An interesting article on Debunking Christianity:
A Double Standard for Morality?
regarding the double standard Christians allow god when it comes to questions of morality.

Skeptico blog has an interesting post regarding dealing with belief in psychic claims:
How do you prove photography to a blind man?

Agnostic Mom has an interesting article on how morality and ethics is likely a bio-neurological construct found in our brains as a result of evolutionary development:
Much Of Our Morality Lies In The Brain
Update: They discuss this neurological connection of emotion to moral decisions, and the fact that brain damage affects morality in the latest episode of the Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe.
Also, a reminder about religious belief also being neurological: Godhead: God in the Head.

One of the ways in which one divides good science from religion and pseudoscience, is can the developed scientific theory make accurate predictions?
I recently came across this list of predictions the theory of evolution has successfully made:
Is Evolution Science?
What predictions about the natural world can “intelligent design” make?

The latest Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe has a brief follow-up to the whole “Tomb of Jesus” shtuph.
Some peer-review feedback includes an analysis of the labeling of one of the ossuaries shows that the “Mary Magdalene” one is actually “Mariamene and Mara,” the second name added by a different hand a century later. Putting two people in the same “bone box” was not at all uncommon.

As the podcast host states, this is why it’s vital that discoveries go through the peer-review process before you make documentaries about it. Irreducible Complexity proponents Behe and Dembski could learn something from this.

(OK, another stupid title.)
A recent episode of Point of Inquiry has an interview with author, theologian, literature scholar, Robert M. Price (who, by the way, was a key member of the “Jesus Seminar,” which was a collection of theologians, historians, clergy, and scientists from various fields whose task it was to determine the levels of historicity of Jesus and the acts.) He has a new book coming out, which doesn’t have an entry on Amazon yet, regarding Christian views of “the end times”.

In this fascinating interview, he discusses why it’s quite likely the man called “Jesus” never actually existed–something I’ve discussed on my blog a few times. But also, he discusses the concept of eschatology and why this concept of “end times” is so important to Christians. He shows how various famous “end times” predictors like Jack van Impe and Hal Lindsey are constantly changing their interpretation of “prophesy” over the years and decades to try to make it fit contemporary events (as has been done for 2000 years–trying to show how current events are signs of the coming end.) How books like the Left Behind are a kind of “theological pornography” so to speak, in that they provide for people of an apocalyptic-lusting mindset to vicariously watch the events unfold on the page that they wish were happening in real life, for which they believe they’ll have front-row balcony seats in Heaven for. Price discusses how the general belief in the “end times” (e.g. the beliefs of certain end-times Middle East wars and the like) not only don’t particularly match Biblical scripture anyway (it’s a hybridization of war scenarios in Daniel and persecution philosophy of Revelations), but what is in the Bible regarding the apocalypse comes right out of pre-Hebrew Persian Zoroastrian belief and its three-headed dragon/emperor Aži Dahāka and later persecuting Roman imperial symbolism John plays upon in writing Revelations.

One of the reasons he says he does this, writes books and speaks on these subjects, is because he finds more and more people who “have grown up enough” to see that this stuff doesn’t make any sense, that there’s something “wrong” with these stories of Jesus–both past and present, and Price wants to show these people that there’s a mature way of viewing these things.
He discusses, as I’ve remarked on before, that he is a huge fan of Christianity. He has nothing against Christianity or belief, but simply fundamentalists who pound their fists and proclaim with complete certainty and no doubt the absolute accuracy and historicity of Scripture–and it’s those people he tries to counter.

Oh man, funny stuff. From xkcd comic:

Wow! (Second “wow” in a week.) This last AstronomyCast episode:
Episode 28: What is the universe expanding into?
is incredible! They discuss the theoretical shapes of the universe (the current theory is it’s flat, finite, and donut (torus) shaped. I’ve discussed discovering the concept of the universe being flat before, and the torus shape allows the universe to be both finite and in a way, infinite (in direction, meaning, there’s no outside edge,) here: Big Bang Whoa, Redux where I discuss how every point of the universe is the “center” of the universe, and the Big Bang is less a “bang” and more of a “Big Super-Fast-Expansion-From-All-Points”.)

So, they discuss why the question “What’s outside the universe” is a nonsense question but even so, what some of the theories are regarding what’s “outside” an finite universe including theories of bubble universes inside universes.

