Sunday School

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Non Catholics in Prague are not content with plans by Catholics to erect an idol of the mother of their God. It would be even taller than the Bladensburg Cross.

In Ireland a Muslim woman speaks like a Catholic priest did fifty years ago. Moroccan atheists find a home on the Internet. In Greece blasphemy of any god will soon no longer be a crime. The Catholic Church in England is engaged in covering up the sexual abuse of children by its clergy. Russians are getting sick of Church. In Columbia a Catholic bishop has the cure for crime and wickedness.

The Discovery Institute will takes its fight against atheism to a new YouTube channel. The comment section is worth a read just to see how impoverished religion leaves the human mind.

The varieties of irreligious experience and the evolution of atheist thought.

What is Humanism and when did it start?

What are your opinions of the display of religious symbols by civil servants? Personally I am against banning it. But government sponsored discrimination always gets a different reaction from me. This is especially true when the religious right start throwing their tantrums because they believe that having religious freedom means they should have a religious privilege to discriminate against other citizens. They are often just vulgar hypocrites. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

This weeks’ Woo:  The empty wellness industry.

Climate Crisis: The myth of climate wars?

An ancient Greek Philosopher was exiled for claiming the Moon was a Rock, not a God but how did it get there in the first place?

Why study History if we learn nothing from it?

The deliberate undermining of science by political and corporate interests on public health.

What dropping 17,000 wallets around the globe can teach us about honesty.

Here’s what a good LGBTQ ally looks like.

Ten Solstice facts that everyone should know. Five things to know about Apollo 11.

A new ‘DNA microscope’ peers deep inside living cells.

Scientists find first evidence of Humans cooking starches.

Long Reads: Modern day Slavery.

This week I am reading this book:  Braintrust, what neuroscience tells us about morality. See video below.

Some photographs taken last week.

While you are waiting for the kettle to boil…..

Coffee Break Video: How do we know the Milky Way is a spiral galaxy? Richard Dawkins interviews Saudi Arabian atheist Rana Ahmad. Two very smart people have a discussion on Conscience. Morality and the Brain.

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Have a great week everyone!!

“Man has been evolved and created the gods. Evolved more and decided to destroy all of them.”

Emil A. Zafirov

[Strega]

Thanks, Reg!

[Belle Rose]

About this one:

Here’s what a good LGBTQ ally looks like…

I’m not sure I fully understand why people would be offended by Taylor Swift’s actions. It seems to me like drawing attention to the issues at hand, no matter how you do it is at least trying. Complaining that it wasn’t done in the right way or exactly how you would like it to be…seems a little bit immature…Don’t you think? And try to understand her motives behind what she did… You just can’t. That’s life. At least people are talking about. At least people are trying. Even baby steps is a step in the right direction. Question and one person versus another and deciding who is more of an ally and who’s not… That in and of itself is pretty judgemental

• This reply was modified 6 years, 11 months ago by Belle Rose.

[Davis]

The Discovery Institute will takes its fight against atheism to a new YouTube channel. The comment section is worth a read just to see how impoverished religion leaves the human mind.

The day that comment sections are banned into the bin of “terrible ideas” the world will become, over night, a much much much better place. A little of its lost beauty will return. Everyone will benefit. Only black brain rot will be lost.

[Davis]

I’m not sure I fully understand why people would be offended by Taylor Swift’s actions

First I’d recommend watching the video. Forget that its a terrible song. I think I counted just about every positive and negative stereotype I could think of after 90 seconds. Watching the lest was painful. I wasn’t particularly offended but my eyes rolled and I silently groaned many a times. I suppose putting it this way would help: what would an LGTB paradise look like? A flamey hyper-colored trailer park with fake disinterested self-involved mostly unemotional narcisists doing whatever they feel like and being fantastic attention seeking queens…is not at the top of my list. I would imagine if she made a video portraying an African American paradise as one of a bling filled trashy ghetto slum with everyone holding a gun in one hand and a joint in another gambling away their cash ignoring their children…all to a song that talks about African-American pride or “don’t let the white man get you down” would probably at best have a pretty mixed review and more likely find quite a bit of backlash.

I have no doubt Swift is a massive ally to the LGTB world in many ways. And she deserves some applause for previous efforts. And I generally applaud anyone who makes any effort with good intentions. But with a terrible garbage wreck of a music video like that…I can understand a lot of fans going: “thanks Swift but I’m not going to buy your album and dial down the flame and clichés next time…pleeeeeease!” which, judging on the comment sections on the video and articles…is pretty much the extent of the commentary. I think the article that Reg linked doesn’t really get it right, I don’t think Swift did this just to make money or become more famous. She is likely revolted by he level of homophobia that is still totally visible in every day life and is happy to make a fun lighthearted video about it. But the author is right in that the best allies are the ones who aren’t occasional flashy once in a while supporters who clearly gain from their activism.

