What an amazing time to be alive.
For the first time in this planet 4 billion year history, a species has arisen that has a clear understanding of the universe around them. Of course I am talking about us, Human Beings. We have developed great art; we are capable of great compassion, left the firmament of the earth to set foot on another world. Written monumental philosophies, and developed tools to let everyone, every human being, access almost all information. We are a way for the universe to know itself.
Only 400 years ago Johannes Kepler said “We do not ask for what useful purpose the birds do sing, for song is their pleasure since they were created for singing. Similarly, we ought not to ask why the human mind troubles to fathom the secrets of the heavens. The diversity of the phenomena of nature is so great and the treasures hidden in the heavens so rich precisely in order that the human mind shall never be lacking in fresh enrichment.”
Contrast that to Neil Armstrong’s, “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
We were born to delight in the world. We are curious creatures. We hunger to know our origins. To decipher the mysteries of the cosmos.
And it is now, today, this instant, that through 14 billion years of cosmic time and 4 billion years of evolution that we find ourselves on a precipice.
Every species does it; they come to a crossroads of sorts. They can outgrow their environment. They can use up all their resources. They can even be snuffed out via cataclysm.
We face a challenge that no other species has ever had to deal with. Fundamentalism and ignorance are on the rise, as is a distrust of the very science that has brought us to this point in history. This combined with the 23,335 nuclear weapons still in existence all over the world makes for a very deadly combination. Surely our world leaders wouldn’t let that happen? Of course, but what if those weapons fell into the hands of groups that believe the end times are here? That believes that their ideology overrides the welfare of humanity? That believes that they have divine cause to wipe the sin from the earth? Sound farfetched? I say this that it not only will happen, that it must happen. It is a statistical probability.
That is unless we can stop it. The problem is that these humans relish in the “end time”. They want to purify the earth for their ideology. They will stop at nothing short of killing themselves to this end.
Pakistan for example is a hairs breath away from losing control of their considerable nuclear stockpile to the Taliban, unarguably on of the most fundamental of religions. In addition the Russian stock pike is slowly falling into disrepair, and their government is unable to keep tabs on all their weapons.
Scary. Yes. Insurmountable? No. We have the power to change all of this.
What an amazing time to be alive.
For the first time in human history we have the capacity to destroy ourselves, but we also have the ability to save ourselves. Through, knowledge, compassion, education, and our humanity I feel that we can overcome this. We can survive, that is if we want to.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Roobie Roobie doo!
I was sitting with my son today, watching a new Scooby doo made for tv movie. This movie seemed to follow the traditional Scooby Doo formula, Kids run into ghost/ monster, Scooby and Shaggy create mayhem while the others uncover the truth of the mystery, the gang determines that this ghost/ monster is simply a mere mortal in disguise. All of a sudden I was struck with the realization that this childrens show, one that I grew up with, while horribly done and stupid at times was teaching the virtues of skepticism! Think about it, the gang would almost always find a mundane explanation for supernatural claims using reason. In fact Carl Sagan favorably compared the formula to that of most television dealing with paranormal themes, and considered that an adult analogue to Scooby-Doo would be a great public service! (thank you wiki!)
Well back to this movie, and as I waited for the "reveal" I realized that there would be none. For the first time there in fact was a paranormal explanation for the ghosts/monsters! At one point, a deity, perhaps the devil, came down to summon his minions back to whence they came. In fact the gang were all transformed into demons and Scooby himself was morphed into some kind of dog dragon. Of course they were all transformed back to normal at the end.
I was stuck by how this, the simplest of childrens programing, has contributed to this backslide of critical thinking in our society.
Even comparing the original Star Trek, from 1965 to the modern one. Great care was taken in the original to base all of the technology on real science. This seems to have been abandoned in the reboot in favor of "Red Matter" and random travel through black holes.
Is it any wonder that psudo science and ignorance is on the rise again with critical thought and science at large thrown out of even our simplest forms of entertainment.
Then again, its only a kids show. Pass the Scooby snacks wont you?
