Sunday School

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

A beginners guide to Atheism.

Claiming Churches are an essential service like any other business is misleading. Justice Roberts agreed when he gave his reasons for denying a Californian church’s lockdown challenge. Though all of us singing from the same hymn sheet may not be the best advice. Even their God can’t stop them infecting each other.

An Ohio church is sued over a forced baptism.

Can anyone find fault with this article by a Catholic professor?

Who would hire a religious freedom advisor that is anti-Islam?

Can we stop pretending Mike Pompeo is a Statesman?

This weeks’ Woo: Wellness programs.

Climate Crisis: Rising temperatures and climate-driven disasters are helping transform the very makeup of the world’s forests.

Confused by the science behind Covid-19? You’re not alone. We could rethink the mortality statistics.

Some more on the stupid people. (Reg, you can’t call them that!!).

Secular America takes action today, so they can vote tomorrow.

Here is a great example of historical revisionism by Catholics or what I like to call pulpit fiction. I might explain more in a separate post but Christians really have little or no clue about how they hindered human progress for at least 1,500 years.

Can electrical impulses in the brain explain the stuff that dreams are made on? (and our little life is rounded with a sleep).

Were Neanderthals more than cousins to Homo Sapiens?

Long Reads: I don’t want to shoot you brother. The evidence against her. In splendid isolation.

This week I am reading this book: The Triumph of Doubt.

Some photographs taken last week.

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

Coffee Break Video: Evangelicals unmasked. A quick introduction to Epigenetics. Literature – Voltaire.

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Have a great week everyone!

[Strega]

Thanks, Reg!

[onyangomakagutu]

Thanks, Reg and have a good week

[Unseen]

The Catholic THING.

Sounds like a movie monster.

[Simon Paynton]

Apparently, atheists are dangerous anarchists who hate reality?  Or something.

We (demographically, it’s probably broadly true) differ in opinion from the author in our views on abortion and transgender issues.  On the other hand, David Carlin’s views about transgender issues are pretty mainstream in this day and age.  Many people would agree with him.  Many people wouldn’t.

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

Breathe inside your own house.

[Davis]

75% of Americans thought transgendered people deserved rights.

72% of Americans believe that LGTBQ+ people should be protected form work place discrimination

85% of Canadians support adding transgendered rights to the human rights code

81% of Spanish people believed that transgenedered deserved special rights

_____

I wouldn’t say this is a: “some people would agree with him some people won’t”. He has a minority view. Especially in a state like Rhode Island and ESPECIALLY as a democrat.

And yeah…boo hoo, his political career ended because he seems to be terribly against the right for LGTBQ+ to simply exist. Seems like Rhode Islanders were against his right to exist as their elected political representative. Good for them. I hope LGTBQ+ people breathe a little easier and feel a little less sub-human in Rhode Island society now.

[Simon Paynton]

I’m glad that so many people think that transgender people deserve rights, and I’m sorry it’s not more.

But the issue that Carlin raises is whether, and how easily, people can identify as a different biological gender, which is more controversial.  Rather, his views are pretty mainstream.

His anti-abortion views are also pretty mainstream.

My point is, although he makes a lot of bizarre noise, Carlin is not demographically a total wingnut.

[Simon Paynton]

It’s interesting how Carlin deals with differing opinions.  His attitude seems to be, “if you disagree with me, that makes you a dangerous lunatic who hates reality.”  While it’s colourful, I don’t think this is very helpful.

[Reg the Fronkey Farmer]

On a wall in Dublin.

[Davis]

No his anti-abortion views are not mainstream. In New England abortion is well accepted by a majority. Another reason he lost politically. In Canada and Western Europe (with a couple exceptions) abortion is broadly accepted by an overwhelming majority.

The idea that someone can identify as a gender (as opposed to which chromosone they have) are also broadly accepted in the most advanced countries except the US (and even then more heavily in southern states). That acceptance is high in countries like Canada, Scandanavia and states like in New England, California and Washington State. So I don’t know how you get this idea that his views are mainstream. They are amongst conservative Americans in Southern States. He is a “democrat” in New England. He is a total outlier.

I think you are heavily brainwashed by Jordon Peterson’s videos into thinking that his ideas are mainstream. They are not.

[Simon Paynton]

Something doesn’t have to be “majority” to be mainstream.

[Simon Paynton]

“Wellness programs” may be “woo”, but I refuse to give up on a psychology of positivity.  It must be good to study positive outcomes and how they are achieved.  Human flourishing is generally seen as the highest good.  For example, I believe that the armed forces are really into studying virtue ethics and integrity as part of building calibre and character.

[Simon Paynton]

Interesting programme on BBC Radio 4 giving a history and analysis of the wellness movement.

Quite a lot of quackery involved, but not entirely.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000jnsh

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