I think the following video sums up, obviously in satirical hyperbole, how trying to help while at the same time managing marketing and image interests…can disappoint a lot of people:

• This reply was modified 6 years, 11 months ago by Davis.

[Belle Rose]

Mmkay, I’ll watch the video and let you know….

But honestly, regardless of who you are or how you identify yourself, the fact that you would get bent out of shape over a Taylor Swift video for any reason is just beyond me Lol….If people are that easily offended these days I don’t know what our world is coming to. I don’t take her seriously at all. When I take way more seriously is what’s happening right now with all the people in detention centers around this country. And I was just reading some of what’s going on with the 2020 census. Truly frightening. Racial discrimination, prejudice, stereotypes… And yada yada…Part of our problem is we care more about Taylor Swift video then we do about holding our elected officials accountable for their actions. We’re so distracted by our celebrities that the people in office are getting away with murder… Literally. Murder.

[Davis]

If people are that easily offended

Being easily offended is a pretty strong assumption based on a video in which most of the comments don’t even mention “offended” at all on a topic that most people here have never suffered any problems or discrimination or pain over. Some LGTB victims have had it REALLY bad, especially if they have been endlessly stereotyped their whole lives…watching a stupid piece of trash like that just may have been when they reached the end of their tether.

Over reacting is also a two way street. There are most certainly some people who are part of marginalized groups who go bat shit insane over a comment taken out of context. There are also people from totally non-marginalised groups who go insane simply by even mentioning that problems exist. For example simply mentioning rape statistics is enough for a certain brand of men to go utterly nuts and take offense…as though pointing out these statistics is the same as accusing every man of being a rapist. It’s amazing just how quickly they become “sick to death” of all these insinuations and attacks which funnily enough, only exist in their minds. I’m always quite amazed how angry or indignant people can get by simply bringing up the problem of biases and discrimination…without anyone accusing anyone of anything. This is very much another side of the coin of people getting easily offended. Sometimes they are the very people who claim the other side gets easily offended. Which is helarious.

You are right…a well meaning Taylor Swift video is something that shouldn’t spark a huge controversy but you should be sure that Swift actually cares about the feedback and will remember it the next time she does LGTB activism…which she will thankfully, certainly do. And I imagine a lot of artists will also keep that in mind when making a risqué video that you just might overdo it and find a huge swathe of really disappointed fans.

[Belle Rose]

You are right…a well meaning Taylor Swift video is something that shouldn’t spark a huge controversy but you should be sure that Swift actually cares about the feedback and will remember it the next time she does LGTB activism

I’m really not sure that Taylor Swift gives a shit either way. How many millions of dollars is she worth? She’s not losing sleep over it. Other people are though. She’s getting her clicks. People are watching. People like that even bad attention is good attention. We are the suckers for paying attention. If nobody paid attention she wouldn’t be worth what she’s worth. It kind of reminds me of that horrible Miley Cyrus Performance. I really forget when it was or what it was for. People really bashing her for it. It was kind of a turn of events where she went from this Goody two shoes Hannah Montana persona to Sex symbol with no ass LOL! And people were all hell-bent about it… Look at her now. She didn’t skip a beat. If anything she’s all the richer for it. So like I said in the end… We’re the suckers paying attention.

 

 

• This reply was modified 6 years, 11 months ago by Belle Rose.

[Belle Rose]

Being easily offended is a pretty strong assumption

If you care enough about something to make some kind of nasty comment about someone’s performance on social media about it it’s obviously hit your button somewhere. Enough to where you want the world to know what you think about it at least. Even if you’re not offended, you clearly feel the need to vent to the universe about it. I still haven’t watched the video but I have a feeling when I do I’m probably just gonna laugh my ass off. That’s about how seriously I take Taylor Swift.

[Belle Rose]

…..OK… I just watch the video. I thought it was cute as hell, totally Taylor Swift style. I don’t understand what people are bitching about. Yes I know people have it rough and have suffered immensely. Lots of people have. But again… I don’t see how a video like that has people all bent out of shape.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 11 months ago by Belle Rose.

[Belle Rose]

I think that’s part of every great artist having to put themselves out there for heavy criticism one way or the other. It just seems like more and more these days people are just way too overly sensitive to every little thing to the point that it’s just becoming ridiculous.

Everybody has “Issues.”…..But I think that people are just becoming snowflakes.

• This reply was modified 6 years, 11 months ago by Belle Rose.

[_Robert_]

Everybody has “Issues.”…..But I think that people are just becoming snowflakes.

Times have been relatively good. The empire is soft. No world wars or depression to reset expectations.

[Belle Rose]

@Robert

Exactly!!!

Brace yourself! It’s coming!!

• This reply was modified 6 years, 11 months ago by Belle Rose.

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