Well back to this movie, and as I waited for the "reveal" I realized that there would be none. For the first time there in fact was a paranormal explanation for the ghosts/monsters! At one point, a deity, perhaps the devil, came down to summon his minions back to whence they came. In fact the gang were all transformed into demons and Scooby himself was morphed into some kind of dog dragon. Of course they were all transformed back to normal at the end.
I was stuck by how this, the simplest of childrens programing, has contributed to this backslide of critical thinking in our society.
Even comparing the original Star Trek, from 1965 to the modern one. Great care was taken in the original to base all of the technology on real science. This seems to have been abandoned in the reboot in favor of "Red Matter" and random travel through black holes.
Is it any wonder that psudo science and ignorance is on the rise again with critical thought and science at large thrown out of even our simplest forms of entertainment.
Then again, its only a kids show. Pass the Scooby snacks wont you?
Friday, May 22, 2009
Why I don't believe........
I was recently asked why I decided to declare myself an Atheist. This answer is very complicated but I will try to be concise in my response.
I was raised Catholic. I remember sitting at the pews during mass, looking up at the huge painting of the crucified Christ before me, his mangled body, his suffering, and wondering if my father would allow the same thing to happen to me. I could not reconcile even at that early age how a loving god could let the suffering of his only son take place? To forgive our sins?
I recall that almost every evening I would find myself downstairs at my grandparents; listening to my grandfather, father, and whomever else came by arguing about philosophy, religion, or the news. These conversations would get quite heated and loud, but they thought me a very valuable lesson and that was to think, to use my brain.
Skip to High school, where I had some friends convince me to attend a local Baptist church. I was baptized and went on my merry way, attending Sundays and seminars. At this time we were living in poverty and as a result I did not have the finest clothing to wear to church. I remember the looks from the fellow worshipers, the distain on their faces. I thought to myself that even Christ hung around the poor and downtrodden, how they dare judge me for my clothing!
In the following years I continued my search for god. I became a Wiccan, almost converted to Judaism, Dabbled in Bahi, looked into Taoism and Buddhism, I even attended a service at a local Mosque.
All I found in these was contradiction and people willing to kill for their “faith”. They were not even practicing what the tenants of their religions prefaced.
And then I found the two loves of my life, history and science. History taught me that there were no less than 6 messiahs during the time of Christ that all were born of a virgin birth, raised the dead, professed to be the son of god, were sacrificed for humanity, and rose from the dead. This list also includes the Roman God Hercules (whose virgin birthday falls on December 25th). This didn’t stop there. Much of the book of Psalms was taken almost word for word from the Egyptian Pharaoh Akanatan. The story of Noah and the flood was taken, again almost word for word from the Babylonian texts, The Epics Of Gilgamesh. In fact the 4 gospels of the bible were written at least 4 decades after the death of Christ, and were only included in the bible by a committee of Christians 2 hundred years later (other books were thrown out at this time such as the Gospel of Thomas, The gospel of Judas, and the gospel of Mary Magdalene). History also taught me the almost unbelievable atrocities done in the name of god.
Science taught me that the universe is 14+ billion years old, that we evolve over time, and that there are 100 Billion stars in our Galaxy and over a 100 Billion galaxies out there. It also taught me just how precious we all are, how unique we all are, and yet how linked we all are to everything else. I learned that we are almost identical biologically to all the other primates on the planet. Most important it taught me how to think critically, how to argue logically and how to identify the fallacies in other people’s arguments. To me these concepts seem so much more profound than a myth of god or the threat of eternal damnation.
Both taught me that the functions of religion were Law and to explain the nature of the world around us. In modern times the law is the realm of government and the search for truth has been taken up by science. So what does that leave religion? Control? In the case of Fundamental Christianity and Islam that is most certainly true. One could argue that without religion we would not have the crusades, witch burning, the inquisition, the massacre of the native Americans, the holocaust, or 9-11.