Anyway, it’s shows like this one that remind me why I so desperately love science! And why people who cling to Creationism and pseudoscience annoy the frakk out of me. Look, I have what’s probably a solid high school level understanding of chemistry and physics. Most Americans have probably a Middle School level of understanding, if that. Regardless, I and most Americans are let’s say around a “2″ on a continuum of scientific understanding while Nobel Prize winners in science would be a “10.” Working scientists probably hang out about 6 to 9 in general. (Yeah, I’m making these numbers up, but I doubt I’m far off.)

Here’s my point: There are thousands of brilliant scientists who have studied for years and decades, building upon the knowledge of thousands of scientists before them, who grok things like how the universe began, how it’s expanding, how dark energy effects matter, etc etc. And yes theories change as more information is gathered, but that doesn’t change the fact that thousands of people who make it their lives to understand these concepts know an astronomical amount more than I ever could possibly hope to know, and I know a little more than your average American. And yet, there are scads of Americans who couldn’t tell you what the Laws of Energy Conservation are, what the speed of light is, how to figure the area of a circle, nor tell you what a valence electron is, who are so damned certain they know Creation happened because a Bronze Age book of cultural myths says so or that aliens have crystal power and visit us nightly or we couldn’t have landed on the moon. Some people chose to dismiss science as “just another religion of ideology” and “scientists don’t really know anything” and what I see are people who are so deeply offended and in denial about their average level of knowledge and intelligence that they project derision and dismissiveness upon science and scientists in some twisted sour-grapes pettiness of jealousy and/or envy.

I see what scientists do and discover, and yeah, I’m envious! I’m painfully envious and pissed off at my own average intelligence for not being able to grasp so much of what I wish I could. But instead of turning my angst upon science itself and people who do it, I look at discoveries and progress and our natural understanding with awe and reverence. I don’t supplant what I don’t understand with New Age drek about Life Forces and crystals, and I don’t use religious myth, I try to understand what I’m capable of and go in search of finding answers I can grasp, and admit “I don’t know” when I come to something I don’t know. The natural universe is so much more wonderful and awesome and mind-boggling, as evidenced by what gets discussed in these AstronomyCasts, than anything that childish and human-centric human imagination can conjure up in the realms of religion, myth, and pseudoscience.

Bad cop done, good cop says: don’t be afraid of what you don’t know! Admit “I don’t know” about something and search for answers from sources that use rigorous methods to come to natural truths and not junk science and religious certainties. Yeah, most all science requires math most Americans aren’t capable of, but we’re not expected to become amateur scientists in order to embrace science and accept its knowledge. Here’s a few things anyone can do to simply become an informed and savvy citizen, human, participant in the world, without learning calculus:

It’s easy to spend a little time and become a lot more informed and empowered as a participant in the natural world.

No, we shouldn’t revere scientists themselves. We can elevate the field of physicists as “Authority” on that subject, but scientists make poor philosophers, statesmen… although, when tens of thousands of scientists agree that an artificial global warming is happening, and humans are 90% of the cause of it, and we desperately need to take steps to reverse the trend or else the end of humanity is a century or so away–politicians and philosophers should, must listen!

Saw this clip on another’s blog, “remembering your past for you so you don’t have to,” and the first half of it is hilarious! (Second half is a little tedious and ends amusingly but anti-climatically.)
But it’s pretty funny for us “Dr. Who” fans.

Addendum: I’ve been trying to observe good grammar in my entries of late (compare to my earlier posts!) but this one is still a victim of stream-of-consciousness writing as I hate editing my blogs. You’ve been warned.
Wow! What a week! My wife and I spent last Wednesday through to Sunday in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, at the International Conference for the Fantastic in the Arts.
Really the only good way to describe my adventure is chronologically, so I’ll do that and try to be succinct.

So way super early Wednesday morning after getting two hours of sleep, we drove three hours to Kansas City (the closest airport that has direct flights to Ft. Lauderdale,) and got on a Boeing 717–an extremely safe and modern and pretty new jet with a history of only one FAA incident and it was a minor electrical thing (I check this stuff out, because I’m one level short of being clinically phobic. Now, I love flying. Up in the air I’m fine. Flying rocks. But I’m deathly afraid of take-offs and landings because I know most, almost to the point of saying “nearly all” major incidents occur at those periods. I know it’s safer to fly than to drive. But most car accidents result in sprained neck, broken ankle, things like that. Most serious plane accidents result in flaming liquid aluminum death for all! So, landings and take-offs are sheer hell for me. Anyway….)

