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Veronica
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Posts by Veronica
Letters to the Editor
Feb 4th
A resident of Sydney, Nova Scotia, who is a faithful reader of the Cape Breton Post, called my attention to two very different letters to the editor that, I suspect, are responses to this article: “Three Roman Catholic churches to close by July.” The headline made my day, and this statement made me even happier:
In a document released Sunday, the pastoral planning committee said the declining number of priests, church attendance and financial support, as well as increases in the cost of operating and upgrading aging structures, have forced the diocese to do something.
The fact that the number of priests, church attendance and financial support are declining is good news, and Robert Morley, the writer of this letter to the editor, agrees:
Perhaps part of the reason local churches are closing is that people are beginning to realize that the underpinnings of these edifices are based on falsehoods, myths and fairy tales, if you will.
Today ever-increasing numbers of people are at least exploring in earnest the doctrines and foundations of these various faiths that respectively ask us to suspend any objective analysis of fact and to instead place blind obedience in the belief that this vast universe was created by a being who supposedly knows our every thought and has ordained a divine plan for all of our actions.
Of course, there are those, like John Lyons, who disagree and want to make the broader argument: “All evil isn’t found in churches.” However, Robert Morley is not addressing evil; he is attacking the “falsehoods, myths and fairy tales” that are “the underpinnings” of churches:
Were these churches merely left solely for benign pursuits — such as suppers, festivals, concerts, and places for people to share celebration, grief, education and recreation — they would likely be better populated.
But when church leaders also insist on perpetuating myth as fact, exercising unjustifiable power over the weak and children, and telling all of us how to live with a retinue of ridiculous man-made rules dressed up to appear as divine direction, we should empty their pews and shed their authority as fast as would a mighty river flow down a mountainside. (My emphasis)
Why Adults are Experts at Self-delusion
Jan 29th
A short article entitled “High Anxiety: Why adults are experts at self-delusion” in YorkU magazine claims
adults who are uncertain or anxious about one or more areas of their life will often find another domain that acts as a certainty, and will exhibit “irrational conviction’ about that area. Relationships are a popular outlet for such irrational convictions, as are religious beliefs. (My emphasis)
and
recent studies suggest the tantalizing possibility that goals may be managed so people could be shielded from anxiety . . . thereby removing the need for extreme beliefs. (My Emphasis)
While it is indeed “tantalizing” to believe that if uncertainty and anxiety are eliminated, the need for extreme beliefs, especially religious beliefs, would disappear, I fear the study’s findings are too optimistic. Unfortunately, people use religion for more than “a balm to ease their anxiety.”
“Delusional Logic”
Jan 28th
Do you have trouble indentifying exactly which fallacious argument is being used? I do, and usually, I resort to Wikipedia to clear up my confusion. However, the website Something Surprising has posted a useful crib sheet entitled “Delusional Logic” as a guide to the most common fallacies:
Do you spot logical fallacies everywhere you go? Download this unique new pdf file free and start to enjoy the fun.
Enablers
Jan 23rd
Doug Thomas, president of Secular Connexion Séculaire (SCS), asks the question, “Is There a Line to Draw,” as the Email Topic Discussion for January 23. Thomas’ question and answer,
So, is there a line to draw between those theists whom we can see are peace-loving individuals and the fanatics? There may be, but it must be a blurry and faded one and it’s time theists stepped up and helped us draw it more clearly.
echo Jerry Coynes’ statement in the concluding paragraph to his post, “A bad week for free speech”:
As usual, Muslims who claim not to be extremists stand by silently while their coreligionists try to dismantle freedom of speech via threats of death. The silent ones are enablers.
I reserve a special censure for men and women who attend Catholic services, or send their children to Catholic schools, public or private. They are enablers; they enable The Roman Catholic Church to continue its nefarious activities and spread its damaging propaganda.
Coincidence or Physics?
Jan 18th
This morning, before settling down to write this post on Jerry Coyne’s article, “Why you don’t really have free will,” I logged on to Why Evolution Is True and found Coyne’s follow up post on his article. I don’t know whether there is any connection between physics and coincidence, but I like the title, so I used it.
However, my initial reason for writing this post is to call your attention to the article, provide my comments and ask for yours.
In his USA Today article, Coyne clearly states his thesis:
The debate about free will, long the purview of philosophers alone, has been given new life by scientists, especially neuroscientists studying how the brain works. And what they’re finding supports the idea that free will is a complete illusion. (emphasis added)
Coyne goes on to define what he means by free will, and he supports his position with analogy:
Our brains are simply meat computers that, like real computers, are programmed by our genes and experiences to convert an array of inputs into a predetermined output. . . . The ineluctable scientific conclusion is that although we feel that we’re characters in the play of our lives, rewriting our parts as we go along, in reality we’re puppets performing scripted parts written by the laws of physics.
The second sentence is familiar and makes me suspect that Shakespeare preempted Coyne:
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players (AYL 2.7.1-2)
Coyne presents a convincing argument for the absence of free will, and in his last paragraph, he assures us,
There’s not much downside to abandoning the notion of free will; . . . And there are two upsides.
The only sentence in the whole article that I question is the very last sentence:
With that under our belts, we can go about building a kinder world.
If we don’t have free will, how can we build a “kinder world”?
“Why you don’t really have free will,” deserves a close reading. After you read it, let’s discuss it.
Centre for Inquiry Canada Is Hiring
Jan 13th
I received this email yesterday:
The Centre for Inquiry Canada is hiring part time branch directors in Toronto and Vancouver!