But how can I be a moral person without god. Well, I believe that morality is both a taught behavior and a inherited one. Morality is the glue that holds our society together. I was raised by two very free thinkers, and I have never been in jail, never stolen a car, never had a drug problem, never ran away from home. I don’t obey the law because I am in fear of god. I obey because it is the right thing to do for me to function in society.
I no longer live in fear of offending a jealous god. I just live in fear of what his followers are capable of in his name.
I was raised Catholic. I remember sitting at the pews during mass, looking up at the huge painting of the crucified Christ before me, his mangled body, his suffering, and wondering if my father would allow the same thing to happen to me. I could not reconcile even at that early age how a loving god could let the suffering of his only son take place? To forgive our sins?
I recall that almost every evening I would find myself downstairs at my grandparents; listening to my grandfather, father, and whomever else came by arguing about philosophy, religion, or the news. These conversations would get quite heated and loud, but they thought me a very valuable lesson and that was to think, to use my brain.
Skip to High school, where I had some friends convince me to attend a local Baptist church. I was baptized and went on my merry way, attending Sundays and seminars. At this time we were living in poverty and as a result I did not have the finest clothing to wear to church. I remember the looks from the fellow worshipers, the distain on their faces. I thought to myself that even Christ hung around the poor and downtrodden, how they dare judge me for my clothing!
In the following years I continued my search for god. I became a Wiccan, almost converted to Judaism, Dabbled in Bahi, looked into Taoism and Buddhism, I even attended a service at a local Mosque.
All I found in these was contradiction and people willing to kill for their “faith”. They were not even practicing what the tenants of their religions prefaced.
And then I found the two loves of my life, history and science. History taught me that there were no less than 6 messiahs during the time of Christ that all were born of a virgin birth, raised the dead, professed to be the son of god, were sacrificed for humanity, and rose from the dead. This list also includes the Roman God Hercules (whose virgin birthday falls on December 25th). This didn’t stop there. Much of the book of Psalms was taken almost word for word from the Egyptian Pharaoh Akanatan. The story of Noah and the flood was taken, again almost word for word from the Babylonian texts, The Epics Of Gilgamesh. In fact the 4 gospels of the bible were written at least 4 decades after the death of Christ, and were only included in the bible by a committee of Christians 2 hundred years later (other books were thrown out at this time such as the Gospel of Thomas, The gospel of Judas, and the gospel of Mary Magdalene). History also taught me the almost unbelievable atrocities done in the name of god.
Science taught me that the universe is 14+ billion years old, that we evolve over time, and that there are 100 Billion stars in our Galaxy and over a 100 Billion galaxies out there. It also taught me just how precious we all are, how unique we all are, and yet how linked we all are to everything else. I learned that we are almost identical biologically to all the other primates on the planet. Most important it taught me how to think critically, how to argue logically and how to identify the fallacies in other people’s arguments. To me these concepts seem so much more profound than a myth of god or the threat of eternal damnation.
Both taught me that the functions of religion were Law and to explain the nature of the world around us. In modern times the law is the realm of government and the search for truth has been taken up by science. So what does that leave religion? Control? In the case of Fundamental Christianity and Islam that is most certainly true. One could argue that without religion we would not have the crusades, witch burning, the inquisition, the massacre of the native Americans, the holocaust, or 9-11.
But how can I be a moral person without god. Well, I believe that morality is both a taught behavior and a inherited one. Morality is the glue that holds our society together. I was raised by two very free thinkers, and I have never been in jail, never stolen a car, never had a drug problem, never ran away from home. I don’t obey the law because I am in fear of god. I obey because it is the right thing to do for me to function in society.
I no longer live in fear of offending a jealous god. I just live in fear of what his followers are capable of in his name.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Education and ignorance
Good day to you all. Today I ran across some news articles that brought up some very interesting ethical questions.
The first was a article from Scott Hurst who has written an entry for Swift. It raised the question over whether the Anti Vaxx movement should be held responsible for the deaths caused by their rhetoric. He quotes Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. who said that "The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic." And then went on to write, “This should be a warning to Jim, Jenny and the Huffington Post. If they aren't already, they certainly will be responsible for unnecessary and avoidable deaths and disabilities. By giving medical advice they are utterly unqualified to give, their liability will be clear. I hope they're ready, because someday they will be held accountable for "shouting fire".