We get to the Ft. Lauderdale Airport Hilton, and it’s nice and all, but there are no restaurants (save one) within walking distance and the hotel food is WAY overpriced!! But the rooms are nice! Anyway, there’s a ICFA welcoming meetings, with a panel including a publisher with TOR and a couple of senior journal editors discussing the business of speculative fiction publishing and that was cool. Then We attended a panel, and then the welcoming reception with WAY overpriced cash bar. (Mmmm, Bailey’s Irish Cream….) Wife had to retire for the night, but I wanted to stick around and mingle. At one point I went out into the hall to read some flier and along comes a girl, woman, (I hate gender issues) 30-ish person of the female persuasion with a drink in one hand an a plastic cup of chocolate fondue from the reception in the other and she walks by, stops, and comes back and sits next to me and introduces herself. She says she likes my hat (I like wearing hats…this was my Summer straw hat with a nice band) and invites me to join her (once she’s donned a bathing suit) out at the outdoor hottub with some friends. So I made my way out there and met a few others who call themselves The Dead Parrots (Monty Python reference…gotta love that!) A loose collection of friends, both close and distant, who hang out with each other at the conference. A few Canadians, a couple of Germans, and a few Yanks. They had strawberries for which the chocolate was necessary, wine, and beer. After a couple of hours of gabbing I went back to my room and told my wife, “There’s a group of people you HAVE to meet!” And so for the rest of the conference we hung out with the Dead Parrots and thank the gods. They’re a great, fun group of people who included us right in and made for a much more enjoyable conference than it would have been if we had to try to infuse ourselves into various conversations and cliques and hang out solitary for four or five days. I am so thankful N. took a moment to stop and say hi to me.

So then Thursday was my birthday! And the day I presented my paper at the conference. We attended another couple of panels, and then I presented mine. Having never attended a conference before I didn’t know what to expect or exactly what tone to strike with my paper, so I assumed a rather lofty, scholarly level with it. Well, it seemed to me that about 30% of the papers were scholarly and 70% were pretty informal and even haphazard or improvised. So mine may have been a little boring and dense, but it got some good comments going. I got one comment from a Dutch professor that she was glad to see a “theory” paper as they’re pretty rare (the underlying basis for my paper rested upon a Marxist-Lacanian theory blend; most of the papers seem devoid of any overt theory, which isn’t necessarily bad, but may be a contributing factor to their apparent lack of cohesion or focus. Although those that were scholarly, and even some that weren’t, were generally Feminist or “Queer Theory” (not surprising considering the focus of the conference was on gender in the fantastic.)
I even got a couple of requests for copies of my paper! Now, I need to expand it to make it journal article length (no problem, since my original research yielded scads of material) and edit it to a level where it’s worth a journal article (more problematic) and submit it.

Then, paper having been presented, time to relax! Attended a couple of panels, and then invited the Dead Parrots to join us for dinner at the Rusty Inn for dinner. It’s a crab shack on a ocean-connected canal, and man! was it good! Of course for my b-day I had both lobster and crab, and we shared a platter of appetizers with the group that included breaded and fried alligator and frog legs. The alligator was quite tasty and I tried that without problem. The frog leg…man did I hem and haw over that! Creepy looking! But I finally gave in, and wow. Tasty JUST like chicken! With a gamy rabbit aftertaste, but not at all bad. And then a Key Lime Pie for my birthday.

Back at the conference that night was a “graduate student caucus,” which was basically a movie showing. We watched the Japanese thriller Ôdishon (Audition) which I’d heard about on a podcast before as being exceptionally violent and disturbing. I have to say, I don’t think I’m jaded (I can’t watch cable TV operation or ER shows and even those police chase shows make me anxious,) but it was way more tame than I thought it’d be. It was an interesting drama, and had some good moments, but it felt like two different styles of movies squished together. And included an impossible dream-sequence that involved the main character knowing things he couldn’t possibly know which kind of annoyed me too much to ignore. It’s OK when a movie plays fast and loose with reality, but when it’s very much a reality-centered movie (even if it’s a psycho thriller) and they have an instance of incredulous break from reality–it just messes up the whole thing.
But, the company was good.

