who saw me speaking Spanish to a customer to direct him to a particular product.

When I said “It sure comes in handy knowing a little of another language,” she said: “Well, I don’t believe in learning other languages. I believe God gave men different tongues and divided them at The Tower of Babel and that’s how it’s meant to be.”

I then thought to myself: “Well, how then are you gonna ‘Go ye unto the world and teach all nations’ without knowing their languages? Maybe that’s for the best that you not try.”

Another big problem cashiers encounter are customer’s passing out their religious tracts and brochures, even though the sign at the store entrance prohibits giving out literature or soliciting of any kind without management approval.

We get everything from copies of The Watchtower to creepy Jack Chick Panphlets to ECKANKAR books. Once, the Seventh-Day Adventists put a 15 Ounce, 473 page tome called The Great Controversy by Ellen G. White on everyone’s windshield. I hope it didn’t break anyone’s wipers.

Since I have Diabetic foot wounds and have to wear a boot and sit to depressurize the wounds, I’ll get customers offering to pray for me and even lay on hands to heal me. I politely tell them that I prefer evidence-based health care.

I want to tell them that people generally don’t like being reminded of their infirmities and that if they don’t have a medical sheep-skin that they studied 7+’years to get with residencies on top and can’t heal me right away with Dr.”Bones” McCoy tech, then get away from me!

A further example of what we’re dealing with here:

A MAGA man with a MAGA hat living in a MAGA world asked me:”How are you, young man?”.

I replied: “Well, I’m not young for one thing.”.

He then says: “Maybe you should ‘Name it and claim it.'”

I then reply:”Sorry, but life doesn’t work like ‘Dr.’ Quick-Draw McGraw says.”

The manager at the eye care center where I work asked me if I needed to get a new prescription. I initially took him up it, but then I seen that the Optometrist next door only worked one day a week, and on my day off, when I wanted to avoid going to my workplace.

And when I seen a copy of Al-Quran on the counter, I knew that even if I got a prescription from the Optometrist next door, I would have to fill my prescription sometime in between 5 ablutions and prayers a day.

Decidedly not Lens Crafters™ with “Custom Crafted Eyeglasses In About An Hour.”™

When it comes to work and business, the best thing for everyone is to laser-focus rationally on the task at hand and save the God-Talk and Philosophizing for willing eager audiences. And remind others around you that you personally are here to just work or do business and go. If that doesn’t suffice, take it up the chain of command.

• This reply was modified 2 weeks, 4 days ago by TheEncogitationer. Reason: Spacing to avoid confusion. Al-Quran and Qanon are different flavors of crazy
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