The second story comes from CNN. It would seem that the mother of Daniel Hauser, a 13-year-old boy who is refusing treatment for his cancer, has abducted her child and is now had an arrest warrant issued for her. Daniel and his parents stopped chemotherapy after one treatment and opted for "alternative medicines," prompting Brown County authorities to intervene. The cancer is regarded as highly curable with chemotherapy and radiation, but is likely fatal without it. It is very likely that Daniel will die without treatment.
In addition to those there comes the wrenching story of Gloria Thomas, who was born in perfect health in July 2001, and died from a skin infection with malnutrition and eczema so severe that her skin broke every time her parents removed her clothes. The parents, devout doctors of Homeopathy, are standing trial in the an Australian Supreme Court charged with manslaughter by gross criminal negligence after they allegedly resisted the advice of nurses and a doctor to send her to a skin specialist.
The question is, how far should the state go to prevent the deaths caused by our stupidity? How far are we willing to let the government protect us from ourselves? Is it our right to allow our children to kill themselves, as in the case of Daniel Hauser? Is it our right to say what we want, influence people, with misleading information, knowing that it will cause death? Jenny McCarthy has been quoted as saying that it is acceptable that some children will die as we quit all vaccinations.
I do believe that an adult has the right to kill oneself if they so wish. The issue here is that the parents of children are forcing their mislead pseudoscience upon their children often killing them. And now in the case of the Anti Vaxx movement the potential for a public health hazard increases. At what point does the government step in to save the lives of innocent children and elderly who will die from diseases once completely under control?
This brings up an up an interesting question for the scientific, medical, and skeptical. Why do these people disregard the overwhelming scientific data and yet chose to put their faith in untested and often dangerous treatments that very often are fatal. It is obvious that they have lost faith in science. Perhaps we have failed as educators, as a society at teaching what science and scientific thought are. When these people use the argument that science is driven by solely profit or that we evolved from monkeys, obviously have no understanding of what the scientific method or scientific thought are.
It is time to raise the bar. I believe the solution is twofold. Not only do we need to prosecute ignorance at the expense of others but we need step up to the plate in education as well. And not just in the classroom. Every individual can make a difference, by challenging those who don’t understand to find the facts themselves. To open their minds. To seek answers. And to discover the tools that we have to do that. Science and reason.
The first was a article from Scott Hurst who has written an entry for Swift. It raised the question over whether the Anti Vaxx movement should be held responsible for the deaths caused by their rhetoric. He quotes Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. who said that "The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic." And then went on to write, “This should be a warning to Jim, Jenny and the Huffington Post. If they aren't already, they certainly will be responsible for unnecessary and avoidable deaths and disabilities. By giving medical advice they are utterly unqualified to give, their liability will be clear. I hope they're ready, because someday they will be held accountable for "shouting fire".
The second story comes from CNN. It would seem that the mother of Daniel Hauser, a 13-year-old boy who is refusing treatment for his cancer, has abducted her child and is now had an arrest warrant issued for her. Daniel and his parents stopped chemotherapy after one treatment and opted for "alternative medicines," prompting Brown County authorities to intervene. The cancer is regarded as highly curable with chemotherapy and radiation, but is likely fatal without it. It is very likely that Daniel will die without treatment.
In addition to those there comes the wrenching story of Gloria Thomas, who was born in perfect health in July 2001, and died from a skin infection with malnutrition and eczema so severe that her skin broke every time her parents removed her clothes. The parents, devout doctors of Homeopathy, are standing trial in the an Australian Supreme Court charged with manslaughter by gross criminal negligence after they allegedly resisted the advice of nurses and a doctor to send her to a skin specialist.
