Skeptics Circle #66  

Thursday, August 02, 2007


The latest Skeptic's Circle is up at denialism blog. It's a great set of articles including:

UFO Sitings
Christian Domestic Discipline
Amateur CSI Trial Jurors
Moral Reasoning in Chimps
Death by Homeopathic Surgery
Reporting Odds Ratio Mistakes
Transcendental Meditation

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9 comments: to “ Skeptics Circle #66

  • Paul Sunstone
    Thursday, August 2, 2007 at 11:48:00 AM CDT  

    I went to the Christian Domestic Discipline site after reading the article on it. For some reason, the combination of religion and S&M was entirely disturbing. I normally don't have much of a problem with what consenting adults do to each other, but I wonder just how consenting someone can be if they feel they have to submit to sadism to get into heaven.

  • Unknown
    Thursday, August 2, 2007 at 1:02:00 PM CDT  

    That's exactly what I thought! I was deeply disturbed. (I submitted the piece to Mark, but may not have been the only one.)

    I couldn't tell if some of these women were miserable and fearful or enjoyed feeling fearful, but in either case that's not a healthy place to be in.

    Under the auspices of religion it seemed even creepier, not because religion is supposed to be a moral authority, but because they're being threatened with the thought of an eternal hell if they don't follow the teachings.

    I think this is a fringe thing really and I certainly don't think most Christians believe this way, but it's dangerous and destructive all the same.

  • Paul Sunstone
    Thursday, August 2, 2007 at 8:35:00 PM CDT  

    Can you imagine being a child hearing your dad beat your mom with a leather belt?

  • Unknown
    Monday, August 6, 2007 at 1:22:00 PM CDT  

    Ugh!

  • Paul Sunstone
    Monday, August 6, 2007 at 6:09:00 PM CDT  

    By the way, thanks for the link to Cafe Philos!

    May I ask how you came up with the user name of "Ordinary Girl"?

  • Unknown
    Monday, August 6, 2007 at 6:16:00 PM CDT  

    I suppose there were many reasons. Too many people don't celebrate the ordinary things in life, the things we all take for granted. Everyone wants to be special in some particular way.

    I think also it's a little bit about us all being human and all having common ground. I'm not different than anyone else really, despite sometimes having a different viewpoint. There's nothing villainous or especially saintly about me.

    And also it came out of my rejection of superstition and embrace of the ordinary, natural world in a way. But more it came out of finding the extraordinary in everyday life.

  • Paul Sunstone
    Monday, August 6, 2007 at 11:05:00 PM CDT  

    Those are all great reasons, methinks. I like them!

    "Sunstone" came to me after watching the light play on some rocks up in the mountains one afternoon. I've gotten to like that name, and have thought of changing my legal name to it.

  • Unknown
    Tuesday, August 7, 2007 at 9:04:00 AM CDT  

    I never liked my real name that my parents gave me. I've gone through a few different versions and shortenings. But I've never considered changing my name.

    I've had nicknames on the internet, one that lasted for 15 years before I decided it didn't fit me anymore.

    The image you described sounds beautiful. I love the mountains and I miss them dearly.

    Do you think it'd be odd to go by another name?

  • Paul Sunstone
    Tuesday, August 7, 2007 at 9:09:00 AM CDT  

    "Do you think it'd be odd to go by another name?"

    I think my family would have a more difficult time getting used to Sunstone than I would. I've been using that name on the net for a few years now, and at times I even catch myself thinking of myself as Sunstone.

    By the way, I took the liberty of mentioning you on my blog this morning.

 

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