Then Friday, more panels and a free luncheon where there was a free book at every seat. We skipped out before the featured speakers in order to take a cab to the James Randi Education Foundation (JREF) which happened to be only 10 minutes away! I went to sign up for a membership and buy a couple of items–of course I was hoping I might meet Mr. Randi himself, but I didn’t hold out much hope. Even so, while we were there talking to the office assistant about signing up, James Randi came out and in a playful manner blusterly demanded who was darkening his office. He was way cool. He was smaller and more frail than I expected, but the man IS pushing 80 and recovering from heart problems! But he was incredibly kind, generous, quick witted. He invited us back into his library where we discussed the workings of this fascinating conversation piece of what appears to be a globe moving on its own accord, and performed a couple of card tricks for us (which was nice since he really hasn’t performed magic for years.) I really appreciate the man for taking time out of his day to greet and entertain a couple of strangers stopping by the office. Class act!

So we get back to the conference, and who should be performing a show at the very same hotel we’re at? The so-called “psychic” John Edward! How’s that for synchronicity, or irony, or something.

OK, so more panels, more hanging out at the pool and hottub, talking. They had a bookstore with discounted books, and a lot of signed books, and lots of unproofed gallies of books from TOR. But one kick-butt thing is the IAFA (the conference host) was giving away back copies of the Journal for the Fantastic in the Arts, and I got a nearly full set of back issues–which rocks! It’s like having a personal resource library, especially since that’s one of the few peer-reviewed speculative journals my university actually doesn’t carry that journal! (Next year I need to remember to leave more room in my suitcases!)

Saturday night was the banquet reception followed by the banquet. The banquet had a nice dinner, more free books, awards presentations, and an acknowledgment of the permanent guest of honor, Brian Aldiss. Interesting: The fellow who talked about him and his contribution to both the conference and speculative fiction, played a snippet of him in a recent BBC interview, and in it he said a curious thing. He believed that while science fiction comments on the human condition, science fiction’s heyday is long gone and has past its peak. I’m not sure why he said that, or what he means by that, or if he’s even correct. But it does make me think: has it? Can it? If science fiction, from H.G. Wells to cyberpunk, reflect cultural concerns and issues, how can it pass any peak? But, is it possible, with the huge glut of authors and the ability for pretty much anyone of any quality to find a publisher nowadays, “good” sci-fi (whatever that means,) gets harder and harder to find and all we have really is a miasma of self-absorbed drek? Perhaps.

Anyway, so, I won a door prize at the banquet: a free two night stay at the Orlando Mariott Hotel that the conference will be moving to as of next year (after 20 years at the same location. Evidently the new owners of the old/current hotel started shafting the conference big time.) The bad news, it has to be used within the next 11 months–before the next conference! But, I guess that means the good news is now we have an excuse for us to take our daughter to Disneyland later this year. *grin* The new location for the conference next year sounds great! A lot of places around the hotel one can walk to for meals, Guinness on tap, better amenities….

Then Sunday, our plane didn’t leave until late evening, so we took a bus to the beach. Wow! The ocean is incredible! Supposedly I lived in San Francisco for a year as a child, but I don’t remember it. I lived in Alaska for a year, and I remember camping, but no ocean. But I do remember the ocean in Washington when we lived there a year, and it is dreary! Gray, cloudy, chill. The beach in Florida was nice! Blue skies, jade-colored water turning deep blue in the distance, sail boats and cruise ships in the distance, sand you can walk barefoot on. We we got sunburns there and ate a Sunday brunch buffet at a restaurant on the beach, and stood out on the pier for a bit. ice. Great way to end the trip! We said goodbye to our new friends and made our exhausted way back home.

What an experience!

An excellent program, a nearly 2-hour documentary by theologian Robert Beckford, on the history and creation of the compilation of writings we call “The Bible.”

Who Wrote the Bible

He comes from a very religious background, raised by a pious mother and taught not to question the Bible–and what he finds during his journey discovering who wrote the Bible and how, is shocking.