The question is, how far should the state go to prevent the deaths caused by our stupidity? How far are we willing to let the government protect us from ourselves? Is it our right to allow our children to kill themselves, as in the case of Daniel Hauser? Is it our right to say what we want, influence people, with misleading information, knowing that it will cause death? Jenny McCarthy has been quoted as saying that it is acceptable that some children will die as we quit all vaccinations.
I do believe that an adult has the right to kill oneself if they so wish. The issue here is that the parents of children are forcing their mislead pseudoscience upon their children often killing them. And now in the case of the Anti Vaxx movement the potential for a public health hazard increases. At what point does the government step in to save the lives of innocent children and elderly who will die from diseases once completely under control?
This brings up an up an interesting question for the scientific, medical, and skeptical. Why do these people disregard the overwhelming scientific data and yet chose to put their faith in untested and often dangerous treatments that very often are fatal. It is obvious that they have lost faith in science. Perhaps we have failed as educators, as a society at teaching what science and scientific thought are. When these people use the argument that science is driven by solely profit or that we evolved from monkeys, obviously have no understanding of what the scientific method or scientific thought are.
It is time to raise the bar. I believe the solution is twofold. Not only do we need to prosecute ignorance at the expense of others but we need step up to the plate in education as well. And not just in the classroom. Every individual can make a difference, by challenging those who don’t understand to find the facts themselves. To open their minds. To seek answers. And to discover the tools that we have to do that. Science and reason.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Quotes
"The Constitution of the United States, for instance, is a marvelous document for self-government by the Christian people. But the minute you turn the document into the hands of non-Christian people and atheistic people they can use it to destroy the very foundation of our society. And that's what's been happening." [Pat Robertson, The 700 Club television program, December 30, 1981]
The Rebuttal:
"The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." Treaty of Tripoly, article 11 -John Adams [1735-1826] 2d President of the United States
"Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man." - Thomas Jefferson
"In no instance have . . . the churches been guardians of the liberties of the people." -James Madison
"The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession. I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of Christian dogma." -Abraham Lincoln
"I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life, I absenteed myself from Christian assemblies." -Benjamin Franklin
Case closed.
The Rebuttal:
"The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." Treaty of Tripoly, article 11 -John Adams [1735-1826] 2d President of the United States
"Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man." - Thomas Jefferson
"In no instance have . . . the churches been guardians of the liberties of the people." -James Madison
"The Bible is not my book nor Christianity my profession. I could never give assent to the long, complicated statements of Christian dogma." -Abraham Lincoln
"I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life, I absenteed myself from Christian assemblies." -Benjamin Franklin
Case closed.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Well then! "Sociobiology"!
Ah Ha! Well, so I wasn't the first, But there are some quite interesting parallels between his theory and mine!
From Wiki:
Sociobiology
Michael McGoodwin quoting Wilson on sociobiology -
Sociobiology is defined as the systematic study of the biological basis of all forms of behavior, including human, incorporating ecology, ethology, and genetics. "If humankind evolved by Darwinian natural selection, genetic chance and environmental necessity, not God, made the species." "The brain [and the mind] exists because it promotes the survival and multiplication of the genes that direct its assembly." The two apparent dilemmas we face therefore are: (1) We lack any goal external to our biological nature (for even religions evolve to enhance the persistence and influence of their practitioners). Will societies transcendental goals dissolve and will we regress to mere self-indulgence? (2) Morality evolved as instinct "which of the censors and motivators should be obeyed and which ones might better be curtailed or sublimated."
