Letters to the Editor
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Published Letters: 175 Editor's Choice: 9
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Woo- hoo! Rebel Jesus!
[Read the article: Come as you are]
[Read more letters about this article: Here] -
Now we're cookin' with gas!
[Read the article: Divining the brain]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The MRI. Excellent!
An interesting article. And one that I'll have to comment on (without any bad poetry).
I hope you were all paying attention. Contrary to what a number of theists think- it turns out that these 'spiritual' feelings are, in fact, just different parts of the brain firing in particular orders and intensities. Different filters turning on and off. Sometimes the amplifier does go all the way up to 11.
Also, someone pointed out that the brain changes (or maybe the particular pathways change) depending on belief. Another important piece of the puzzle.
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Dawkins is the man!
[Read the article: The flying spaghetti monster]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I love these science v. religion articles. And, of course, I love the fallout in the letters section.
We'll see the usual theist arguments- the tired old god of the gaps thing in new clothes "Oh, you can't know everything, so how can you know that there isn't some supreme bieng, blah, blah, blah."
We'll see the usual crying that atheists are often as hell-bent on converting theists as to almost seem religious themselves.
And, of course, the theists will treat us to a cocktail of misinformation, bad poetry, outright gibberish, wikipidia links, and outlandish personal stories of touching and/or being touched by god.
Hats off to Juniper Flesco whose already fighting the good fight. Keep the confidence, brother!
Oh, and before I forget: No God. No soul. No afterlife. No big deal.
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Keeping the confidence!
[Read the article: The flying spaghetti monster]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I made some comments back in page six - a RED STARRED comment, my friends- but that was a while ago so I thought I'd repost it:
I love these science v. religion articles. And, of course, I life for the fallout in the letters section.
We'll see the usual theist arguments- the tired old god of the gaps thing in new clothes "Oh, you can't know everything, so how can you know that there isn't some supreme bieng, blah, blah, blah."
We'll see the usual crying that atheists are often as hell-bent on converting theists as to almost seem religious themselves. Good! If Dawkins starts a chruch, I'm joining, donnating, and doing missionary work!
And, of course, the theists will treat us to a cocktail of misinformation, bad poetry, outright gibberish, wikipidia links, and outlandish personal stories of touching and/or being touched by god. I'm happy you had a remarkable experience, not so happy that I'm going to WORSHIP them, though. Sorry.
Hats off to Juniper Flesco, David, and others who are already fighting the good fight. Keep the confidence, brothers!
Oh, and one more time (I have to practice up for Christmas): No God. No soul. No afterlife. No big deal.
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Going after your kids
[Read the article: The real menace to American kids]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]A few thoughts inspired by the article.
It seems, to me, that there are ADD and ADHD kids out there, but there really isn't a reliable way to tell which ones really have the condition and which ones are just spastic. Maybe there is, but I haven't heard about it.
Autism is, of course, it's own animal. I'm not sure if the screening is to blame for the increase or something else, but I have a bad feeling that it's becoming more common- unless it, too, is being misdiagnosed. But I think that one's pretty hard to miss.
But the thing that I really agree with that Maher says is how EVERYONE is trying to get to your kids. Pretty much any organized sport is geared to getting those kids on the field, once their waivers are signed and the checks clear. Martial arts? The same, pack the classes with kids if you want to keep the doors open. It's even getting into Yoga now. Religion, too (although I think that traumatizing the young has long been a service offered by churches/temples/mosques). Fashion, food, movies, everything is aimed at children. It's really kind of creepy, if you ask me.
And how do you stop it? I'm upper middle class and can get my nephew away from it all, hiking, camping, whatever, maybe it helps combat the unending advertising pressure, maybe it doesn't. But I worry that a lot of people can't get away from it, or don't realize that it's something that they should get away from periodically.