Much of what he describes and explains are things I’ve mentioned here on the blog. In the documentary, he takes time now and then to discuss his own views and present others’ views regarding the nature of The Spirit and Faith–both good and bad.
But some of the key points he brings up:
The early Jews were polytheistic, scattered, various in their beliefs (as they came from various evolutions of Sumerian-related myths–a point he doesn’t mention,) until King Hezekiah forces his Jewish kingdom to become monotheistic and destroy the icons and symbols of other versions of Yahveh, et. al. (e.g.: Moses is said to have created a staff with a snake on it, which could heal. A symbol that was handed down from ancient Greek tradition, used as a symbol of medicine today–this was one symbol Hezekiah disallowed.) It was at this point in which much of the disparate sects of Judaism started to come together (and one of the reasons we have four distinct voices/authors/editors of the Pentateuch, giving us different creation, flood, and Moses on Sinai stories.)

After the Jewish kingdom was overtaken and scattered, the Jewish religion started to become focused on pain, suffering, getting back what they’d lost. This is where stories of returning kings and delivering messiahs begun to emerge.

He mentions the different Christmas stories and the problems that presents, as well as the fact that Paul, arguably the first writer of any Christian text, had scribes who would write some of the letters for him.

He discusses the various backgrounds of the Gospel writers, and the different tones and apparent agendas of these writers, none of which were from the area of events and wrote long afterward. For example, Mark seems to writing as one who has suffered and been persecuted, and is writing a gospel to make sense of the persecution and create a narrative of redemption from it. Matthew turns Jesus into a Jewish prophet.

He discusses the process by which select and powerful men created an orthodox version of the Bible that excluded dozens of other gospels that contained elements they didn’t like:for example, there’s evidence that women were quite active in the early Christian religion, but became marginalized and even vilified through the process of the patriarchal editing process. The editing, construction, of the religious orthodoxy was about power and politics. One has to have faith that “the Spirit” moved among the early editors, but the evidence shows it was most likely power and prejudice that held sway.

He ends in the last 10 minutes discussing the current marriage of politics and religion. Those in power right now dismiss scholarship and debate and discussion in favor of blind faith. One religious advisor to prez shrub states “It isn’t a matter of scholarship [dismissing the evidence of the human hand in the Bible creation], it’s a matter of faith…. It’s God’s word
until you prove it isn’t.”

He doesn’t bring this up (in fact, the narrator/scholar ends with the message that The Spirit is not in the creation of the Bible, but is in us now today as we examine, look, and judge for ourselves what the meaning of it all is,) but I can’t help but think–if it’s not a matter of scholarship but belief, what makes the Bible any more authentic and True than the Koran? Or a book of Wicca?

I think this documentary is very good, and both the secular and the liberal Christian alike can get something from it.

Some good and bad news on the administration’s behavior as fascist power mongers:
As part of the Patriot Act, the administration rammed through a provision that gave the Attorney General the ability to appoint federal prosecutors without the traditional, and Constitutional mind you, check-and-balance of getting Senate approval.
Over the last few months the administration has fired several prosecutors with long service and excellent records–but in some way does not tow the Party line (such as prosecuting Republican congressmen for example,) and using the unchecked appointing ability to replace them with Party lackies.

Well, it seems Congress has decided to pull back some of the administration’s power and remove this provision–and the White House isn’t fighting it! White House backtracks in row over U.S. attorneys
Nice!

Also in the news, it was revealed that the FBI has not been following even the nearly non-existent rules on Patriot Act granted right of issuing warrantless searches on U.S. citizens and broad information gathering.
Audit: FBI snooping did not follow rules
Supposedly Attorney General Gonzoles is promising greater accountability and safe-guards. Nice. Would be better if some of these Gestapo creating components of the Patriot Act didn’t exist in the first place–but that’s what you get for reacting in irrational fear instead of measured reason.

The bad news is, of course, that this stuff is going on in the first place–and this is just the stuff we know about.

Something to think about: Did you know that Cheney’s Vice Presidency is the most controlling, involved, and secret VP ever? He personally visited the CIA back during the period in which the Administration was cooking up evidence for war, no less than six times–which is six times more than any other VP in history. Also, in addition to Cheney holding secret meetings with oil industry executives, he won’t release to not only the press but even the White House registry, the names of who works in his office! Even the President’s office has never done that.
This is the most secretive administration with no accountability we may ever have had–and they work for US.
It’s like, if you owned a small business, and the person you hired for sales and marketing won’t show you their reports, hires people and puts them on your payroll but won’t let you know who they are, and sets agendas for your company but won’t let you in on them.