Accepting Applications until January 20th
About the Centre for Inquiry:
The Centre for Inquiry is an international education and outreach organization dedicated to promoting and advancing reason, science, secular ethics and freedom of inquiry in all areas of human endeavour. We engage in educational lectures, debates and conferences, coordinate 30 campus freethought groups across Canada, run a robust series of secular humanist social and community services, and undertake political advocacy defending church-state separation, the integrity of science and equality rights for non-believers.This position is two-fold:
1. The successful candidates will act as the branch directors at CFI Canada headquarters in Toronto or branch director in the growing community at CFI Vancouver. He/she will lead CFI’s in-house and ongoing programming, event planning and hosting, promotions, newsletter publishing, social services and membership committees at their respective branches. There will be numerous leadership opportunities through support staff and volunteer recruitment, training, supervision and delegation. All activities taking place at the branch level will fall under the candidate’s jurisdiction.
2. CFI’s Canadian operations include Communities in major cities across Canada, campus outreach and support to affiliated groups across the country. The successful candidate will work with the National Executive Committee sharing information and coordinating national efforts.Timing/Duration:
This position has no fixed deadline, but is anticipated to last at least 6 months. The weekly time commitment will come to approximately 20 hours/week working mostly in the evenings after 4pm. Please indicate your daily and weekly availability as well as the duration of your commitment.Job Requirements:
An understanding of the freethought/humanist/skeptic community and/or some demonstration of commitment to the values of free and critical inquiry is essential.To perform this job successfully an individual must possess excellent skills in organization, promoting and leading. The individual must also have the ability to exercise independent judgement and manage multiple priorities, the ability to organize and lead volunteers, strong verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to represent CFI via public speaking and media appearances. The job frequently involves speaking in front of crowds, some financial
management, customer service skills and a strong background in event planning which the successful candidate must be comfortable working with minimal supervision. Knowledge of the non-profit sector, project management and community development strategies is ideal.Additional Technical Knowledge
To assist in specific projects, the following technical background is helpful, though not completely required. Candidates without such background should still apply. Candidates with such technical knowledge should highlight it in application:Web development experience:
Basic Microsoft Office Skills including Word, Excel and Powerpoint
Experience using and maintaining SQL databases (eg. MySQL) or similar technology
Basic understanding of video technology and video editing, uploading and embedding (e.g. through youtube or google video)
Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Microsoft Publisher or similar program for poster and ad creation
Knowledge of Social Media
Knowledge of Volunteer Management and Donor RelationsHow to Apply
If you are interested in applying, please email a cover letter and resume as a Word or PDF attachment, to Michael Payton at mpayton@cficanada.ca. Please write “Application to Toronto Branch Director” or “Application to Vancouver Branch Director” in the subject line.This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the overall growth of the secular community in Canada, exercise skills in non-profit management and to become part of a growing international movement. We hope you will consider joining us.
Thank you
National Executive, Centre for Inquiry Canada
“Tips on women for Stephen Hawking”
Jan 11th
According to Jean Hannah Edelstein at The Guardian,
Professor Stephen Hawking, leading elucidator of the universe, . . . confessed to having his own intellectual kryptonite. Women, he said in an interview with New Scientist, were a “complete mystery” – one that he now devotes much of his time to contemplating.
Edelstein wants to help Hawking understand women:
[J]ust as Hawking was able to explain the universe to those of us who were mystified by it in A Brief History of Time, it is my pleasure to be able to explain women to those who are mystified by us in a A Brief List of Five Obvious Points About Women Using Helpful Scientific Similes.
The five points are clever and fun. Here is number one:
Much like individual fundamental particles, women and men are different, but also the same. Which is to say: women are unique, complicated, intellectual, emotional, sexual. We respire and we digest. Sometimes we are lovely. And sometimes we are horrible. This has less to do with our intrinsic womanliness and more to do with the fact that we are human.
Card Carrying Member
Jan 8th
On Friday, January 8, 2012, I received confirmation of my membership in CFI Canada. I also received a membership card. The letter lists the names of the members of the board of directors: all are male, all are white. Justin Trottier, National Outreach Coordinator; Michael Payton, National Executive Director; and the Board of Directors are very optimistic about the future of CFI Canada:
Apocalypse or not, 2012 is going to be the best year yet for the Centre for Inquiry Canada! We can’t offer you a revelation, but we can unveil our vision for the next year, which grows on the amazing accomplishments your funds have been supporting.
Vote for Canadian Atheist in the Final Round of the 2011 Canadian Blog Awards
Jan 8th
Voting is open now for the Final Round of the 2011 awards; you can vote for Canadian Atheist in two categories:
You can vote only once in each category.
Voting ends January 20, 2012.
Angels
Dec 25th
A recent post by Jerry Coyne at Why Evolution Is True discusses the results of an Associated Press-GfK poll that reveals “77% of Americans believe in angels.” What a coincidence! Yesterday I was directed to a blog owned by a “Canadian Catholic Writer” who calls herself “Seraphic.” A quick check with Oxford Dictionaries Online confirmed my suspicion that seraphic is an adjective which means, “characteristic of or resembling a seraph or seraphim; angelic” and provides a link to the word seraph:
an angelic being, regarded in traditional Christian angelology as belonging to the highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy, associated with light, ardour, and purity.
However, there is nothing angelic about Seraphic’s post on Christopher Hitchens or her coining a new word for atheists. voidist:
Update 2: By the way, I don’t know why atheists (or voidists, since so many supposed atheists nevertheless seem to believe in continued identity after death) think “facing the void” is so much braver than facing the choice between an eternity of love and of damnation.
I am trying to get my head around the word voidist and create an appropriate response to Seraphic. Please help; send your response to the word voidist to Seraphic or post it below.
PS My initial response to Seraphic is
May the bird of the paradise you believe in fly up your nose.*
*My apologies to Dickens Little Jimmy for distorting his song: “May the Bird of Paradise Fly up Your Nose.”
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