http://polypyloctomy.24kblogs.com Splitting philosophical hairs Mon, 31 Dec 2007 00:22:44 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Many freethinkers, especially when congregating in small groups, burn a significant amount of mental oil pondering the improbable fact that millions of seemingly normal people reject mountains of scientific evidence in favor of blind faith. This is especially the case when it comes to the theory of biological evolution by ... http://polypyloctomy.24kblogs.com/2007/12/30/its-the-faith-stupid/ A recent post at A Load of Bright on patriotism, questioning the notion of declaring allegiance to a government or an ideology due to the happenstance of one's birth, reminded me of an issue I have been pondering for some time. How much of our individual destiny is determined at ... http://polypyloctomy.24kblogs.com/2007/12/24/pride-prejudice-and-situation/ Musing (perhaps inadvertently) on the failings of organized humanism to promote a distinct identity for that worldview, Carlton Coon, writing at The Eloquent Atheist, notes that too many holding sympathetic views have hidden themselves in the closet. When asked to state a religious affiliation, they’ll mumble that they’re Catholics or Lutherans ... http://polypyloctomy.24kblogs.com/2007/12/22/out-of-the-closet/ Once again, it is time to clear out a backlog of miscellany of possible interest - my own carnival banal. For those seeking a secular alternative to the Pagan-influenced holiday called Christmas, or who think the winter solstice comes just a few days too early, or who are looking for an ... http://polypyloctomy.24kblogs.com/2007/12/21/accumulated-wisdom-20071221/ Several weeks ago the Connecticut Valley Atheists spurred a bit of controversy with their unholy seasonal display. The structure the atheists placed in the park features on two sides a dramatic image of the sun shining between the twin towers of the World Trade Center, framed by the words "Imagine No ... http://polypyloctomy.24kblogs.com/2007/12/21/sign-of-the-times/ Friendly Atheist has posted an email promoting a purported Humanist Identity Project, comparing it to the recent OUT Campaign initiated by Richard Dawkins, and wondering whether such competition is advisable. I think the broader campaigns have a much better chance at being successful and should be supported by those under that ... http://polypyloctomy.24kblogs.com/2007/12/17/humanist-identity/ In a wide-ranging article in the International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, Stanford University professor Albert Bandura discusses various means by which societies provide moral cover for acts that, collectively, result in substantial and irreversible environmental harm. Recalling the work of Lakoff and others, Bandura describes how environmental degradation ... http://polypyloctomy.24kblogs.com/2007/12/16/the-ostrich-problem/ I have long believed that the success of organized humanism is dependent on its ability to foster the emergence of robust local communities, oriented toward meeting a broad range of social, emotional and intellectual needs. Absent the development of such infrastructure, humanism - despite its intellectual appeal and rich heritage ... http://polypyloctomy.24kblogs.com/2007/12/15/secular-communities/ Ever since Max Weber postulated Entzauberung (or disenchantment), predicting the displacement of religious faith by scientific rationalism, theories of secularization have abounded. As described in an essay by William H. Swatos, Jr: Many social theorists (e.g., Wallace 1966) doubted that modernity could combine religious traditions with the overpowering impersonal features of ... http://polypyloctomy.24kblogs.com/2007/12/15/unto-the-next-generation/ A grassroots / netroots effort to call for a presidential debate on scientific and technological issues has been announced. Given the many urgent scientific and technological challenges facing America and the rest of the world, the increasing need for accurate scientific information in political decision making, and the vital role scientific ... http://polypyloctomy.24kblogs.com/2007/12/12/debatable-science/