General

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.”

re·ject

Jan 25th

Posted by rebekah in Personal Story

6 comments

As it’s Oscar season, I’m busy catching all the nominees for the best picture — which means I caught the critically acclaimed ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin‘ (which I was sure was going to be nominated in some way, but wasn’t .. and that’s a subject for another post).

Anyway, I enjoyed the film so much that I started to read the 2003 novel it was based on, of the same name by the author Lionel Shriver. As I read, there was a quote that caught my eye and caused me to pause — it’s a quote spoken by the mother/protagonist of the novel, reflecting back on her flaws as a parent. One shortcoming she muses about is the lack of a religious environment she exposed her son, Kevin, to:

Both of us were lapsed, so it made sense to raise our kids as neither Armenian Orthodox or Presbyterian. Although I’m reluctant to inveigh that youth today need to crack the Old Testament, it sobers me that, thanks to us, Kevin may have never seen the inside of a church.

The fact that you and I were brought up with something to walk away from may have advantaged us, for we knew what lay behind us, and what we were not.

So I wonder if Kevin, too, would have been better off had we spewed a lot of incense-waving hooey that he could have coughed back in our faces — those extravagant fancies about virgin births and commandments on mountaintops that really stick in a kid’s throat. [my emphasis]

As soon as I read this passage, I had to stop — if only because it resonated a little too much. Is my little girl — being raised in a happily godless home — at a disadvantage?
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Enablers

Jan 23rd

Posted by Veronica in Christianity

7 comments

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

Posted by Veronica in Blogs

20 comments

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

Posted by Veronica in Center for Inquiry

6 comments

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 Relations

How 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

Employment

“Tips on women for Stephen Hawking”

Jan 11th

Posted by Veronica in General

2 comments

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

Posted by Veronica in Center for Inquiry

36 comments

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.