Although much human diversity in behavior is culturally influenced, some has been shown to be genetic - rapid acquisition of language, human unpredictability, hypertrophy (extreme growth of pre-existing social structures), altruistism and religions. "Religious practices that consistently enhance survival and procreation of the practitioners will propagate the physiological controls that favor the acquisition of the practices during single lifetimes." Unthinking submission to the communal will promotes the fitness of the members of the tribe. Even submission to secular religions and cults involve willing subordination of the individual to the group. Religious practices confer biological advantages [14]
Wilson used sociobiology and evolutionary principles to explain the behavior of the social insects and then to understand the social behavior of other animals, including humans, thus established sociobiology as a new scientific field. He argued that all animal behavior, including that of humans, is the product of heredity, environmental stimuli, and past experiences, and that free will is an illusion. He has referred to the biological basis of behaviour as the "genetic leash."[15] The sociobiological view is that all animal social behavior is governed by epigenetic rules worked out by the laws of evolution. This theory and research proved to be seminal, controversial, and influential.[16]
The controversy of sociobiological research is in how it applies to humans. The theory established a scientific argument for rejecting the common doctrine of tabula rasa, which holds that human beings are born without any innate mental content and that culture functions to increase human knowledge and aid in survival and success. In the final chapter of the book Sociobiology and in the full text of his Pulitzer Prize-winning On Human Nature, Wilson argues that the human mind is shaped as much by genetic inheritance as it is by culture (if not more). There are limits on just how much influence social and environmental factors can have in altering human behavior.
Quite interesting, no? Perhaps this entered my subconscious long ago......
From Wiki:
Sociobiology
Michael McGoodwin quoting Wilson on sociobiology -
Sociobiology is defined as the systematic study of the biological basis of all forms of behavior, including human, incorporating ecology, ethology, and genetics. "If humankind evolved by Darwinian natural selection, genetic chance and environmental necessity, not God, made the species." "The brain [and the mind] exists because it promotes the survival and multiplication of the genes that direct its assembly." The two apparent dilemmas we face therefore are: (1) We lack any goal external to our biological nature (for even religions evolve to enhance the persistence and influence of their practitioners). Will societies transcendental goals dissolve and will we regress to mere self-indulgence? (2) Morality evolved as instinct "which of the censors and motivators should be obeyed and which ones might better be curtailed or sublimated."
Although much human diversity in behavior is culturally influenced, some has been shown to be genetic - rapid acquisition of language, human unpredictability, hypertrophy (extreme growth of pre-existing social structures), altruistism and religions. "Religious practices that consistently enhance survival and procreation of the practitioners will propagate the physiological controls that favor the acquisition of the practices during single lifetimes." Unthinking submission to the communal will promotes the fitness of the members of the tribe. Even submission to secular religions and cults involve willing subordination of the individual to the group. Religious practices confer biological advantages [14]
Wilson used sociobiology and evolutionary principles to explain the behavior of the social insects and then to understand the social behavior of other animals, including humans, thus established sociobiology as a new scientific field. He argued that all animal behavior, including that of humans, is the product of heredity, environmental stimuli, and past experiences, and that free will is an illusion. He has referred to the biological basis of behaviour as the "genetic leash."[15] The sociobiological view is that all animal social behavior is governed by epigenetic rules worked out by the laws of evolution. This theory and research proved to be seminal, controversial, and influential.[16]
The controversy of sociobiological research is in how it applies to humans. The theory established a scientific argument for rejecting the common doctrine of tabula rasa, which holds that human beings are born without any innate mental content and that culture functions to increase human knowledge and aid in survival and success. In the final chapter of the book Sociobiology and in the full text of his Pulitzer Prize-winning On Human Nature, Wilson argues that the human mind is shaped as much by genetic inheritance as it is by culture (if not more). There are limits on just how much influence social and environmental factors can have in altering human behavior.
Quite interesting, no? Perhaps this entered my subconscious long ago......
Quote of the day........
"Education on the value of free speech and the other freedoms reserved by the Bill of Rights, about what happens when you don't have them, and about how to exercise and protect them, should be an essential prerequisite for being an American citizen—or indeed a citizen of any nation, the more so to the degree that such rights remain unprotected. If we can't think for ourselves, if we're unwilling to question authority, then we're just putty in the hands of those in power. But if the citizens are educated and form their own opinions, then those in power work for us. In every country, we should be teaching our children the scientific method and the reasons for a Bill of Rights. With it comes a certain decency, humility and community spirit. In the demon-haunted world that we inhabit by virtue of being human, this may be all that stands between us and the enveloping darkness."
—Dr. Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, 1996
—Dr. Carl Sagan, The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, 1996
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